Sydney in five places

Australia's largest and oldest city was founded on land used for tens of millennia by indigenous peoples. LAILA ELLMOOS explores five sites revealing its long history

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1 Paddington Reservoir Gardens

Water world

Water is, of course, hugely important to the history of Sydney – and not just because of the harbour. Securing a reliable supply of water has always been a concern, as it is in most cities. And in the mid-19th century, a reservoir was built in the suburb of Paddington, constructed in typically decorative Victorian style with beautiful ironbark timber posts, vaulted brick arches and cast-iron beams.

In 1899, alternative water-supply and storage facilities were developed nearby, and the structure was no longer used as a reservoir. Over the following decades Paddington Reservoir was used for other kinds of storage, then it was the site of a service station until its roof collapsed in 1990.

A decade or so later, some forward-thinking architects came forward and designed what is now a public park, opening in 2009. It's effectively a lovely two-level sunken garden that, with its columns and arches soaring among the greenery, has been compared to a combination of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

2 South Head

Guiding lights