The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme

In 1949, the government started work on a bold scheme to catch the waters of the Snowy River before they flowed to the sea in eastern Victoria. These waters were diverted to flow inland for irrigation and to be used to generate electric power. It was a massive project that took 25 years to complete.

It is the largest engineering project in Australia. It is also one of the largest hydro-electric schemes in the world and is recognised as one of the modern civil engineering wonders of the world.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme is situated in Kosciusko National Park, New South Wales. It consists of 16 major dams, seven power stations, a pumping station and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts. Most of it is underground. The scheme supplies vital water to the farms of inland New South Wales and Victoria. Its power stations also produce up to 10 per cent of New South Wales’ electricity.

Work on the scheme began in 1949 and was finished in 1974. More than 100,000 people from more than 30 countries worked on the project. Seventy per cent of these workers were migrants. After the project was completed, most of the European workers remained in Australia, continuing their valuable contribution to Australia’s multicultural society.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme is an important symbol of Australia’s identity as an independent, multicultural and resourceful country.