Cooma Flag Raising

Cooma Flag Raising

On Saturday 18th of November 2000 the Russian Flag was finally flying in Cooma, NSW. This was to pay tribute to those Russians who worked on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme.

Photos

Snow Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme History
The Snowy Mountains Scheme is recognised as one of the great engineering feats of the world. Built in the national interest with the support of the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian and Commonwealth governments, the Scheme provides electricity to the south-eastern Australian grid and much needed drought security to Australia's dry inland.

Construction started on 17 October 1949 AND TOOK 25 YEARS TO COMPLETE. Built at a cost of $1 billion - the Scheme was completed on time and under budget in 1974.

SOME FEATURES OF THE SNOWY

v The Scheme is located in Australia's Southern Alps, within an area of 8,200 square kilometres, mostly within Kosciuszko National Park

v The Scheme has 145 km of interconnected, trans-mountain tunnels and some 80 km of aqueducts

v There are 16 major dams with a total storage capacity equivalent 13 times the volume of Sydney Harbour

v By providing a reliable supply of water west of the Great Dividing Range, the Scheme assists the production of $8.5 billion worth of irrigated agricultural products in the Murray-Darling Basin each year

v The scheme also provides 82.5% of renewable energy supplied to the south-eastern Australian grid, displacing approximately 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year

v More than 100,000 people from over 30 countries worked on the Snowy Scheme between 1949 and 1974, with the workforce reaching a peak of 7,300 in 1959

During the construction, the Snowy established a world-class reputation for engineering and technical expertise:

v The most significant of these was the development of a technique called “rockbolting” - a safer and cheaper alternative to concrete lining of tunnels

v The installation of 330 kV transmission lines, which have become A standard throughout NSW

v The installation OF high-speed Francis turbines and

v developing new methods of diamond drilling

But more on this...the story of the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme is one of people who persevered through harsh conditions, rugged country and extreme climate.

This is not just a great feat of engineering, it is also a great social achievement. When the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority was established in 1949, there was a serious national shortage of skilled personnel, equipment and construction materials (as a legacy of World War II.) The Snowy began an intensive recruitment campaign overseas, concentrating in Europe.

Overall, 100,000 people worked on the Scheme's construction between 1949 and 1974 two-thirds of them migrant workers. They brought with them new ideas, new customs and new cuisines, forever changing the white, Anglo-Saxon foundation of Australian society.

Workers from over 30 countries worked on the Scheme through planning and construction. They came from Australia, Austria, Finland, Jordan, USA, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, Estonia, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Rumania, The Ukraine and Russia to name a FEW.

The contribution of these nations is commemorated HERE in the “Avenue of Flags” which was originally unveiled in 1959.

It was most gratifying to see so many Russians - individuals and different organisations, and especially the young at this ceremony.
This once again proved that when WE work together anything is possible and for this occasion we all worked together.
The RECC would like to thank all of those taking part, no matter how small, in achieving the end result - a Russian Flag in Cooma.