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
RIVER MURRAY WATERS SCHEME, HUME RESERVOIR THE LARGEST IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE. '
The history of the inception of the River Murray Waters Agreement under the terms of which the Hume Reservoir is being constructed, the purposes of the work, its correlation to the other works on the Murray and the methods of construction are all outlined in the attached article entitled “The River Murray Waters Scheme, the Nile of Australia”, by Mr H.H. Dare, M.E., M.Inst.C.E., Commissioner, Water Conservation and Irrigation, and the New South Wales Representative on the River Murray Commission. The article was published in 1925 and some alterations brought about by the efflux of time are necessary. As far as personnel is concerned, the death of Mr J.S. Dethridge, M.Inst.C.E., removed a very able engineer from the councils of the Commission. His place as Representative of Victoria has been taken by Mr R. Horsfield. It is also to be regretted that ill-health has caused the retirement of Mr E.M. de Burgh, M.Inst.C.E., the eminent Chief Engineer for New South Wales, who, with Mr Dethridge, was largely responsible for the Agreement cemented by the River Murray Waters Acts and, inter alia, for the design of the Hume Dam. The following summary of the progress of work on the Locks might be substituted for the latter part of Mr Dare’s paragraph. Up to the present time six locks and weirs have been completed, the highest in the series being at Torrumberry and the lowest at Blanchetown. Locks No.26 at Torrumberry and No.11 at Mildura were built by Victoria and are in use. A lock and weir (No.10) is in progress at Wentworth, and the necessary camp arrangements, purchase of plant, etc., have been undertaken in connection with lock and weir No.15 at Euston, both under the direction of New South Wales. Lock No.9, which forms part of the Lake Victoria Scheme, Lock No.5 at Renmark and Lock No.3 in South Australia
