HUME DAM

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 64, 9 December 1936, Page 17

HUME DAM

Imposing Sight A simple ceremony—the pressing of a tiny button by the Governor-General (Lord Gowrie)— marked the opening of the Hume Dam, that vast irrigation undertaking, “the greatest thing Ihat has happened to men on the land in Australia for a generation,” said the “Sydney Morning Herald” recently. It was an impressive moment. As Lord Gowrie finished his speech, in which he said that the dam could be ranked as one of, the greatest water conservation works in the world, he touched the little button on the dais. For a moment there was complete silence. Then, 100 feet below, great volumes of water gushed from two outlet valves, roaring in a white frothingmass down the wall of concrete. Occasionally, strong gusts of wind caught the spray, which glistened in the brilliant sunshine. Tbe water boiled at the foot of the spillway, and then flowed, smooth as glass,, toward Albury. It was a scene of impressive beauty, and a striking example of man’s success in harnessing millions of gallons of water for the use of his fellow-men. It has now been reported, after official measurements, that the area of the lake treated by the dam is two and a half times that of Sydney harbour. The Commonwealth and three States —New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia —were officially represented. But, in addition to tbe official representatives, were farming families who had travelled hundreds of miles to see the fountain-head of the vast irrigation network which promises them so much relief. One farmer had motored from his orchard on the Murray 300 miles below the dam. "I could ill afford the time,” he said, “but this is the greatest thing that has happened to men on the land in Australia for a generation. In our happiest and most prosperous days we have always feared drought. And now, it seems that droughts can come and go, but our production will remain on a level. Bad seasons mingled with good seasons kill the spirit of the men on the land ; our source of revenue in those conditions is precarious and varied. The people in the cities have little idea of what a regular water supply 7 means to us.” The Hume reservoir is the largest in Australia. Its capacity is 1,250,000 acre feet, compared with Burrinjuck’s 771,641 acre feet. The next largest reservoirs, in order, are those at Wyangala 304,000, Eildon (Vic.) 300,000, Avon 160,000, and Cataract 78,000 acre feet. The Stanley River (Q.) dam, now under construction, will have a capacity of 735.000 acre feet. The area submerged as a result of the construction of the Hume dam is 33.000 acres, or nearly two and a half limes that of Sydney harbour, -with 14,000 acres. The surface of Burrinjuck reservoir, when full, is 12.750 acres.