Siobhan mchugh describes the people, planning, engineering and social effects of the snowy mountain scheme. Touring the snowy mountains hydro electric scheme the. Its one of the most complex projects ever undertaken in australia. The scheme will become the 107th place on the list, joining icons like the sydney opera house, bondi beach and the great barrier reef. It tells the story of four generations of women, set against the inundation of the small town of adaminaby, lost to the huge eucumbene dam in the late 1950s. Snowy mountains scheme to bring hydroelectricity to the region from the late. History of the snowy mountains scheme 70 years on newcastle.
The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is a world class civil engineering project that provides vital electric power and irrigation water. The book thief by markus zusak cloudstreet by tim winton a town like alice by. Visitors guide to the snowy mountains visit nsw oral history interviews for the spirit and survival project regarding the snowy mountain bushfires by louise darmody. Snowy mountains story abebooks shop for books, art. Pioneer highway holiday itinerary 7 days snowy mountains tour. The snowy scheme was an idea to capture and move water from east to west well before snowy hydro became an endtoend, integrated energy business. The scheme brought thousands of migrants to australia. Snowy hydro discovery centre the snowy hydro scheme is on of the worlds incredible engineering feats that has helped shape our nation. This scheme was set up to hold water that came from the alps snow melting this water was then diverted through massive tunnels through the great dividing range this gave water to remote areas the motion of the water moving through the tunnels also created energy which got made. Between 1949 and 1974, the construction of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme carved a new path through the landscape of the australian alps. The snowy mountains scheme commemorative stamp was issued on the.
With seven power stations two of which are underground, 16 major dams, and over 140 kilometres of transmountain tunnels, it is a symbol of australian endeavour at its best. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme, 1986 australian. They were part of a 7,000strong workforce building the biggest hydroelectric scheme the world had ever seen. Snowy mountains scheme wikipedia republished wiki 2. A history tells the extraordinary story of the mostly migrant workforce who built one of the worlds engineering marvels. The argument that would have been put by the commonwealth had the states ever challenged the snowy mountains scheme on the basis of the constitution was that 1949 was a time, immediately following the cessation of hostilities, when the commonwealth required the legislative power to provide power in the form of electricity to a large proportion of the population. In the postwwii period, it attracted migrant workers, who helped to change food culture in australia. Although i have a vague memory of learning about this in school, the magnitude of the project is clear as you walk around the centre. Snowy mountains scheme kwpr world tunnel record holder medal awarded to max stermole in 1956. Snowy mountains hydro discovery centre nsw holidays. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme. The people behind the power an historic account about the multinational workforce that built the snowy mountain hydroelectric scheme by siobhan mchugh. The scheme collects and stores the water that would normally flow east to the coast and diverts it through transmountain tunnels and power stations.
The construction of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is a welldocumented part of our nations history and a leading example of australian. Educate students about the history of australias snowy mountain hydroelectric scheme with this reading passage and math worksheet. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme sydney sydney. The saga of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme irrigation project. The snowy mountains scheme is a major engineering achievement of the 20th century. The snowy scheme was an extraordinary engineering feat carried out over twentyfive years from 1949 to 1974 one that drove rivers through tunnels built through the australian alps, irrigated the dry inland and generated energy for the densely populated east coast. As told through the bestselling history, snowy the making of modern australia by journalist and author brad collis. The design of the scheme was modelled on the tennessee valley authority. Times of drought in inland new south wales brought forth calls for the westward diversion of. The snowy scheme museum is a multidimensional insight on the nation of the construction of the snowy hydroelectric scheme, by highlighting the achievements of the engineers, the workers, the machinery and the role the project played in the development of the modern australian nation. The people behind the power is the most prominent, having been. An updated edition covering contemporary environmental issues is now in print and available from snowy hydro s information centre, through bookshops isbn 9780977502936, online at booktopia or from coretext books.
On july 7 1949, the commonwealth parliament passed the snowy mountains hydroelectric power act 1949 the act, which established the snowy mountains hydroelectric authority, the operating body of the snowy mountains scheme. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was one of the most complex engineering projects in the world. The snowy mountains scheme will be formally declared a national heritage place as part of a public event in cooma today. The snowy mountains scheme or snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in. Snowy mountains hydro sydney 2020 all you need to know. Is the snowy mountains scheme the achievement of the coalition or. Siobhan mchugh papers related to the book the snowy. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is one of the most complex integrated water and hydroelectric power schemes in the world. The scheme employed mostly migrant workers as there was a shortage of local labor after the war.
The water falls 800 metres and travels through large hydroelectric power. Article reproduced from year book australia, 1986 abs catalogue no. The tunnels located at the site were constructed by thiess. This happened after max and his family were relocated from their home in the. Many migrants escaped the horror of wartorn europe to begin a new life in a new land. Its been announced that the snowy mountains hydro scheme has made the national heritage list.
It diverts the reliable waters of the southflowing snowy river, westwards, beneath the great dividing range, and in doing so provides electric power and additional water for the murray and murrumbidgee rivers to be used for irrigation. The construction of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is a welldocumented part of our nations history and a leading example of australian innovation and ingenuity. The snowy hydro discovery centre opened my eyes to the engineering feat that is the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme and the history of cooma nearby. After world war ii cooma was at the centre of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme, supporting the thousands of workers. Max migrated to australia from austria in 1949 with two of his sons erhard ernie and joze, after spending the years from 1942 to 1949 moving constantly between yugoslavia now slovenia, germany and austria. Emily ballous interesting novel aphelion picador 2007 draws with permission on stories and imagery from my book, the snowy. Working together on the scheme, they became part of the snowy family former enemies and allies working side by side. The snowy hydro scheme is located in the snowy mountains region and already consists of 16 major dams, nine power stations and 7000 gigalitres of. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme teachervision. A sweeping tale of bravery, love and human endurance, with the backdrop of the snowy mountains in southern new south wales. Snowy mountains scheme nsw environment, energy and science. The snowy hydro scheme is without doubt the single greatest renewable energy project ever built in australia with a mammoth 3,950 mw of capacity, which is available ondemand unlike the childish nonsense of wind power.
Snowy mountains hydro national museum of australia. Intensive soil conservation methods were undertaken wherever the natural vegetation and soil. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was an ambitious engineering feat that changed the face of australia. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme 70 years of impact.
When many people think of the snowy mountains, they think of endless outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, horse riding and water skiing. The scheme is currently owned, managed and maintained by snowy hydro formerly snowy mountains hydroelectric authority, a company owned by the commonwealth %, new south wales 58% and the victorian 29% governments. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was an ambitious engineering project to turn back the waters of rivers that flowed east from the snowy mountains and channel them inland for electricity generation and irrigation. Its construction remains the largest construction project in australia, and one of the largest of its type in the world. Snowy mountains scheme australian food history timeline. Is the snowy mountains scheme the achievement of the. The snowy mountains scheme is powering up to mark 70 successful years. Between 1949 and 1974 the workforce built seven power stations, 16 dams, 80 kilometres of aqueducts and 145 kilometres of tunnels as well as 1600 kilometres of roads and train tracks. Which party deserves credit for the snowy mountains scheme.
Heritage by judy nunn meet your next favorite book. Snowy hydro limited operates the snowy mountains hydroelectricity scheme. After more than 60 years of discussion and argument about utilizing the water resources of the snowy mountains, the commonwealth parliament passed the snowy mountains hydroelectric power act in 1949. The earliest scheme for the diversion of the snowy river waters to those of the murrumbidgee river dates back to 1884. Snowy white mountain goats are often seen among the jagged peaks of glacier national park in montanas scenic northwest corner. A history will be published by newsouth in may 2019. Her book is based on about 90 oral histories with former snowy workers and residents, with original recordings. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme in new south wales was nominated by the american society of engineers in 1967 as one of the engineering wonders of the world.
Heritage by judy nunn the hydro electric scheme was the largest engineering and construction feat australia had ever taken on. Snowy hydro limited replaced the snowy mountains hydroelectric authority, with formal operations beginning june 2002. The snowy mountains scheme or snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in southeast australia. The snowy mountains scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in southeast australia. Construction started on the scheme on 17 october 1949, when the governorgeneral, sir william mckell, prime minister ben. In the first decade of the 21st century the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was offsetting an estimated five million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Snowy mountains hydroelectric authority your itinerary typed 3 day siteseeing schedule. The snowy mountains scheme is the largest hydroelectric scheme in australia. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme, new south wales. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is one of the engineering wonders of the modern world. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was inaugurated in 1949, although its origins date back to the late nineteenth century. The scheme is in an area of 5,124 square kilometres, almost entirely within the kosciuszko national park. I n early 2019, a representative of energy company snowy hydro contacted a snowy mountains hardware retailer and placed an order for 16,000 star pickets, to be used in the preparation work for snowy 2.
The companys head office is in bridge st, sydney nsw. It began growing as the centre of the monaro grasslands, where a thriving sheep and cattle industry emerged. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme itself covers some 5,124 square km in the snowy mountains region of nsw around 450km from sydney. Snowy the making of modern australia is also available on kindle. We follow the lives of some of the inhabitants of cooma, a small town experiencing a boom of migrant workers from the nearby hydroelectric scheme. Her oral histories range across social, cultural, scientific, environmental. The snowy scheme is widely considered to be the greatest engineering project ever undertaken in australia. History of the snowy mountains scheme and notes on electricity generation and. Other articles where snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is discussed. Construction of the scheme officially started in 1949. Works are entered under the name used at the time of publication. Australians formed the largest nationality group on the scheme, making up onethird of the workforce. Come and experience this amazing part of australias electricity and water industries by visiting one of our facilities throughout the snowy mountains.
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