The above quotation is as true today as it was in early Roman times.

One important feature of man's evolution has been the importance that was placed on the availability of fresh water and man's ability to dispose of his own waste.

There is ample evidence available giving exacting detail of very advanced water supply and drainage systems.

In ancient Knossos, Crete, in the period 1700 - 1500 BC, water was drawn from rain fed cisterns and stone aqueducts which tapped sources of water from nearby hills.

The water flowed through terracotta pipes to bathrooms and latrines and then away for disposal.

This situation of advanced technology lapsed from time to time and with it came great catastrophe. Outbreaks of water borne disease caused by pollution of water supplies led to the death of whole communities of people.

War was also a major contributing factor in the decline of the systems as civilisation was changed down through the ages by new and very different invaders from differing cultural backgrounds.

With the coming of the industrial revolution in the late 18th century and early 19th century, we saw an overtaxing and inefficient operation of existing waste disposal systems. It is at this stage in history that we should look at the colony of New South Wales. Settlement in New South Wales began in 1788 and the first inhabitants had no sanitary system at all, and settlers were coming by the boatload to this new and raw land.

With Governor Phillip's first camp in Botany Bay, it did not take long for him to decide that there was a need to move to a more suitable location.

Uppermost in the mind of his vanguard search party was the need to discover a suitable site to settle in Port Jackson that was endowed with fresh water supplies.

The search party located a suitable site that had very acceptable flowing spring water with its discharge to a nearby cove, which Governor Phillip called Sydney Cove.

On the 26 January 1788, the fleet with its new settlers moved from Botany Bay around to this newly found cove and the setting up of this new colony began around this area housing the clear running stream. The stream was later to be known as the "Tank Stream".

The location of the early settlers was permitted on Crown Land adjoining the Tank Stream. No titles were given to these holdings by the early settlers. As far as can be ascertained there were no plumbers or artisans on the ships bringing the settlers, free or convict, the settlement of Sydney.

However, the governors of the colony were well aware of the need for clean fresh water and as such saw fit to protect the site of the Tank Stream from over use and, in particular, fouling of the stream with animal or human waste.

The colony in its early days was badly affected by drought and this situation placed great demand on a near depleted water supply with every effort being made to maintain the flow and condition of the water supply.

Thus in the "Sydney Gazette" of the 18 December 1803 the following order appeared:

"if any person whatever is detected in throwing any filth into the stream of fresh water, cleaning fish, washing, erecting pigsties near it or taking water out of the tanks, on conviction before a magistrate their home will be taken down and forfeit 5 pounds of each offence to the orphan fund."

By this time, in just fifteen years, the colony was expanding and with this expansion came practices that were not in the best interest of the community at large.

A survey report in 1800 and one in 1807 showed that in 1800 there were thirty-seven leases and by 1908 this number had grown to ninety-five leases of land to settlers. The important consideration here is that these leaseholds all had key positions in the colony and backed onto the Tank Stream.

Soldiers of the day were located as part of their duties to ensure that these inhabitants did not pollute the waterways of the tank stream.