Sewage Pumping Station 38 is a heritage-listed

sewerage Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff (stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drainage, drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, a ...

pumping station Pumping stations, also called pumphouses in situations such as well drilling, drilled wells and drinking water, are facilities containing pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastru ...

located on General Holmes Drive, in the

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

suburb of

Mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

, in the

Bayside Council Bayside Council is a local government in New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Sydney, around part of Botany Bay, to south of the CBD. It includes suburbs of South Sydney and the St George area separated by the Cooks River. It compris ...

local government area of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. It was designed and built by the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board. It is also known as SPS 38, Mascot Sewage Pumping Station and SP0038. The pumping station is owned by

Sydney Water Sydney Water, formally, Sydney Water Corporation, is a New South Wales Government owned statutory corporation that provides potable drinking water, wastewater and some stormwater services to Greater Metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra and the B ...

, an

agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...

of the

Government of New South Wales The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Governmen ...

. It was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 18 November 1999.

History

SPS 38 was the first pumping station constructed to serve the newly installed SWOOS No.1, which superseded the Botany-Rockdale Sewage Farm (ceased 1911). This action was the product of a Parliamentary Inquiry held between 1905 and 1908, in which it was decided to divert the sewage of the southern, western and

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

suburbs from the Botany and Rockdale Sewage Farms to discharge into the ocean near Long Bay. A gravitation scheme was decided upon, supplemented in places by the introduction of a slight gradient to aid in transportation. The construction of this ocean outfall sewer was carried out by the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

(PWD) and put into commission in 1919. SPS 38 was constructed to service the low-lying areas of the

Cooks River The Cooks River, a semi-mature tide-dominated drowned valley estuary, is a tributary of Botany Bay, located in south-eastern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The course of the long urban waterway has been altered to accommodate various deve ...

Estuary and

Ascot Racecourse Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

Description

SPS 38 is a conventional low-level sewage pumping station (LLSPS) with a circular concrete substructure housed within a single storey

Federation Free Style Federation architecture is the architectural style in Australia that was prevalent from around 1890 to 1915. The name refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Au ...

industrial building. Adjacent to this is a three-pump machinery well. Externally there is a slate gambrel roof with terracotta hip and ridge cappings, two timber louvered gambrel vents, projecting

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

and exposed

eaves The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural styl ...

with V-jointed T & G ponding boards. The masonry is well-burnt brown brick, timber framed double-hung windows with

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

sills, brick arches and recent security

grille Grill or grille may refer to: Food * Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function * Flattop grill, a cooking device often used in restaurants ...

s; entrance consisting of steel roller shutter door, recessed brick reveal and a rubbed sandstone

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

inscribed with the letters "MWS & DB 1915". Rainwater goods consist of fibre cement gutters, rainwater heads and downpipe. Internally the ceiling is lined with V-jointed T & G boarding with a large scotia

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

. There is a large ventilation grille centered on the ceiling; walls of painted

brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by s ...

and chequer plate flooring. SPS 38 is located adjacent to an inspection hall and substation which are of similar appearance. The buildings themselves stand alone in a grassed area adjacent to the old water pumping station. They can be prominently seen from General Holmes Drive and as a group have landmark value. This SPS is substantially intact. There is damage to the masonry around window security fittings, and the stone sills are severely weathered. The projecting rails which would have been fixed to the projecting gable are no loger in situ.

Heritage listing

This Station was the first of an original group of low level Sewage Pumping Stations constructed to serve the SWOOS No.1 in 1916. It is a representative example of a simple, robust and well-proportioned Federation Free Style industrial building, the architectural expressions of which can be found in the structural detailing of the facade, superb brickwork, and roof forms. In addition, the mechanical components housed within the building have potential industrial archaeological value. Its architectural detailing makes a strong contribution to the visual catchment of the airport precinct and Botany area. The Station is currently in use as a LLSPS. Sewage Pumping Station 38 was listed on the

on 18 November 1999.

References

Bibliography

Attribution

{{WaterNSW, state=collapsed New South Wales State Heritage Register Buildings and structures in Sydney Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register Federation Free Style architecture in New South Wales Sewerage infrastructure in Sydney Buildings and structures completed in 1919 1919 establishments in Australia Mascot, New South Wales