| Goulburn Weir | |
|---|---|
 Original weir wall | |
  Goulburn Weir Location of the weir in Victoria | |
 Interactive map of Goulburn Weir | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Goldfields, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 36°43′02″S 145°10′12″E / 36.71722°S 145.17000°E / -36.71722; 145.17000 |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1887 |
| Opening date | 1891 |
| Construction cost | A£106,262 |
| Operator | Goulburn-Murray Water |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Goulburn River |
| Height (foundation) | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Length | 212 m (696 ft) |
| Dam volume | 14×10 |
| Spillway type | Controlled |
| Spillway capacity | 1,897 m3/s (67,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Nagambie |
| Total capacity | 25,000 ML (20,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 10,600 km2 (4,100 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 1,120 ha (2,800 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 128 m (420 ft) AHD |
The Goulburn Weir is a weir across the Goulburn River near Nagambie, in the Goldfields region of Victoria, Australia.[1] Completed between 1887 and early 1891, it was the first major diversion structure built for irrigation development in Australia. The weir forms Lake Nagambie where rowing regattas and waterskiing tournaments are held.
Dam overview
The Goulburn Weir allows water to be diverted by gravity via the Stuart Murray Canal and Cattanach Canal for off-river storage in the Waranga basin, for later use in irrigation. The structure also contained one of the first hydro-electric turbines in the Southern Hemisphere, used to supply power for lifting and lighting; however, the power station was subsequently decommissioned.
The concrete gravity dam wall is 15 metres (49 ft) high and 212 metres (696 ft) long. When full, the resultant reservoir has a storage capacity of 25,000 megalitres (20,000 acre⋅ft) and covers 1,120 hectares (2,800 acres), drawn from a catchment area of 10,600 square kilometres (4,100 sq mi). The controlled spillway has a discharge capacity of 1,897 cubic metres per second (67,000 cu ft/s).[2] Its design was considered very advanced for its time, so much so that it featured on the back of half-sovereign and ten-shilling notes from 1913 to 1933, including on the first Australian banknote ever issued.[3]
After more than 90 years of continuous service, many of the weir's components were in urgent need of replacement. Stabilisation works were done in 1983 and in 1987.
The weir raises the level of the Goulburn River so that water can be diverted, by gravity, along the main irrigation supply channels: Stuart Murray Canal, Cattanach Canal, East Goulburn Main Channel. The weir services nearby farming of crops including wheat, stock and domestic supplies.
Construction
Approval for the construction of the Goulburn Weir was granted on 16 December 1886, by the passing of The River Goulburn Weir Act 1886.[4] This act allowed the treasury of Victoria to issue up to £20,000 for the construction of the weir and related works. A further £75,000 was approved under The Water Supply Loans Act 1887.[5]
The construction of the weir began with the construction of six tunnels designed to pass the normal river flow. These would allow the construction of the masonry section of the weir to proceed with the river flows passing through the tunnels underneath. The tunnels were fitted with sluice gates that could be closed once the weir was completed allowing structure to raise the height of the river upstream.
The main body of the weir is constructed from concrete masonry, that is large concrete blocks that were bedded and jointed in cement mortar. It is backed with steps of granite blocks, each to the height of a 0.61-metre (2 ft) course. The stone and sand for the concrete was sourced locally, the stone was quarried from a hill 3.2 kilometres (2 mi) to the north and the sand was obtained from various pits within 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) of the weir. The granite for the weir was sourced from Mount Black, 24 kilometres (15 mi) to the south west.
The weir was completed, the tunnel sluices closed down, and the river allowed to flow over the weir in the early part of December 1890. The water level upstream was slowly raised and storage reached its full supply level towards the end of July 1891. The final cost of the weir works was A£106,262.[6]
Reservoir
Lake Nagambie is a 170-hectare (420-acre) reservoir formed by the Goulburn Weir. The town of Nagambie is located on the lake's shore.[7][8] A 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) parkrun has been held on the lake foreshores.[9]
Gallery
The weir in 2013
Boats on Lake Nagambie
See also
References
- "THE GOULBURN RIVER WEIR". The Leader. No. 1603. Melbourne. 25 September 1886. p. 13. Retrieved 1 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 213). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- "2013: Year of Anniversaries". Reserve Bank of Australia. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- "River Goulburn Weir Act 1886". Retrieved 11 February 2013 – via AustLII.
- "The Water Supply Loans Act 1887". Retrieved 11 February 2013 – via AustLII.
- Murray, Stuart (1883). The Goulburn Weir and Its Dependent System of Works. Treasury Gardens, Melbourne: Unknown.
- "Map of Lake Nagambie, VIC". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- "ROWING NOTES. By OUTRIGGER". The Leader. No. 1934. Melbourne. 4 February 1893. p. 16. Retrieved 7 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia., ...The first regatta on Lake Nagambie was held on Thursday, 26 January (Foundation day)...The lake...is; of comparatively recent formation, having been created by the construction of the Goulburn Weir...
- "Nagambie Lake". parkrun Global Limited. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
External links
Media related to Goulburn Weir at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to Lake Nagambie at Wikimedia Commons
- "Goulburn Weir 1887, Nagambie Victoria". Engineering Heritage Victoria. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008 – via home.vicnet.net.au.
- "Goulburn Weir". Goulburn-Murray Water. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.