Noel Gough, `Mud Sweat and Snow'

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A review: The Snowy Mountains Scheme marks its official start as being in 1949. The scheme dammed the waters of the Snowy River, which flows initially east and then south from the Mount Kosciusko area, sending them west under the Dividing Range and generating hydro-electric power on the way. Discharged into the Murray, Tumut and Murrimbidgee Rivers they then help irrigate inland Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

The Scheme was an enormous engineering achievement. It is often said that it couldn't be done today and a few corners were cut in areas such as the approval process. Many post-war migrants from Europe worked on it and it played an important part in Australia's move away from heavy reliance on British migrants.

Noel Gough, not long out of Sydney Technical College, got a job on the Scheme in July 1950. It was winter and he arrived in Cooma in sub-zero conditions, to be sent to Kiandra. He had to walk the last part of the way to the camp in the snow after the taxi driver dropped him and turned tail. It was a good introduction to the hardships of life, sometimes in tents and huts, with cold and snow in winter, heat, mud and dust in summer.

Despite the hardships, the book paints a picture of great camaraderie with incidents, anecdotes, and portraits of the Scheme's "characters", some larger than life. It is a period fondly remembered, not out of pure nostalgia, but because many (such as Noel Gough) were quickly given positions of responsibility and were then trusted to get on with the job.

The text consists of 175 pages and contains numerous black and white photographs. There are several appendices adding a further 31 pages. It is a hard-back, published by the author. The production quality is high and the author had good access to many relevant photograph collections.

Four wheel drive enthusiasts will recognise series one Land-Rovers, Dodge Weapons Carriers, the occasional ex-WWII Jeep and many other trucks.

The book may be obtained from:

• The author direct at 1/5 Argyle Street, Moonee Ponds, Vic 3039.
• Retail outlets including leading (au) bookshops, i.e. Dymocks, Collins, Angus & Robertson.
• The Snowy Mountains Authority, National Parks Jindabyne, Khancoban, Murray 1 Power Station.
• Cabramurra General Store, and most newsagents in the Snowy Mountains area.

1999: Noel Gough is chairman of the historic vehicle rally, part of the 50th anniversary celabrations of the SMA, [16-17 October 1999].

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