Tank Stream – before and after 1788

Why did the First Fleet land at Sydney Cove in 1788?

Easy access to a supply of fresh water was one of the reasons Governor Phillip chose to settle at Sydney Cove instead of Botany Bay.

The stream (later known as the Tank Stream) that flowed from higher ground down to the cove gave the early colonists drinking water. But as the colony grew and more people arrived, it soon became polluted and was later covered over.