Snowy Mountains Scheme
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The Snowy Mountains scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation system in south-east Australia. It has sixteen major dams; seven power stations; a pumping station; and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts. It was built between 1949 and 1974. The Chief engineer was Sir William Hudson. It is the largest engineering project in Australia.[1][2][3]
Snowy Mountains Scheme Media
Official launch of the Snowy Mountains Scheme at Adaminaby. From the left, Prime Minister, Ben Chifley; Governor-General, William McKell and Minister for Works and Housing, Nelson Lemmon, 1949.
William Hudson KBE FRS Commissioner Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Authority 1949-1967. Plaque at Cooma Visitors Centre.
The Machine Hall Floor of Murray-1 Hydroelectric Power Station.
Talbingo Dam. 16 major dams store water in the scheme. Many were constructed in rugged wilderness areas.
Lake Eucumbene from the air
Cabramurra, Australia's highest town, is a Snowy Scheme company town
Lake Eucumbene flooded the township of Adaminaby. It is the largest reservoir in the Scheme, with a capacity some nine times that of Sydney Harbour.
Tumut 3 generating station
Mount Kosciuszko and the Main Range. Water from Snowy Mountains snow melt is used to generate electricity and divert water for irrigation.
Jindabyne, as viewed from across Lake Jindabyne
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics 1986 Special Article: The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme
- ↑ "The Snowy Mountains Scheme". Archived from the original on 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
- ↑ Wendy Lewis, Simon Balderstone and John Bowan (2006). Events That Shaped Australia. New Holland. pp. 189–194. ISBN 978-1-74110-492-9.
