Mon, 22nd Dec, 2014 Penstock Lagoon (Waddamana Power Station Museum)

10 degrees at 7am. So stayed in bed till 8. Lovely blue sky and the sun is slowly warming us up. More boats pulling up for a fish. We drove along the edge of the lagoon, more day use areas with guys wadding or in a boat fishing. Passed the end dam wall, will check that out on the way back. Further down the trees cleared for a fantastic view over forestry land and down into the valley to the Waddamana Power Station.

Heading down a narrow dirt road, glad we don’t have the van on. It says on the brochure, caravan and camper friendly!!

We were at 930m altitude at our camp and we have dropped quickly to 600m. As we drive in the original houses are still there and are now the Field Study offices and holiday accommodation, owned by a private organisation.

Big grid towers and lines cover a lot of land.

Looking at the Museum that was once Waddamana Power Station A. There is another building on the other side called B. We have a self-guide tour brochure from the Info Centre in Deloraine.

Another grid area closer to the power station.

Looking back up the hill.

Lovely trees.

The water pipes coming down the hill into the power station. These come from Penstock Lagoon but of course aren’t in use anymore.

Information about the two stations.

 Waddamana A was the first major hydro-electric power station in Australia.

Paintings of Princess Elizabeth (before she became Queen) and her father King George VI were done by a polish ex-serviceman working at the power station.

A rainbow trout – actual size – what a tubby. A lot bigger than the ones we have seen.

This building and all its equipment etc have been turned into a museum and it is free. This is the info from the brochure etc and I have added the photos from the museum.

The harnessing of the waters of Great Lake began in 1910when a private company started work on an ambitious project to divert water from Great Lake and the Shannon River to a power station at Waddamana. In 1905 Professor Alex McAulay published an article on the potential for hydro-electric power generation in Tasmania. Mr Gillies, who had developed a new electrolytic metal refining process was seeking a large, cheap power source. After reading the article, Mr Brettingham-Moore who was a civil engineer, arranged a meeting with Mr Gillies. They formed the Complex Ores Company in 1908 and sought finance for the power scheme from the Tasmanian Government. The Government could not afford the venture. In 1909 the Government granted a concession to the company to use the water of Great Lake to produce electricity. A separate, smaller company called the Hydro-Electric Power and Metallurgical Co. Ltd was formed to build the scheme. They went back to England to raise the 145,000 pounds needed. Work began on the scheme in Dec 1910 with the excavation of the canal which was to convey water from Great Lake to the Penstock Lagoon. Because of considerable difficulties during the early states and an extremely severe winter in 1912, the company ran short of money and work halted for several months. The company was unable to raise the extra money needed to continue construction. In 1914, the Tasmanian Government bought the hydro-electric assets from the struggling company. The Hydro-Electric Department was formed to manage the completion of the scheme and went on to become Hydro Tasmania as we know it today. The water came down from Miena where a small dam was erected between 1910 and 1916 across the Shannon River (that we saw yesterday) and canals and pipelines brought the water down.

Miena No. 1 dam

The first two generators came into service in May 1916 providing the first hydro-electric power to Hobart. Between 1918 and 1923 there was an increased demand for electricity. Waddamana A station was enlarged to accommodate a further seven generators. To increase the supply of water a multiple arch concrete dam was built in 1922 behind the original one at Miena to raise the level of Great Lake.

Miena No. 2 dam 

The upper reaches of the Ouse River were diverted (through Lake Augusta’s Dam) into Great Lake by a flume and canal to provide further water.

The Shannon Power Station began operation in 1931, it used the fall of water between Great Lake and Waddamana. This is the original control room electrical switchboard. It was transported to Waddamana after Shannon was decommissioned in 1964.

Between 1939 and 1949 a second power station was constructed at Waddamana. Waddamana B was built at right angles to the original Waddamana A power station and it contained four turbines. These three power stations operating together between 1949 and 1964, had a total generating capacity of 107.5 megawatts. Waddamana A and Shannon were decommissioned in 1965, Waddamana B operated until 1995. In 1965 the water stored in Great Lake is now used at Poatina Power Station located to the north (after they dug a 6km tunnel through north end of the Great Western Tiers). The sheer drop of the Great Western Tiers makes Poatina a more efficient station. In 1967 another dam wall was added behind the existing two at Miena to increase the water storage of Great Lake.  Then in 1982 more rockfill was added to again increase the storage capacity of Great Lake.

It is very interesting and there was heaps to look at. It is amazing what they achieved in those days with just plain hard work, no modern machinery they have now. We watched a video of which they even had some videos of early 1900s and lots of photos. There was no road link to the construction site. Early in 1911 work began on building a 27kmwooden tramway from Red Gate near Bothwell to Waddamana. The tramway was completed in early 1912. Teams of up to 15 draught horses pulled each load; the average load was about 7 tons. Truly amazing.

A road was completed in 1922 and the tramway fell into disrepair. Advertisements for labour made it quite clear that applications should make their own way to the construction site which was described as a comfortable two day walk from Deloraine. Rates of pay were 8/- (80cents) a day and a tent and sack of straw to sleep on were provided!!! Yeah!!!

Power Station Office – the office belonged to the power station superintendent. It is in original condition and features models in period costume and original office furniture and equipment, papers and power station plan. Also on display is the original telephone switchboard and the old safe.

Next door is the Engineers Office.

We walked out into a verandah type thing to overlook the power station turbines. Some old maps and books etc on display.

 The daily log, this page 1921.

 A timeline showing Waddamana’s milestones.

Walked down onto the main floor, looking up at the lovely timber work of the verandah room.

A note on the door says to keep them closed to keep out the birds – obviously a pair have gotten in here.

Lots of great old photos. The original power station. The work was hard excavating the foundations etc.

Living conditions must have been bad in the beginning.

They kept the turbines running while they added on the extension.

After the extensions to add the next 7 turbine generators. It was a real community by then. The water flowed out (to the top of the photo) to join the Ouse River.

The mail coach even made it through during winter.

Two great panorama photos – the power station site and Great Lake

All the tools are still hanging in the tool storeroom. Most were handmade due to the isolation of the power station.

Looking down over the 9 turbine generators.

They have one open so you can see how it works. In 1831 it was discovered that electricity could be produced by rotating an electro-magnet inside coils of wire. The alternators in large power stations work on the same principle. In hydro power stations, water is used to make the electro-magnets spin. At Waddamana, Pelton wheels were used to tap the energy of the moving water. These wheels spin a shaft which is connected to the electro-magnets, which in turn spin around inside the coils of conductor. This generating process converts the mechanical energy of the Pelton wheel into electrical energy.

Turbine

Magnetic Alternator

At Waddamana A two engines were initially installed. Each had a capacity of 4900 horse power (3.65megawatts), enough electricity to supply about 250 to 300 homes. They came into operation in 1916, at that time there were about 2000 customers in the Hobart area. Ad additional machine was operating by 1919. A further six 8000HP (5.96MW) machines were installed after 1922. An old photo of 7 machines in operation.

Around the building are lots of interesting displays. This shows the layout of the power station.

As steel was hard to get in the war years the pipes were made of wood with steel bands around them, called Woodstave Pipes. The original pipeline was constructed of Oregon pine. A later wooden pipeline was constructed from kauri and jarrah, imported from Western Australia. Woodstave pipelines are still in use at Lake Margaret Power Station on the west coast of Tasmania and elsewhere.

A closer look through the floor where the inlet pipes come in, the turbine and the generator.

Electric rivet heater – interesting, how would that have worked on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

DC Exciters made in England by GEC (General Electric Co).

Steve liked the “heavy lifting” poster.

Went into the corridor that joins A & B buildings. Look out onto the inlet pipes and up the hillside.

The other side shows more pipes going in to feed the other generators. Each generator had its own pipe of water.

Waddamana B power plant – we didn’t have access to these.

Lots of transformers on display. Transformers are used to increase the electricity voltage produced in the power station for transporting over the transmission lines then decrease to low voltage before being distributed to consumers.

There were interactive displays to teach the kids (and us) about electricity etc. One was four plates, two aluminium and two copper. Put your hands on them and watch the current flow through your body etc. Very interesting. Steve learning how the water turbine works!!

Played with the plasma ball.

The Alternating Current Generator was from USA but the big turbines were from England.

The stairs were blocked off, presumably to the pipework below. The breeze coming up though was freezing. Would have been terrible in winter time.

There were displays of old stoves, appliances, heaters, power meters, light bulbs, anything to do with electricity.

An envelope sealer!!! And other office equipment.

This looks a good heater with a fan too.

The control room is the heart of a power station. All required changes and alternations to the daily running of the station were made from here. Major events occurring in the power station are recorded by control room staff on the daily log. The control room was used to control the power supply from both Waddamana A and B stations. The marble panels used for Waddamana A are a feature. The marble was used for its insulating qualities. An air raid siren was also installed during World War 2.

The power station workshop was used for maintaining machines and equipment. The workshop houses a metal lathe (manufactured in Melbourne), the bed of which was specially adapted to turn extra long shafts.

 Major conveyor belt system to turn the lathe.

Outside in the old transformer area was some old equipment from 1912. Horse drawn excavator and concrete barrow.

Walked around the building to look at the Waddamana B building.

And down the canal that used to take the water away, from the power station after it had been through the turbines, and back into Ouse River.

The old street lamps still exist too.

Drove past some of the old homes, still loving cared for. These are the Field Offices.

 These are for holiday rental.

These pine trees were huge and their pine cones were enormous.

Back up the road and passed all the lovely yellow flowered bushes.

The sun has disappeared unfortunately making it cool again. Stopped at the southern dam wall of Penstock Lagoon and climbed up for a look. 

There were a few people out in boats and a chap on the dam wall.

We timed it perfectly as he had just hooked a trout. Watched him bring it in and then asked if I could take a photo. This one is going home for dinner.

It is a brown trout and check out the size of the fly.

Looking back on the bund wall dam (Steve told me that name) and log diverter.

The water used to flow down these old pipes and down to the power station.

Now there is just a dribble coming out of a crack in the wall – maybe I should put my finger in the dyke!!

Looking back at the outlet pipe under the dam wall area.

Made lunch – Steve into open grill sandwiches now – trying to cut down on the double toasted sandwiches he was having. I had omelette – yum. Started working on today’s photos – lots but very interesting. Made some yummy scones for smoko then decided to made some muffins and a cake as it was spitting with rain outside.

Steve went for a walk to check out the fisherman. The chap from Lake Ada has arrived but he hasn’t caught one yet. They are all still waiting for the Rise. Before the Shannon River had its course changed with the dam, it used to be world-famous for the trout. Anglers fished shoulder-to-shoulder. The Shannon Moth, a snowflake caddis, used to hatch in early summer, causing trout to “rise” eagerly for a feed.

Quiet night, even the birds are quiet, as it is overcast and cool. Steve had got the fire already but the drops of rain kept plopping so we had dinner in the van. Tried to use the phone but our reception has lessened with the cloud cover. Put out the vegie scraps for the possum. We played a few games of Sequence and about 10pm the possum arrived for dinner. Another one turned up so I chopped up another carrot for him/her.