Weekly Times 150th: Snowy Hydro-Electric Scheme turns 70 years old
Seventy years ago, a blast rang out across the Snowy Mountains at Adaminaby. As part of The Weekly Times 150th celebrations, we take a look back at a momentous day for Australia.
SEVENTY years ago, a blast rang out across the Snowy Mountains at Adaminaby.
Just like that, Governor-General Sir William McKell, alongside Prime Minister Ben Chifley, launched one of the greatest engineering feats in Australian history.
By the time construction of the Snowy Hydro-Electric Scheme ended 25 years later — on time and on budget — the workers had built seven power stations, 16 dams, 80km of aqueducts, 145km of tunnels and 1600km of roads and railway tracks.
The Weekly Times, which is celebrating its own milestone this year of 150 years in print, reported on this momentous occasion in its October 19, 1949 edition.
It was a huge week for news, with that edition reporting:
THE Victorian Railways had lost £2.73 million the previous year, the greatest operating deficit in its history.
AN UPDATE on the “Whose baby” case, involving disputed custody of two young girls, both born at Kyneton. It was believed the babies had been switched at the hospital at birth.
THE arrival of the new Governor-Designate of Victoria, General Sir Dallas Brooks, to Melbourne.
FORMER child star Shirley Temple was seeking a divorce.
The reports on the launch of the Snowy scheme included a graphic of what the scheme would look like, and transcripts of the speeches.
“I hope this scheme is one that will touch the imagination and hearts of the people, so that they will develop the spirit of doing their best in whatever they do,” Chiefly said at the launch. “The scheme cannot be completed in a short time, but the younger generation will be able to see its fruits.”
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NSW Labor Premier James McGirr said: “While electric power is essential for the development of the nation, irrigation is of importance not only to Australia, but to the world by enabling increased food production.”
(It is noted in the report that two Country Party members were the only Opposition members who attended).
“The Snowy scheme is very iconic in Australia’s history,” Snowy Hydro spokeswoman Stephanie McKew said this week.
She said it was significant because its mission was two-fold: capture and divert water to feed the Murrumbidgee and Murray irrigation systems, and to generate power.
But it also played a significant role in developing a new Australian post-war population.
Between 1949 and 1974 more than 100,000 people worked on the scheme, with more than 30 countries represented in that workforce.
Tommy Tomasi, now 93, arrived in Fremantle in March 1949. Originally from Italy’s Lombardy region near the Swiss Alps, after spending 2½ years in Western Australia he headed east, looking for snow.
“I am a skier, so when I found out they had snow up here I came straight over. I just resigned from the gold mine and came straight over,” he said.
Tommy had a brief stint with the Snowy scheme in 1952, then became a ski instructor where he met his wife. After he got married he returned to work for the scheme from 1955 to 1963.
And he said there were never issues between people from different nationalities.
“We never had any problem, for the simple reason that it didn’t matter what nationality they were, they were willing to work for the Snowy, they totally enjoyed that, they got money and the idea is to settle and start a new life,” he said.
“In each camp that you worked … we had no problem. We all got on well, we’d all go to the hotel and have a drink together, we’d be waiting for the mail from home, and we were quite happy to get a few pound in the pocket.”
Starting this weekend, Snowy Hydro will mark the 70th anniversary with events at Cooma (on Saturday), Khancoban (October 26) and Talbingo November 10).
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