Slipping beneath the city’s skin, we find a hidden world. This is the Deen Street Water Supply Reservoir. A place few know exists. Let’s uncover its secrets. The Deen Street Water Supply Reservoir is mentioned as one of the similar reservoirs found on high points around Brisbane. Its construction, like others, reflects the city’s constant struggle to quench its thirst. Early Brisbane relied on a creek near today’s Brisbane Grammar School. An earth dam built in 1838 created a reservoir. This served the growing city until 1866. But the Brisbane River, tidal and salty, wasn’t a drinking source. Newspaper articles from the time, like one in the Moreton Bay Courier in 1850, criticized the neglect of the water supply. The article vividly describes the reservoir’s poor condition, open to animals and pollution. In 1863, the Queensland Parliament finally addressed the issue. They authorized the Brisbane Municipal Council to build waterworks. A loan of £50,000 was secured, and plans for a water supply at Enoggera Creek were developed. Work began in 1864, overseen by Surveyor-General A. C. Gregory, and completed in 1866. Control then shifted to the Brisbane Board of Waterworks. By 1869, eleven miles of pipes served 6,000 people. The first service reservoir, an underground brick structure, was built in 1871. These reservoirs, like the Deen Street Water Supply Reservoir, received water from Enoggera. They ensured consistent distribution. As Brisbane grew, so did its thirst. A new dam at Gold Creek was completed in 1885. This led to another service reservoir in 1889, at Highgate Hill, supplied from Gold Creek via pipes under the Brisbane River. The Deen Street Water Supply Reservoir represents this ongoing evolution of Brisbane’s water system. A silent testament to the city’s growth and its ingenuity in finding ways to stay hydrated.
Deen Street Water Supply Reservoir
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