High in the rugged mountains of southern New South Wales lies one of Australia’s greatest engineering achievements.
Behind the dams, lakes and power stations is an enormous hidden network of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts carrying water through the mountains.
Known simply as “the Snowy,” the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme did more than generate electricity and provide water for farms. It brought together workers from around the world, transformed nearby towns and helped shape modern multicultural Australia.
A Bold Plan for a Growing Nation
The idea of capturing water from the Snowy Mountains had been discussed for many years.
Much of the water falling on the eastern side of the mountains flowed through the Snowy River towards the sea. Engineers and governments saw the possibility of redirecting some of that water westward, where it could generate hydroelectricity before flowing into the Murray and Murrumbidgee river systems.
The water could then support farms and irrigation communities across inland Australia.
It was an extraordinarily ambitious plan for a country with a population of only about eight million people.
Construction Begins
Work officially began in 1949 under Prime Minister Ben Chifley’s government.
The project would eventually include 16 major dams, seven power stations, a pumping station and approximately 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts.
Much of the work was hidden deep underground. Workers blasted and drilled through solid rock, sometimes operating far beneath the mountains in difficult and dangerous conditions.
New roads, railway tracks, camps and entire townships were built to support the enormous workforce.
The People Who Built the Snowy
More than 100,000 people worked on the scheme during its 25 years of construction.
Around two-thirds of them were migrants from more than 30 countries. Many had arrived from Europe following the destruction and upheaval of the Second World War.
Workers came from countries including Italy, Germany, Greece, Poland, Austria, Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. Some spoke little English when they arrived and had to adjust quickly to an unfamiliar country, harsh mountain weather and demanding physical work.
They worked alongside Australian-born labourers, engineers, surveyors, drivers, cooks, nurses and administrative staff.
The Snowy became a place where people from vastly different backgrounds learned to work and live together.
Life in the Mountain Camps
Construction camps were scattered throughout the Snowy Mountains.
Conditions varied considerably. Some workers lived in basic huts or tents, enduring freezing winters, mud, isolation and long shifts. Snow and ice were unfamiliar to many of the newly arrived workers.
As the project developed, settlements grew into more established communities with schools, shops, medical facilities, sporting clubs and social activities.
Cooma became the administrative centre of the scheme and developed a particularly diverse population. Foods, languages and customs from around the world became part of everyday local life.
For many migrants, employment on the Snowy provided the beginning of a permanent new life in Australia.
Difficult and Dangerous Work
Building the scheme came at a considerable human cost.
Workers faced blasting accidents, rock falls, machinery failures and hazardous conditions inside the tunnels. Safety standards improved during the project, but 121 workers lost their lives.
Memorials throughout the Snowy Mountains commemorate those who died.
Their contribution is an important part of the story. The scheme’s dams and tunnels were not created by machinery alone, but through years of demanding and sometimes dangerous work performed by thousands of people.
Water and Electricity
The scheme uses the fall of water through the mountains to generate hydroelectric power.
Water stored in high mountain reservoirs travels through tunnels and pipelines towards power stations at lower elevations. The force of the moving water drives turbines, producing electricity.
After generating power, much of the water continues west into the Murray and Murrumbidgee river systems, where it supports irrigated agriculture.
This combination of electricity generation and water diversion made the Snowy an essential part of Australia’s postwar development.
An Engineering Wonder
The scale and complexity of the project attracted international attention.
Engineers had to solve problems involving geology, tunnelling, water movement, electricity transmission and construction in isolated alpine terrain. New equipment and techniques were introduced, while workers gained skills that later benefited engineering projects throughout Australia and overseas.
Only a small portion of the complete scheme is visible above ground. Much of its vast network remains hidden beneath the mountains.
Construction was completed in 1974, 25 years after it began.
More Than Concrete and Water
The Snowy Mountains Scheme changed Australia socially as well as physically.
At a time when many Australians had limited experience of cultures outside Britain and Ireland, the Snowy brought thousands of European migrants into regional communities and workplaces.
The project demonstrated the valuable contribution migrants could make to their new country. Many former workers established businesses, raised families and became part of communities throughout Australia.
Their influence can still be seen in the food, festivals and multicultural character of towns across the Snowy Mountains region.
A Lasting Australian Legacy
The original scheme continues to generate renewable electricity and help manage water for communities and agriculture.
Its dams and lakes have also become popular destinations for fishing, boating, camping and sightseeing. Towns including Cooma, Jindabyne, Talbingo and Khancoban retain strong connections to the people and events of the construction era.
The Snowy Mountains Scheme remains a reminder of what Australia was prepared to attempt during an optimistic period of national development.
It was a project of mountains, machinery and water—but its greatest story is about people. Australians and new arrivals worked side by side to build something far larger than any one community or generation.
The Snowy did not simply help power Australia. In many ways, it helped build the modern nation Australia was becoming.
