29 September 2023
Deep into the farthest corner of South-Western Tasmania (accessible by car), and surrounded by Tasmanian World Wilderness Heritage Area, stands Strathgordon. At, quite literally, the end of the road are the dynamic duo: Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder. They feed our largest capacity power scheme in Tasmania, Gordon Power Station.
Gordon Dam in Tasmania's Southwest
Teams of Works Coordinators, Engineers, Maintenance Assistants, Power Station Operators, Apprentices (and more!) are spread across Tasmania, looking after our schemes, day in and day out. At Strathgordon, due to his long tenure at Hydro Tasmania, knowledge, and love for the region, one man has earned a very special title across our company. Brett Brady is the ‘Mayor of Strathgordon’.
His tenure at Hydro Tasmania, and especially at Strathgordon, has definitely earned him this right. Brett’s actual title is Maintenance Assistant, but we know him as the jack of all trades.
Strathgordon was built as a construction township for work on the Gordon/Pedder scheme. Initially a mobile camp, ‘the Silver City’, with construction beginning on temporary and permanent housing in 1967. The name Strathgordon officially gazetted in 1968, with “Strath” meaning a wide valley, usually traversed by a river – and, of course, the Gordon River.
Even once the construction of the scheme was complete the Hydro Electric Commission (now Hydro Tasmania) had to consider the long-term requirements of station operation. The village grew to include services like retail stores, a school, church, sports complex and indoor swimming pool. The peak of activity in the village was 1972, with many social clubs functioning within the village.
These days, there are very few permanent residents of Strathgordon, with many services including the school and post office closing shop. “We have lost the facilities of a larger town, but we gained mobile phones, internet and satellite TV, that help us keep in touch with family and friends during our days away,” says Brett.
Construction of Gordon Dam was completed in 1974, and the power station was commissioned between 1977 and 1988. Brett started at Strathgordon in June of 1985, as part of the civil construction crew building the power station's third (and final) generator. Once that job was complete, he joined the maintenance crew.
The current Gordon team don’t just oversee the power station, but all assets as part of the Gordon/Pedder scheme, including dams, canals, gates, lakes, the Strathgordon “village”, and public amenity sites.
“These days I could be maintaining village infrastructure in the morning, civil inspections at our dams and or canal after that, guiding a tour for new starters or special guests, testing and tagging electrical equipment, collecting water samples to have tested by the labs in Hobart, chatting with tourists who have questions about hydropower, clearing trees from our access roads, trouble shoot power outages and liaise with TasNetworks prior to them attending site…”
On top of his busy schedule, we asked Brett what he loves most about working at Strathgordon. His response… “Not the weather.”
Gordon Dam from above
The permanent accommodation which was built in Strathgordon still stands, but as visitor accommodation. Pedder Wilderness Lodge welcomes visitors from all over to enjoy the beauty and wonder of Southwest Tasmania, and experience the enormity of Gordon Dam for themselves!
Even though things run differently now compared to the glory days of Strathgordon construction, Brett wouldn’t change a thing. “It’s been my life for so long, I couldn’t imagine changing it. ‘The Hydro’ is a Tasmanian company that has given so much employment to generations of Tasmanians, and created the green, clean energy system that we all take for granted today,” said Brett. We couldn’t sum it up any better ourselves.
Brett at Gordon Dam
On top of his busy schedule, Brett is one of our go-to guys for helping with some unusual requests. This will occasionally include overseeing production and providing access for film and production crews, who want to capture the beauty of South-Western Tasmania... or occasionally use it to break world records...
Thank you, Brett! It’s your energy that helps continue Strathgordon’s ongoing legacy in reliable hydropower.
Want to hear more from Brett? Check out this story from 2021: Waiting for the world to return - in the midst of coronvirus remote workers are feeling the isolation more than ever (hydro.com.au)
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