The Architecture of Engineering at Sydney Water Board
Barry Clare is passionate about Art Deco, across its many forms and applications. In this talk he will take us through the challenges facing water supply dams for Sydney, and the innovative architectural and engineering solutions that were developed and still stand today.
From the very first years of Sydney’s water supply, its citizens used innovative engineering solutions to overcome significant challenges The Public Works Department and then the Board of Water Supply and Sewerage, fused aesthetic sentiment that acknowledged cultural trends, into the design of even the most mundane of water supply sewerage infrastructure.
Also, with something so critical to voters’ lives as their water supply, and something so expensive as major dam projects, politics was never far away from the engineering solutions employed.
We take a look at the design choices taken by engineers and architects to meet these challenges, and the pride in its legacy as the Board delivered vast projects like the art deco styled Avon and Cataract Dams of the Upper Nepean in the Southern Highlands, and the mighty Warragamba Dam.
As we uncover hidden heritage gems that we’ve inherited as a result, be prepared to discover a few things that you didn’t know existed.
Event is available in person and online.
- In person: Engineers Australia Sydney Division Offices, Mezzanine Level, 44 Market Street, Sydney
- Online: https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/event/2022/05/architecture-engineering-sydney-water-board-a2cb4763