AGY-6006 | Sewerage Branch [I] (1879-1884) / Sewerage Department (1885-1889) / Sewerage Branch (1890-1891)

Full description

The Sewerage Branch in the Department of Public Works was established on 1 October 1879 with the appointment of William Christopher Bennett as Chief Engineer. Bennett was at the same time Commissioner for Roads and Engineer of the Roads and Bridges Branch of which the Sewerage Branch formed a sub-branch. In 1879 the Sewerage Branch consisted of the Chief Engineer, one Assistant Engineer, two surveyors, three assistant surveyors, a cadet and a clerk. (1)

The Sewerage Branch's first contract was the Prince Alfred Hospital sewer which was let in August 1880. In December 1880 the first section of the Main Southern Outfall Sewer was constructed. In 1881 the Rushcutter's Bay overflow contract was let. In 1882 three contracts commenced including general work, the Main Northern Outfall Sewer to Bondi and the second section of the Main Southern Outfall Sewer to Botany. In 1883 two more sections of the Main Northern Outfall were let and the Botany Sewerage Farm was cleared and prepared for the reception of sewage. In 1884 Victoria Barracks at Paddington was drained, the Blackwattle Bay Sewer Extension was constructed and the Botany Sewerage Farm was fenced. (2)

From 1885 the branch became known as the Sewerage Department but was still a sub-branch of the Roads and Bridges Branch. Bennett was still Engineer-in-Chief of the Sewerage Department as well as Commissioner for Roads and Engineer-in-Chief of the Roads and Bridges Branch. Staff of the Department included five assistant engineers, seven surveyors and draftsmen, two cadets, one chief clerk and accountant, and one clerk. (3)

In 1885 ten contracts were let including the Cook's River connection with the Main Southern Outfall Sewer, the Wentworth Park Outfall Storm-water Channel, and the Dowling-street Storm-water Channel. In 1886 five contracts were let including the George-street west branch of the Main Northern Sewer and the Prince Alfred Hospital connecting sewer. In 1887 ten contracts were let including the Kent-street branch of the Main Northern Outfall Sewer and the first section through Hyde Park of the Bridge-street branch of the same sewer. In 1888 the second section of the Bridge-street branch was let and eight other contracts were mainly for the reticulation of Redfern and Paddington. (4)

In 1888 the Department consisted of Bennett as Engineer-in-Chief, five assistant engineers, nine surveyors and draftsmen, one cadet, one chief clerk and accountant, one clerk and one Superintendent of the Sewerage Farm (JN Oxley, who had been appointed from 30 August 1888). (5)

In 1889 the Department was still a sub-branch of the Roads and Bridges Branch. On 1 July 1889 Robert R P Hickson succeeded Bennett as Engineer-in-Chief of the Sewerage Department and as Commissioner for Roads and Engineer-in-Chief of the Roads and Bridges Branch. By the end of 1889 the Sewerage Branch staff consisted of one chief assistant engineer (Christian Hermann Ohlfsen-Baggé), seven assistant engineers, eighteen surveyors and draftsmen, three cadets, one chief clerk and accountant, one clerk and the Superintendent of the Sewage Farm. (6)

A major expansion of the Sewerage Department appears to have occurred in 1889-1890. Now renamed the Sewerage Branch staff consisted of Hickson as Engineer-in Chief, one principal assistant engineer (Ohlfsen-Baggé), seven assistant engineers, one resident engineer, one chief draftsman, eighteen draftsmen including one engineering assistant, four junior draftsmen, the Superintendent of the Sewerage Farm, nine surveyors, one accountant and one clerk. The Branch continued to be a sub-branch of the Roads and Bridges Branch. (7)

In 1889 fourteen contracts were let, including both sewers and storm-water channels. The Harrington-street Sub-branch, and the Bourke and Riley streets branches of the Main Northern Outfall Sewer were the main ones with other contracts for the reticulation of Paddington, Woollahra, Waterloo, Redfern and Alexandria. Some of these works were handed over for completion by the Sewerage Branch of the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage. In 1890 contracts included: the Waverley-Woollahra Branch Sewer; the extension of the Bourke-street Branch to the Western slopes of Potts Point; the Macdonaldtown and Alexandria Branch Sewer; a portion of the North Shore-Sub-mains and Reticulating Sewers; the first section of the Main Western Outfall Sewer; the Camperdown Branch, an extension of the Prince Alfred Hospital Sewer; the first section of the Northern Main Sewer through Glebe and Forest Lodge; and the Elizabeth Bay and Potts Point (Eastern slopes) Sewer. In 1891 eight contracts for storm-water channels and two contracts for sewers were let, including the Glebe submains and the aqueducts of the main western outfall sewer. The Northern Main Sewer with its extension through Glebe was completed in December 1891 and the Main Southern Sewer was completed to Cook's River in February 1885 and connected with the sewerage farm in February 1887 with the Macdonaldtown-Alexandria Branch of the Main Sotuhern Outfall Sewer completed in April 1891. (8)

From 1892 the Sewerage Branch was re-named the Sewerage Construction Branch. (9)

References
Blue Book of New South Wales, 1879-1894.
Annual Statement of Works carried out by Public Works Department during the year 1891 in Votes and Proceedings, 1892-3 Vol. 7, pp.1157ff.

Endnotes
1. Blue Book of New South Wales, 1879, pp.106-107.
2. Annual Statement of Works carried out by Public Works Department during the year 1891, p.60; Votes and Proceedings, 1892-3. Vol. 7, p.1216.
3. Blue Book of New South Wales, 1885, pp.130-131.
4. Loc cit. note 2.
5. Blue Book of New South Wales, 1888, p.117.
6. Blue Book of New South Wales, 1889, pp.122, 124; 1894, p.142.
7. Blue Book of New South Wales, 1890, pp.121-122.
8. Op. cit. note 2, pp.60-61; Votes and Proceedings, 1892-3. Vol. 7, pp.1215-1216.
9. Blue Book of New South Wales, 1892, p.123.