In 1954 a government spokesman said that by 1958 the scheme would be supplying the murrumbidgee river with 500,000 acre feet 616, 740 megalitres of additional water each year, increasing to 2,340,00 acre feet more than. Snowy mountains scheme kwpr world tunnel record holder medal awarded to max stermole in 1956. The snowy mountains scheme provides about 74% of available renewable energy on the eastern mainland australian electricity grid and 28% nationwide. The snowy mountains scheme originating in the rugged australian high country, the snowy river was once one the worlds great waterways. The snowy mountains scheme or snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in southeast australia. Thirty years ago, siobhan mchugh set out on a mission to discover the human stories behind one of australias biggestever public works projects. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme behind the news youtube. Working together on the scheme, they became part of the snowy family former enemies and allies working side by side. There are lots of surprises and twists in the book.
In 1962 the snowy mountain scheme was hailed as one of the engineering wonders of the world. 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 ideas behind the scheme is to divert the winter snowmelt waters westward into the murrumbidgee rivers, irrigating large parts of inland australia and at the same time generating hydroelectricity. 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. In the foreword of wigmores book, sir william hudson wrote.
This is the official page for the iconic snowy hydro limited. The snowy mountains scheme is the largest hydroelectric scheme in australia. The men from snowy river national library of australia. Lemmon was among 400 people once interviewed by irish writer siobhan mchugh for her landmark book the snowy a history, first published in. The range also contains the five highest peaks on the australian mainland including mount kosciuszko, all of. The snowy mountains scheme is a major engineering achievement of the 20th century. The extraordinary snowy mountains scheme sms was an engineering marvel carried out more than 25 years from 1949 to 1974. The snowy mountains scheme or snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in.
Tourism snowy mountains is an independent, notforprofit organisation recognised by snowy monaro regional council and destination nsw as the official tourism organisation for the snowy mountains and surrounding regions including all of the towns and villages of the monaro with their rich history and diverse experiences. This happened after max and his family were relocated from their home in the. Snowy mountains scheme australian food history timeline. Official yearbook of the commonwealth of australia 1977. Another well researched historical narrative from the wonderful judy nunn this time a fictional adventure, mystery, romance set amidst the building of the snowy mountains hydro scheme in the 1950s with the influx of migrant workers. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme irrigation project. The snowy mountains scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation system in southeast australia. The grant enabled me to do justice to the stories of. It is the largest engineering project in australia. 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. Snowy mountain complete series books 1 9 snowy mountain. Between 1949 and 1974, the construction of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme carved a new path through the landscape of the australian alps. A wonderful sociohistorical document and an engrossing read a fine achievement. Tantangara jan 1958march 1961 we arrived in tantangarra in january 1958 by air and dad picked us up at the cooma airport.
Other articles where snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is discussed. The snowy mountain scheme was founded by sir william hudson. Snowy hydro 417 photos energy company monaro highway. This represents a displacement of more than 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming every year. The snowy monaro region is widely accepted as the birthplace of multiculturalism in australia, thanks to the snowy mountains scheme. Now part of the objection was the somewhat amusing way the government had tried to smooth over the. A collection of 10 personal stories of former snowy. In the postwwii period, it attracted migrant workers, who helped to change food culture in australia. The snowy mountains on the border of new south wales and victoria are part of australias great dividing range and contain its highest mountain, kosciuszko discovered for european science by the polish explorer count strzelecki. A great source of historic and cultural information can be found in the book searching for snowy by george seddon.
An estimated 100,000 people worked on the scheme between 1949 and 1974, the year of its completion. First published on 40th anniversary of the snowy scheme, 1989 by heinemann. Snowy mountains scheme australian history, immigration. As told through the bestselling history, snowy the making of modern australia by journalist and author brad collis. My screams of elation must have echoed across balmain. On july 7 1949, the commonwealth parliament passed the snowy mountains hydroelectric power act 1949 the act, which established the snowy mountains. 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. The scheme delivered one of the largest engineering projects in history, using predominantly migrant labour. Her book is based on about 90 oral histories with former snowy workers and residents, with original recordings archived as a research collection. Intensive soil conservation methods were undertaken wherever the natural vegetation and soil. The prime minister, robert menzies stated that, australians had been handicapped by parochialism, by a slight distrust of big ideas, big people and big enterprises. Its been announced that the snowy mountains hydro scheme has made the national heritage list. History of the snowy mountains scheme and notes on electricity generation and.
Stories from former workers and families of the snowy mountains scheme digital storytelling project. Snowy mountains scheme simple english wikipedia, the free. This classic, prizewinning account of the remarkable snowy scheme is available again for the 70th anniversary. Oct 24, 2016 its been announced that the snowy mountains hydro scheme has made the national heritage list. Its one of the most complex projects ever undertaken in australia. Great book lovely mix of what life was like in the early days of the snowy mountains scheme and the transition of characters from various parts of europe. 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 nsw environment, energy and science. Oct 30, 2019 i am posting this as an addendum to the snowy kids book because only part made it into the book. Sep 29, 2010 the liberal partys views on the snowy 1949 in 1949, the chifley government introduced the snowy mountains hydroelectric power bill into parliament.
How the snowy mountains hydro scheme helped shape australia. The snowy mountains hydroelectricity scheme was launched in 1949, and today it provides power to three states. This classic, prizewinning account of the remarkable snowy scheme is available again for the 70th anniversary of this epic nationbuilding project. A history tells theextraordinary story of the mostly migrant workforce who built one of theworlds engineering marvels. You get to know the characters and the course their life takes over time.
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. Snowy mountains scheme simple english wikipedia, the. The liberal partys views on the snowy 1949 core economics. 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. Snowy mountains scheme what have the migrants done. In 1997 a new company, snowy hydro trading pty ltd shtpl, was established by the new south wales government and the state electricity commission of victoria, as a joint venture to trade electricity generated by the snowy mountains scheme in the national electricity market. Snowy mountain aleisha allen, grade 5, beechboro christian school short story 2008. Jul 17, 2003 snowy mountains scheme kwpr world tunnel record holder medal awarded to max stermole in 1956. The snowy mountains scheme commemorative stamp was issued on the.
A history will be published by newsouth in may 2019. 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. Sometimes a little too coincidental, but a really great read. I am posting this as an addendum to the snowy kids book because only part made it into the book. Tantangarra is 56 miles from cooma, 17 miles from new adaminaby and 5 miles off the main road to kiandra which was an old gold. It contains the australian mainlands highest mountain, mount kosciuszko, which reaches to a height of 2,228 m 7,310 ft above sea level. The snowy mountains, known informally as the snowies, is an ibra subregion and the highest mountain range on the continent of mainland australia. Is the snowy mountains scheme the achievement of the. Kaiser engineers australia pty ltd for the snowy mountains hydroelectric authority.
A history tells the extraordinary story of the mostly migrant workforce who built one of the worlds engineering marvels. Australians formed the largest nationality group on the scheme, making up onethird of the workforce. Many migrants escaped the horror of wartorn europe to begin a new life in a new land. The snowy mountains scheme made a significant contribution to food production in the murray and murrumbidgee river basins. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme as told through the bestselling history, snowy the making of modern australia by journalist and author brad collis. Here we see the huge dams and underground workings which form part of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme. 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. A history tells the extraordinary story of the mostly migrant workforce who. Snowy mountains scheme wikipedia republished wiki 2. This collection of novellas centers on a fictional town in the rocky mountains a devils plot to change the historic ambiance to include more modern features of a mall,a theater complex, spas, ranch shops include destruction accidents, and mishaps galore.
In response to the ministers second reading speech, the opposition leader of the liberal party robert gordon menzies spoke against the legislation. It was built by smec snowy mountains engineering corparation. A history tells the extraordinary story of the mostly migrant workforce who built one of the worlds engineering marvels 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. The snowy hydro discovery centre and power stations provide fabulous insights into this incredible engineering feat.
Sir william hudson was appointed the first commissioner of the snowy mountains hydroelectric authority, serving between 1949 and 1967. Building the snowy snowy mountains hydro electric scheme. Construction started on the scheme on 17 october 1949, when the governorgeneral, sir william mckell, prime minister ben. Heritage by judy nunn meet your next favorite book. Emily ballous interesting novel aphelion picador 2007 draws with permission on stories and imagery from my book, the snowy. May 14, 2019 between 1949 and 1974, the construction of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme carved a new path through the landscape of the australian alps. In 195657, max stermole worked as a tunnel digger on the snowy mountains hydro electric scheme for american firm kaiser walsh perini raymond, a consortium of large american construction companies. The grant enabled me to do justice to the stories of the men and women who pioneered the snowy. History of the snowy mountains scheme 70 years on newcastle.
Officially, 121 men died on the project, more in related incidents. In 1949, the chifley government introduced the snowy mountains hydroelectric power bill into parliament. 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. The snowy mountains scheme is one of australias largest engineering and construction operations. Based on mchughs book, directed by stephen ramsey, assoc producer. Bridle and the talbingo miles franklin memorial committee, tumut, nsw. Sep 20, 2019 the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was an ambitious engineering feat that changed the face of australia. This happened after max and his family were relocated from their home in the province of. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was an ambitious engineering feat that changed the face of australia. After the completion of the snowy scheme, confidence in australian abilities soared. Is the snowy mountains scheme the achievement of the coalition or. The book thief by markus zusak cloudstreet by tim winton a town like alice by nevil. The nation had only a population of eight million when this giant network of dams, tunnels and aqueducts began with the first explosive blast at adaminaby population 200, near cooma, in southern nsw, on october 17, 1949.
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