Hydro Tasmania proudly celebrated the 50th anniversary of Gordon Dam, a monumental milestone in Tasmania’s hydropower journey. On 25 November 1974, the final bucket of concrete was poured, giving life to the largest arch dam in Australia, located in the breathtaking southwest of the state.
Acting CEO Erin van Maanen hailed Gordon Dam as a remarkable testament to engineering and innovation that propelled Tasmania to the forefront of global hydropower leadership. “Today, we honour the visionary individuals who made this project possible. Their legacy is the renewable energy that fuels the lives of Tasmanians and strengthens our economy,” Ms. van Maanen expressed.
United, Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder form Hydro Tasmania’s largest water storage system, which is also the largest in Australia. The Gordon Power Station supplies around 13% of Tasmania’s electricity requirements each year.
“These storages are built to harness water over seasons, ensuring access for years. They are vital to Tasmania’s hydropower ecosystem and essential for meeting the growing energy demand while providing security during dry spells,” Ms. van Maanen emphasized.
Phil Reed, the crane dogman, fondly recalled guiding the crane operator during both the first and last buckets of concrete poured. “Witnessing that last bucket being poured at Gordon was fantastic,” said Mr. Reed. “Everyone had poured their heart into this for almost three years.”
Ms. van Maanen reflected on the Gordon-Pedder Scheme’s profound historical significance, notably regarding Lake Pedder’s flooding, which stirred public sentiment. “The lessons learned resonate today, guiding Hydro Tasmania’s commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement,” she concluded.
Key facts and figures:
- Chief engineer Dr Sergio Giudici designed the dam (his grandson, Oliver Giudici, works at Hydro Tasmania today and is the fourth generation of his family to work at the business).
- Gordon Dam is the tallest arch dam in Australia, at 140m—more than double the height of Wrest Point Casino.
- The dam contains 154,000 cubic metres of concrete, which is enough to create about 5,700 replicas of the Statue of Liberty.
- The first bucket of concrete was poured on 19 January 1972, and the last on 25 November 1974.
- Before the dam could be built, hundreds of workers cut an 80km road from Maydena to the dam site, the first to ever go through rugged southwest Tasmania. Roadwork started in 1964.
- Towards the end of 1967, the construction of Strathgordon Village started to house workers. It had a shopping centre, church, butcher, and baker.
- Hundreds of workers, including many highly skilled migrants, contributed to the construction of Gordon Dam.
- At its peak, there were 2,000 residents at Strathgordon Village, including wives and children.
- The village even had a heated swimming pool – at the time, it was the only heated pool in the state.
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