Cassilis Hydro
Scheme
Victoria’s Pioneer Hydro-Electric Scheme
Operated from 1908 – 1916
Presented by
John McCutchan
As part of the
NOTE : The Slides contained in this file are from the Engineering Heritage Victoria
original presentation - with titles added. They are for
Speakers’ Program
illustrative purposes and not intended to tell the full story
August 2006
by themselves. Accompanying audio files will be
available in the near future. Copyright may apply to some
Email : ehv@engineersaustralia.org.au
of the maps and photographs contained herein.

Slide 2 : General Location of Cassilis - in the east of Victoria (Australia)

Slide 3 : Location Map – Cassilis (Eastern Victoria – Australia)

Slide 4 : Cassilis Treatment Works - 1902

Slide 5 : Cassilis Treatment Works – 1903 with Cyanide Tanks added

Slide 6 : Cassilis Treatment Works - 1904

Slide 7 : 1904 – Showing Firewood needed for roasting purposes

Slide 8 : Mine Manager – Francis James Coote

Slide 9 : One of 4
Waterfalls on the
Victoria River

Slide 10 :
The Victoria River drops a
total of 120 metres before
joining the Cobungra River

Slide 11 : John Avery
Assistant to Mr Coote

Slide 12 :
The 1907 Tender Specification
(cover page only)

Slide 13
John Avery’s marginal
notes on Tender
Specification

Slide 14
more Avery marginal
notes and sketches

Slide 15
… and more Avery
marginal notes &
sketches

Slide 16 : Receipt for John Avery’s purchase of “Half-Plate Camera” - 1900

Slide 17 : The 7 Tenders received from around the world

Slide 18 : Extract from the successful tender by Staerker & Fischer

Slide 19 : Part of Bundara-Munjie Parish Plan - showing the location of the Water Race

Slide 20 : excavation of the 5 km water race

Slide 21 : the Water Race in winter

Slide 22 : construction of the Small Pondage at the end of the Water Race

Slide 23 : the completed Pondage

Slide 24 :
Pipeline
Specification

Slide 25 : the successful Pipeline Tender from Mephan Ferguson - 1907

Slide 26 : lowering a 6m length of riveted pipe down the hill

Slide 27 : the Pipeline was buried after pressure testing

Slide 28 : all plant was conveyed 110 miles from Bairnsdale Railway Station

Slide 29 :
some of the route
covered rough tracks

Slide 30 : a load arriving at the Power Station site

Slide 31 : the Pelton Wheel & 2.5 tonne flywheel

Slide 32 : erecting the Turbine

Slide 33 : temporary accommodation for the erection team !

Slide 34 :
A 1911 Technical
Description of the
Plant

Slide 35 :
The Voith
Hydraulic
Governor

Slide 36 : the Set achieved a max efficiency rating of about 70%

Slide 37 : the 670 HP (400 kW) Main Set & the 17 HP auxiliary set.

Slide 38 :
The Switchboard
LH Panel : Tirrell Voltage Regulator
Centre : HV circuit breaker overload relays & instruments
RH Panel : Controls for the 110 V dc auxiliary set

Slide 39 : the completed Power Station beside the Cobungra River

Slide 40 :
The 26 km 12 kV Transmission
Line crossed the Great Dividing
Range

Slide 41 :
Suitable trees on the
line were topped to
serve as “poles”

Slide 42 : about 490 poles were erected at 45 metre intervals

Slide 43 : poles on Transmission Line

Slide 44 :
The Conductors were
4.5mm diameter solid
hard-drawn copper

Slide 45 : The Treatment Works after electrification

Slide 46 :
Electricity Output
figures for the
first 16 months

Slide 47 : graph of Electricity Production
- shows shortage during 1908/09 summer

Slide 48 :
Gold Production Figures
for the Mine

Slide 49 : construction of small storage dam in 1916

Slide 50 : but … the tipped clay (wall material) was not properly compacted

Slide 51 : by the time this “description” was published, the dam had washed away!

Slide 52 : Sale of the Mine

Slide 53 : the Final Auction of all of the Plant etc

Slide 54 : a possible (much longer) water race to tap the larger Cobungra River

Slide 55 :
Minimum monthly
flows in the
Cobungra River
1926-35

Slide 56 :
Detail - showing that a
storage dam would have
been needed because of
the low summer flows

Slide 57 :
Section through the
Cassilis Mine showing
the 180m deep internal
shaft

Slide 58 - Location of :
1. Victoria Falls Historic Area
2. Cassilis Historic Area

Slide 59 : The Water Race was filled in to create the Victoria Falls Road in 1965

Slide 60 : The present Victoria Falls Road turnoff from the Alpine Road

Slide 61 : Picnic Area beside the Victoria River (recent photo)

Slide 62 : Interpretation Notes beside the Victoria River (recent photo).

Slide 63 : The Tourist Road (formerly the Water Race) above the Victoria River (recent photo)

Slide 64 : The Pondage at the end of the Water Race (recent photograph)

Slide 65 :
The inlet structure
for the old
Pipeline
(recent photo).

Slide 66 : the tapered entry to the 34 inch pipe (recent photo).

Slide 67 : Remains of the Power Station beside the Cobungra River (recent photo).

Slide 68 : View across the Power Station floor (recent photo).

Slide 69 : The foundations of the Water Turbine (recent photo)

Slide 70 : The concrete cubicles once housed the surge diverters on the Transmission Line

Slide 71 : the completed Power Station in operation

Slide 72 : Recent view from the same photopoint as Slide 71

Slide 73 : this “name” – painted on the concrete – led to
meeting the last man to operate the Power Station

Slide 74 :
Les Kracke,
interviewed in 1979

Slide 75 :
The reference written
for Les Kracke in
1916

Slide 76 : the reference written for Les Kracke

Slide 77 : An insulator from the telephone line which ran beside the transmission line.

Slide 78 : Another insulator from the telephone line

Slide 79 : The transmission line easement was still shown on the Parish Plan in 1980

Slide 80 : A broken Transmission Line Insulator

Slide 81 : Remains of Sub-station at the Mine Entrance (recent photo)

Slide 82 : The Sub-station at the Treatment Works

Slide 83 : The remnants of the Sub-station in recent times

Slide 84 : the Treatment Works – after electrification.
The Sub-station is in the lower right corner.

Slide 85 : Recent view from the same photopoint as Slide 84

Slide 86 :
The next home for the plant was
at the Magnet Silver Mine, near
Waratah (Tasmania).

Slide 87 :
Magnet is west of Waratah

Slide 88 :
Water was obtained from
dams on the Arthur River

Slide 89 : Remains at Magnet in 1981 – Power Station foundations on left – Mill Building on right

Slide 90 : The foundation block for the Water Turbine at Magnet

Slide 91 : The Power Station in front of the Mill at Magnet

Slide 92 : Note the unused lengths of pipe. The Magnet pipeline was shorter
than the Cobungra one.

Slide 93 : The 670 HP Set in action at Magnet

Slide 94 : The Magnet Switchboard – note the three panels on the left.

Slide 95 : the 3 Switchboard panels at Cobungra

Slide 96 : Auction Notice for the Magnet Mine (1940)

Slide 97 : The 2 foot gauge Magnet Tramway – on which all of the Magnet plant was removed

Slide 98 :
The Magnet Tramway
ended at Magnet
Junction beside the Emu
Bay Railway branch line
to Waratah

Slide 99 : Magnet Junction was located beside the one-time airfield

Slide 100 : Some of the pipes from Cobungra would not have been needed at Magnet

Slide 101 : An original 1907 pipe lying at Magnet Junction

Slide 102 : the same pipe ready to be installed in 1908

Slide 103 : Early Hydro-electric Schemes in Victoria

The End
Thanks are due to three generations of the Avery Family
who looked after many of the documents and photographs
used in this presentation – for 100 years. Their generosity in
making the material so readily available is acknowledged.
This Talk was prepared and delivered by
John McCutchan
PowerPoint presentation prepared by
Don Bartlett
Email : ehv@engineersaustralia.org.au