Posts Tagged ‘werris creek’
“Australia Unlimited”
Cairns Post (Qld.), Wednesday 7 March 1945
In his 35-page book on the Clarence River hydro-electric gorge scheme, Sir Earle Page. M.H.R., a member of the Australian Country Party, has introduced into the murky atmosphere of politics that gleam of combiner idealism and common sense which is as refreshing as it is scarce at the present moment. In a masterly review of the publication. Hon. D. H. Drummond, M.L.A., Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Country Party, comments that the book contains more challenge to thought, to constructive criticism, to courage and to imagination than any other one thing that has been produced during the whole period of the war. It makes the other plans for post-war reconstruction look like midgets of ineffectual vision. Whether the critic will agree with the Doctor, or whether he win disagree, he will find himself forced up against the question which the Japanese menace still points, viz., that if Australia and Australians do not tackle these things in a big way, they may never have the final opportunity of completing them even in a small way.
Sir Earl draws pointed attention to the lack of an electrical connecting link between Sydney, the greatest Australian manufacturing city, Newcastle, its great coal and power producing centre, and Brisbane, the centre of Queensland’s industrial activity. Briefly his suggestions for immediate action are the linking up of Newcastle and Brisbane with a 66,000-volt power line, via Werris Creek, Armidale, Glen Innes and the Clarence Gorge, with another line of 165,000 volts as far as Werris Creek, then of 68,000 volts as far as the Clarence Gorge, and from thence to Brisbane of 165,000 volts.
The question of an immediate market for the total output of the gorge hydro-electric development would be completely changed if it were an integral part of the Newcastle-Brisbane high voltage transmission system. Brisbane would be immediately able to purchase a substantial portion of the whole output, and the balance would be absorbed locally or utilised in the general transmission system.
A study of the data, says Sir Earle, will show the high priority of the undertaking. A consideration of its immediate and remote benefits will demonstrate that, though this dam, when constructed, will be the largest in Australia, it will immediately prove fully reproductive from its inception. This is due to its geographical position, combined with the economic progress that the development of both primary and secondary industries in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales has already attained.
He visualises in the main scheme the full development of the watershed of the Clarence, which includes, not only the Clarence Gorge, Jackadgery, Nymboida and other reservoirs, but also the Styx hydro-electric scheme on the Macleay, and a number of other subsidiary schemes which all will contribute their share to the ultimate development of the area. It is estimated that if the major scheme is ultimately developed to the full, in the case of the gorge proposal, a dam 320 ft. high would impound 3,400,000 ac. feet. This does not probably convey very much to anyone until it is realised that the storage would be equal in capacity to three dams of the size of the Hume on the Murray River, and would, very closely approximate to the famous Assuan dam on the Nile River of 4,000,000 acre feet.
(Contributed by the Australian Country Party, Queensland.)
Whirlwind Damage At Mungindi
Tuesday 28 December 1954, The Canberra Times
MUNGINDI, Monday.
A fierce whirlwind cut a swathe of destruction through Mungindi to-day.
The whirlwind raged for 20 minutes and caused £20 000 damage.
Mungindi (population 1,000) is on the N.S.W.-Queensland border.
The whirlwind ripped off the roof of Tattersall’s Hotel in George Street and flung roofing iron and tree branches about the streets.
More than 26 houses were unroofed and others were damaged.
Dozens of sheds and outbuildings were flattened and heavy wooden fence rails on the border bridge over the Barwon River were whipped into the air.
The storm snapped the town’s power supply and there was no power late to night.
The hotel and the unroofed houses, were covered with temporary canvas canopies. Huge sections of the northwestern, section of the State were blacked out during the storm.
At Tamworth, Radio station 2TM went off the air. Windows were smashed by hail and houses damaged.
Hail smashed windows at Willow Tree and partially unroofed houses.
A Werris Creek police officer said the dust was so bad during the height of the storm that he spent almost 10 minutes attempting to find his way to a building in the short main street of the town.
Hail caused widespread damage to crops throughout the area.
Werris Creek electric supply
Wednesday 5 February 1930, The Sydney Morning Herald
WERRIS CREEK, Tuesday.
A public inquiry before Mr. McGowen, Public Works Commissioner, was held at Werris Creek to-day to allow ratepayers of the urban council to register objections or give evidence respecting the Peel Shire’s proposal to raise a £20,000 loan for the purpose of transmitting electricity from Tamworth to Werris Creek. Messrs. J. O’Brien, president of the Urban Council, T. E. Egan, ex-president, and a member of the same body, were against the proposal, and submitted an alternative scheme which embodied the erection of a plant at Werris Creek, to be controlled by the Werris Creek Urban Council. Expert evidence was presented by both sides. Mr. A. E. C. Webb, consulting engineer to the Peel Shire Council, gave evidence that the council’s proposed scheme of transmission from Tamworth would be in the best interests of all concerned. This view was eventually taken by Messrs. O’Brien and Egan, and the opposition was withdrawn. It was explained that the Railway Commissioners who would be the largest consumers, were willing to enter into an agreement to take power for 15 years. This will be a decided asset to the scheme, as it will enable power for domestic purposes to be supplied at a much cheaper rate per unit. Councillor K. Clift, local representative on the Peel Shire Council, stated that he was in favour of a scheme of reducing rates per unit after a certain number of units had been consumed for domestic purposes. Mr. C. Flynn, shire clerk, said that that was the council’s intention.
Roman Catholic Presbytery
Tuesday 18 March 1930, The Sydney Morning Herald
WERRIS CREEK, Monday.
Dr. Coleman, Roman Catholic Bishop of Armidale, laid the foundation stone of the new presbytery at Werris Creek yesterday. The function attracted a large crowd, and £326 was subscribed during the ceremony. The building will cost £2857, of which about £2000 is in hand.
Old news from Armidale and New England 