In a major milestone for Tasmania’s hydropower history, this week marks 50 years since the competition of the Gordon Dam.
On November 25, 1974, the final bucket of concrete was poured at the dam in southwest Tasmania, creating the biggest arch dam in Australia.
Hydro Tasmania CEO Erin van Maanen said the dam was a feat of engineering and innovation that established Tasmania as a global leader in hydropower.
“Today we honour the people who brought this visionary project to life. Their legacy is the renewable energy that powers the lives of Tasmanians and underpins our economy,” she said.
Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder together make up the largest water storage in Australia, with the Gordon Power Station generating around 13% of Tasmania’s electricity needs every year.
“These are multi-seasonal storages, we can build them up and access water over years … [They] are critical to meeting the growing demand for energy in Tasmania and providing energy security during dry periods,” Van Maanen said.
“The lessons resonate today in how Hydro Tasmania prioritises and cares for the environment and how we engage with the community,” she said.
Phil Reed, the crane dogman who carefully directed the crane operator to pour both the first and last bucket of concrete, reflected on what was a “fantastic” moment.
“Everyone had worked so hard for so long … we’d been pouring concrete for almost three years,” he said.
In total, the Gordon Dam contains 154,000 cubic metres of concrete, enough to create around 5,700 replicas of the Statue of Liberty.
Before construction could begin, hundreds of workers carved an 80-kilometre road from Maydena to the dam site, the first to ever cut through the rugged southwest wilderness.
Roadwork commenced in 1964 and towards the end of 1967, construction of Strathgordon Village began to house workers.
The village featured a shopping centre, church, butcher and baker and at its peak, there were 2,000 residents, including wives and children.
It even boasted a heated swimming pool, the only one of its kind in the state at the time.
