#OnThisDay 1 August 1949 the Snowy Mountains Authority came into being. The Authority, headed by Chief Engineer William Hudson, had the responsibility of planning and constructing the Snowy Mountains Scheme in southern NSW. The Snowy Mountains is located on traditional land of the Ngarigo people.
The Scheme planned to collect water from melting snow and rain in the Snowy Mountains and divert it west to the Murray and Murrumbidgee river systems to be used for irrigation. After 25 years the Scheme was completed. It covered 5,124 square km and included 16 major dams, seven major power stations and over 200 km of tunnels, pipelines and aquaducts. It remains the largest engineering project undertaken in Australia.From the Collection
- Search the Collection for records relating to the Snowy Mountains Authority
- Browse the Collection for images of the Snowy Mountains, various dams and power stations and more
