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.
22. General View of Works from New South Wales end, Looking Upstream.
Features: At the left, part of the North Wing Wall, the highest part of which is 26 feet below its ultimate height. Below in the foreground is the portion of the dam where provision is to be made for hydro-electric generation. The tubes, three in number, 13 feet in diameter, will be laid on the level shown and an early start will be made in laying them. The level for the other four regulating outlets, 9 feet in diameter, together with a part of the spillway section of the dam, is underwater at this stage and it may be remarked that at one point, about half way across the channel where the water is now flowing, the concrete foundations are about 80 feet below the level of the water. The broken surface of the water is due to the large “plums” in the concrete. The still water in the right foreground is the stilling pool over the concrete floor of which there is now more than 20 feet of water and by means of which the discharge from the outlet pipes will be quelled. The trestlework on the upstream side of the dam carries the concrete belt conveyor. It extends from the concrete mixer house, which is out of the picture, behind the wing wall, along almost the entire length of the concrete portion of the dam. The concrete is discharged from the belt at any desired point by means of trippers, one of which may be seen over the second trestle. On the other side of the flowing water is the coffer dam. A channel 300 feet wide involving about 140,000 cubic yards of excavation and dug for the temporary diversion of the river as it is flowing now. To the right top of the view beyond the Coffer Dam is the earth embankment being thrown across the major part of the valley by the Victorian Constructing Authority. The Mitta Mitta River flows into the Murray at the far end of the reach of water on the left. August 1927.