Busbys Pond

The largest pond in the Centennial Park pond system is Busby’s Pond. It was named after John Busby, Chief Surveyor, who in 1824 and was responsible for finding an alternative water supply for Sydney after the Tank Stream had become too polluted to supply the fast-growing population.

Busby suggested a tunnel running from the Lachlan Swamps in Centennial Park to Hyde Park. The scheme was adopted and the starting point of the tunnel, which became known as Busbys Bore, is nearby.

Water drains into Busbys Pond from Lily Pond and Randwick Pond in the south; and via a large culvert from Fox Studios and the Equestrian Centre in the Moore Park area. Historic sandstone drains transport water from Lang Road through to Busbys Pond.

The pond is artificial, having been constructed within what were the larger Lachlan Swamps, which became Sydney’s main water supply from 1837 to 1859.

Many waterfowl live on the pond’s islands and large numbers of little pied cormorants can be seen nesting on the northern most island in the early evenings. Paperbarks cover the other small island and provide excellent breeding and nesting habitat for coots, dusky moorhens and purple swamphens.