Historical information

This item clearly shows the conditions covering both working conditions and housing in the construction of the Junction Dam in the 1940s. Working conditions were extreme and health and safety legislation was at its infancy. The residential buildings were intended to last only for the period of construction, however greater demand for longevity as a tourist haven prevailed

Significance

This photo of the construction of the Junction Dam, with The Bogong village as backdrop, details the harsh conditions faced by construction workers, building dams and villages to accommodate workers in the 1940s to the 1950s. Australia at this period in time, experienced a surge of population (influx of World War II refugees), which was the catalyst for developing and undergoing an enormous hydroelectricity program for the Alpine regions, both in Victoria and New South Wales. This program was initiated to supply electricity to the major southern Australian cities of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. It was thought that these developments would reduce, if not eliminate, the requirement for coal driven power stations. However time has demonstrated that these power stations have not matched the demand required by the industries and the populations of the major urban and cities.

Physical description

Black and white photo of original photo with a flashlight reflection in the bottom centre. The photo is on Kodak XtraLife II paper. The paper is semi gloss.This photo is of the construction of the Junction Dam Wall with the Bogong Townshiip in the background.

Inscriptions & markings

Back of photo is printed " Kodak XtraLite II paper