History and Heritage
Construction of Spotswood Pumping Station (1893 - 1897). Photo courtesy of Museum Victoria.
Melbourne Water has played a significant role in Melbourne’s development. From the creation of the city’s underground sewerage system in the 1890s to the completion of Thomson Reservoir, Melbourne’s largest water supply reservoir in 1984, to various other water supply, sewerage, drainage and river management feats.
Today, we are responsible for a rich and diverse portfolio of heritage assets which we inherited largely from our predecessor, the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW). Many of these assets were built in the formative years of Melbourne’s settlement and include:
- water supply assets such as water storage reservoirs and distribution mains
- drainage assets such as drains and wetlands
- sewerage infrastructure such as sewers, pumping stations and treatment plants.
But our commitment to preserving heritage goes beyond built structures. It extends to respecting the cultural heritage places of the Traditional Owners of the land, rivers and creeks that we care for today, and that we are ever-mindful of the importance they have for our Indigenous communities.
Melbourne Water respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate – the peoples of the Kulin and Gunaikurnai Nations, and their elders past and present.
Our history – A timeline
Key dates in our organisation’s history
Our heritage
What is cultural heritage and why do we work so hard to protect it?
Historic (Built) heritage
Our approach to protecting and maintaining valuable places and objects for future generations.
Indigenous heritage
We work closely with the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage as a key part of overall river health.