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Flushing in action

A man with his back to the camera is flushing the gutters. Flushing the gutters was all part of cleansing the city. As well as getting rid of rubbish, it kept the dust down and was thought to reduce the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis. The principal streets were flushed each night before sweeping. It may seem like a waste of water, but the council was conscious not to use precious supplies in times of drought. In 1911 the Council utilised salt water for street flushing. The salt rotted the sweepers boots, and so the council resolved to provide “sea boots for night flushers”.

(image: Sydney Mail, 10 November 1920)