History of the area

The area around the King River and Queenstown is rich mining history which dates back to the 1860s. Following the discovery of rich copper deposits in the area, the Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company was formed in 1893, and in 1898 at the peak of the frenzied copper boom, 28 companies had leases in the Mt Lyell area.

One such company was the North Mt Lyell Copper Mining Company which was founded by James Crotty in 1897. Crotty had ambitious plans, and the company spent a fortune developing its mine, a railway, smelters and a port on Macquarie Harbour. The smelters - built at the township of Crotty - were a failure, and in May 1903 North Mt Lyell amalgamated with the Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company.

The Crotty township which had a population of 800 in 1901 died overnight, and the railway line and port facilities at Pillinger fell into disrepair.

Hydro-electricity in the area

As early as 1917 the hydro-electric potential of the King River was recognised. A sum of 10,000 pounds was made available to carry out investigations for a hydro-electric scheme based on the King River. This investigative work was completed in the summer of 1917-18.

The electricity generated was to be transmitted to Zeehan for use in a proposed electrolytic works, processing and refining ore from the Mt Read and Rosebery group of mines.

The proposed development of the King River did not progress when it was decided to transfer the ore to the established works at Risdon on the banks of the Derwent River near Hobart.

Serious investigations of the present scheme began in the late 1950s, and proceeded intermittently until 1983. By the late 1970s it became clear that the optimum development of the King River would depend on whether or not its waters should be diverted on the Franklin River (or vice versa).

This issue was resolved by the High Court decision on 1 July 1983, which brought to a halt any further consideration of hydro schemes based on the Gordon or Franklin Rivers.

The King River Power Development

The scheme was approved by parliament in 1983 and is very similar to the one proposed in 1917-18. However, improved technology has meant a tunnel instead of a flume, a much higher dam and only one turbo-generator in the power station instead of the proposed four.

The scheme includes a large rockfill dam - the Crotty Dam - on the King River, and a small levee at the Andre Divide. These two dams form Lake Burbury, the 54 square kilometre storage for the system. Water is conveyed to the John Butters Power Station, situated on the King River near Newall Creek, by a seven kilometre headrace tunnel. On its journey to the power station the water falls 184 metres before passing through a single Francis turbine. The power station is unattended, and is remotely controlled from the control centre near Sheffield.

The scheme produces about six percent of the state's power needs.

The new lake inundated six kilometres of the old Lyell Highway. The highway has been relocated, and a spectacular bridge which crosses Lake Burbury has been built. The 350 metre long Bradshaw Bridge was named after a well known west coast identity, Cliff Bradshaw, who for many years had a sawmill at the Princess River.

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