Historical information

This photograph shows part of the railway constructed and used for the removal of soil and rocks from the tunnels bored out of the mountains for the pipeline servicing the Hydro Electricity power stations in the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme.

Significance

This photo details an era when there were 4,000 construction workers located in two main accommodation camps, Mount Beauty (the larger one) and Bogong village. These accommodation sites were constructed and maintained as a secured or gated residential area with access only available by a special pass authorised by the Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme. All the power used by the rail system was from electric motors connected to batteries. Overhead power poles seen on either side of the embankment details that electricity from the Scheme was in use. This use was cleaner and more environmentally friendly than the coal still used by large locomotives from city to country railways. The worker shown is not however wearing protective head and hand coverings. This is also an era where there was a lack of health and safety legislation covering workers in dangerous working conditions.

Physical description

Scanned photo of original black and white photo on Kodak XtraLife II paper. Picture is of a section of railway track servicing the tunnels of the Hydroelectric scheme during the 1940s - 1950s

Inscriptions & markings

On back of photo "Kodak XtraLife II paper"