Historical information

This set of photos is from a leather bound album bearing the inscription "HUME RESERVOIR AUSTRALIA" plus 'The Rt. Hon. L. C. M. S. Amery, P. C., M .P.' all inscribed in gold. It was presented to The Rt. Hon. L. C. M. S. Amery, P. C., M. P, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs on the occasion of his visit to the Hume Reservoir on 2nd November 1927.

Significance

This album is of local and national significance as it documents the planning and development of the Hume Reservoir up to 1927. It was the largest water reservoir in the British Empire. The album records the pioneering engineering work that went into its construction.

Physical description

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, N.S.W. RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME. HUME RESERVOIR.
12. View from the Victorian bank of the river showing in the foreground a levee bank along the New South Wales side of the river with connecting wings back to the higher ground, May 1923. The first stage in the construction of the Dam foundations was carried out inside the levee bank which was at a sufficient height to protect from floods the work going on inside. A length of 300 feet of the Dam was left at a low elevation to allow of the river flowing over it in the second stage of the operations and at the ends of the concrete was brought up above flood level. To divert the river, a Coffer Dam was built across the old bed above and below the Dam site and tying into the end of the concrete wall built inside the levee bank. This completely surrounded the remainder of the site of the Dam and south wing wall, including an area of 12½ acres.