Waitaki Hydro Dam | 1935_construction

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 dam, 1935_construction
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The first power station to be built on the Waitaki was named after the river itself and the Waitaki dam was the first in New Zealand to be built without diverting the natural river flow.

While the other stations on the Waitaki hydro scheme were built using massive earth-moving machinery, the Waitaki dam was the last to be built using picks, shovels and wheelbarrows. The workers were housed in large camps and conditions were harsh – they lived through cold winters and flooding in the six years that it took to excavate the site and build the dam.

The Waitaki dam was built first, between 1928 and 1934, and without earth-moving machinery.

Waitaki (105 MW) (500 GWh) 1935
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitaki_River
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   44°41'22"S   170°25'37"E

Comments

  • I lived in the "Top Camp" (House 316) at the village where my father (Andrew Dobson) was a plumber and ambulance driver from about 1930 till 1934. Other members of my family were: Mavis (sister), Jack and Alan (brothers) and our Mother. I went to Kurow School on the train until I was in Standard 2. Anyone else who was there during those days please get in touch though there can't be many around now. (raydob@gmail.com)
This article was last modified 7 years ago