page_title: Ryde Pumping Station
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Ryde Pumping Station / Description
caption_attribution_description: The water pumping station at West Ryde, Sydney, Australia.
context_page_description: The Ryde Pumping Station is a heritage-listed pumping station and offices located at Victoria Road, West Ryde in the City of Ryde local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1891 to 1921 by William Adams & Co. Ltd., State Monier Works, Refshaw & O'Brien. It is also known as Ryde Pumping Station and site, WP005 and West Ryde Pumping Station. The property is owned by Sydney Water, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 15 November 2002.
context_section_description: The Ryde Pumping Station is located in West Ryde, on an irregular shaped block of land bounded by Victoria Road to the north, by Hermitage Road to the south east and by the Strathfield to Hornsby railway line to the west. While the Ryde site continues to be used for water pumping purposes, it also houses the offices of AWT ES & T in a mosaic of permanent and temporary buildings generally dating from the late 20th Century.
  The pumping station building which fronts Victoria Road comprises a small Administration Block, the Engine House and the adjoining Boiler House and Economiser House. There is also a reinforced concrete viaduct or coal staith at the south end, which allowed railway coal wagons to be transported to the top of the building and emptied over the coal bunkers inside. Under the Engine and Boiler Houses there are basements and a sub-basement is located under the Engine Room which houses the turbine condensers and auxiliary pumps.
  The Boiler House occupies the central section of the Pumping Station and is much higher than the flanking Engines and Economiser Houses, the cladding on the main roof and the monitor is the original fibro tiles.
  The Boiler House still contains its rail lines and coal bunkers at roof level, but the boilers have been removed.
  The Economiser House is on the west side of the building adjoining the Boiler House but much lower. Its roof structure, cladding and length is the same as the Boiler House. Although it is now empty it originally contained the economisers, induced draught fans and the feed pumps and feed water heater for the boilers.
  The south side of the Boiler House is joined by the Coal Staith, a reinforced concrete viaduct which carries a pair of rail sidings for the coal wagons from the high embankment to the coal bunker doors.
  Original reservoir valve house: A red brick and stone Queen Anne revival valve enclosure which is located on the western side of the original reservoir. The valve house enclosure is missing its original door case and all windows are boarded up preventing access. Graffiti has defaced the walls.
  Its location is most discreet being screened by mature trees and the battered earth wall of the reservoir and is adjacent to the railway line. It is now disused.
  Original suction tank (reservoir): Construction of the reservoir is semi-submerged originally surrounded by battered earth walls and constructed of mass concrete walls and floor. In c.1930 Victoria Road was cut adjacent to the reservoir and there are mid to late 20th century trees and fence which now surround the reservoir. In the late 20th century a new roof was fitted to the top of the reservoir. The reservoir is now disused however it serves as a supplementary function to the water pumping station as a surge tank.
  Apart from the cutting in Victoria Road and the roofing to the reservoir, the reservoir otherwise would be considerably intact.
  To the south west of the original reservoir, historical evidence describes a railway spur to a coal dump which is now turfed. Little evidence survives on the surface of that former use although it may be considered an archaeologically sensitive zone.
  80 metres south of the original reservoir are located late 20th century storage sheds, steel framed and steel sheet clad.
  In the area shown on historical plans where the original pumping station was located is now a concrete paved carpark adjacent to the railway line, and in part bordered by concrete and block walls which in part formed bins for stock piling of coal and aggregate for works purposes.
  Within one of the existing block enclosures are located three remnants of the original reinforced concrete chimney stacks to the 1921 pumping station.
  It is possible that the concrete driveway which forms the base of the carpark is possibly over the railway line which fed the original pumping station.
  Archaeological evidence remains clearly of the railway tracks which fed the coal bins to the former original pumping station in the area presently covered by a steel framed shed. To the west of the shed is a clearly evident railwa
caption: The facade of the pumping station, facing Victoria Road, West Ryde.
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