Sydney Water jumps on the "Then and Now" bandwagon. Photo credit : Sydney Water.
is this one of Sydney’s most misunderstood landmarks?
You’ve probably walked past it. You may've even snapped a photo of it. But did you know this sandstone “monument” isn’t a monument at all?
Built in 1857, the Hyde Park Obelisk is actually a sewer vent, designed to release gases from Sydney’s early underground sewer system
At the time, the city was rapidly growing and grappling with sanitation challenges. This striking structure helped ventilate the new sewer network, improving public health and supporting a cleaner Sydney.
Locals quickly gave it the nickname “Thornton’s Scent Bottle” — a cheeky nod to its purpose and its designer, City Engineer Edward Bell Thornton.
Standing at around 22 metres tall, the Obelisk remains an important reminder of the engineering innovations that shaped modern Sydney. Long before today’s advanced wastewater treatment plants and complex networks, this was cutting-edge infrastructure.
More than 160 years later, it’s still part of Sydney’s living water story — proof that essential infrastructure can also become a city icon.