The historic colonial brick barrel drain unearthed by a sinkhole in Windsor will remain buried, Hawkesbury City Council has confirmed, leaving some residents disappointed that a significant piece of the area’s colonial past won’t be publicly visible. The sinkhole, which exposed the drain on The Terrace in June, had sparked hopes that the structure could be preserved under a see-through cover for the community to appreciate.

Instead, Council has backfilled the site, citing safety and compliance concerns. Residents had contacted the Hawkesbury Post asking why the drain wasn’t left exposed as a permanent reminder of the town's heritage, but the Council has opted for a less public approach. 

“The brick barrel drain is located directly beneath the surface of The Terrace roadway,” a Council spokesperson said. “Design standards require road surfaces and access pits to be constructed using sturdy and durable materials like concrete to meet industry standards. It would also be unsafe to encourage the community to stand on the road surface in attempts to visually inspect the drain.”

While the drain has been restored and protected below the surface, the Council’s decision to conceal it has dampened hopes for a more accessible heritage display. Council says the historic structure was backfilled with appropriate materials before the road and footpath were replaced. Though Council emphasised that concrete wasn’t poured directly onto the drain, the final result leaves the site indistinguishable from any other stretch of road.

For residents and visitors wanting to glimpse Windsor’s colonial drainage system, the Council pointed to a reconstructed brick barrel drain on display at the Hawkesbury Regional Museum. This is the closest the public will get to viewing a drain similar to the once-exposed system.

Hawkesbury City Council had previously said it worked with heritage experts after the sinkhole appeared in June, but the ultimate decision to bury the site has left some questioning the depth of Council's commitment to making Windsor's past visible. The sinkhole's emergence initially drew attention to the broader issue of riverbank damage caused by years of flooding and neglect, but despite some restoration efforts, much of Windsor’s heritage seems to remain buried - literally and figuratively.

Much of Windsor’s colonial heritage was lost during the construction of the new Windsor bridge, including the demolition of the Old Windsor Bridge built in 1874 and the debasement of Thompson Square.