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Maxwell Heazlewood | profile | all galleries >> THE ISLAND STATE OF TASMANIA >> TASMANIA - HYDRO POWER HISTORY tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

TASMANIA - HYDRO POWER HISTORY

A photo essay of Australia's first Hydro electric power
generating station at Duck Reach on the South Esk River
on the Cataract Gorge near Launceston Tasmania.
The station was commissioned in 1895 and de-commissioned in 1956
The site of Tasmania's first hydro power station.
The site of Tasmania's first hydro power station.		 Details of the original equipment which was very advanced for it's time
Details of the original equipment which was very advanced for it's time		 Expansion construction work around 1903
Expansion construction work around 1903
Looks positively tiny doesn't it
Looks positively tiny doesn't it		 The original power layout of 1895
The original power layout of 1895		 Post '29 floods configuration
Post '29 floods configuration
This site is well up the side of the gorge
This site is well up the side of the gorge		 Station workers bluestone cottages on the oposite side of the gorge
Station workers bluestone cottages on the oposite side of the gorge		 Power station managers house
Power station managers house
The original suspension bridge restored
The original suspension bridge restored		 Duck Reach power station on the Northern side of the gorge
Duck Reach power station on the Northern side of the gorge		 LAUNCESTON The Duck Power Station being inundated by 1911 floodwaters cascading down the South Esk c.1911-001.jpg
LAUNCESTON The Duck Power Station being inundated by 1911 floodwaters cascading down the South Esk c.1911-001.jpg
LAUNCESTON The Duck Power Station being inundated by 1911 floodwaters cascading down the South Esk c.1911-002.jpg
LAUNCESTON The Duck Power Station being inundated by 1911 floodwaters cascading down the South Esk c.1911-002.jpg		 View across susp. bridge
View across susp. bridge		 looking down the gorge on a quiet day
looking down the gorge on a quiet day
It's easy to imagine these waters turning into raging rapids
It's easy to imagine these waters turning into raging rapids		 This water is travelling fast
This water is travelling fast		 This bridge is longer than it looks
This bridge is longer than it looks
The workers trundled across here every day and night
The workers trundled across here every day and night		 The original generating bed housed 6 generators
The original generating bed housed 6 generators		 This has been set up with the original equipment on loan from the HEC
This has been set up with the original equipment on loan from the HEC
The full force of the devestating 1929 floods swept away the original station of 1895
The full force of the devestating 1929 floods swept away the original station of 1895		 One of the original penstock pipelines
One of the original penstock pipelines		 Water is released down here on a regular basis from Trevallyn Dam for water sports, including whitewater kayaking
Water is released down here on a regular basis from Trevallyn Dam for water sports, including whitewater kayaking
The original pipeline was an engineering marvel for it's time
The original pipeline was an engineering marvel for it's time		 It was an amazing feat considering the ground it covered
It was an amazing feat considering the ground it covered		 Water turning through 90 degrees had trmendous pressure
Water turning through 90 degrees had trmendous pressure
The old winching room for hauling heavy goods and equipment across the gorge
The old winching room for hauling heavy goods and equipment across the gorge		 The Duck Reach Power Station museum is open every day
The Duck Reach Power Station museum is open every day		 Quietly brooding waters heading down Cataract Gorge
Quietly brooding waters heading down Cataract Gorge
A lot of work went into the restoration of this suspension bridge
A lot of work went into the restoration of this suspension bridge		 Itself quite a feat
Itself quite a feat
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