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Australia and its People › History
What is the significance of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme?
- One of the largest engineering projects in Australia's history, providing hydroelectric power and irrigation, largely built by post-war migrants
- A scheme to bring water to the dry interior of Australia
- A failed infrastructure project of the 1950s
Why this is the correct answer
Built between 1949 and 1974, the Snowy Scheme involved sixteen major dams, seven power stations and hundreds of kilometres of tunnels through the mountains. About 100,000 workers from more than 30 countries helped build it, and many chose to settle in Australia permanently afterward.