The Munyang Bridge: How a Little Bit of the 1950’s Snowy Scheme Came to Canberra
February 2023
Our recycled timber often has a rich and storied past. Perhaps one of our most interesting recent loads is a large haul of Ironbark and Silvertop Ash from Munyang Bridge.
Located next to the Guthega Power Station in the Snowy Mountains of NSW, the Munyang bridge was built as part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme.
After the bridge collapsed in a storm in 2020, we worked with a local company to salvage these big, rustic pieces of timber and haul them to our timber yard. Then, we de-nailed, metal detected and cleaned them up ready for reuse.
The Munyang Bridge, while just a tiny part of the Snowy Hydro story, is a window into the countless feats of engineering ingenuity and sociopolitical progress that occurred during the scheme, transforming the fabric of Australian society forever.
Our founder, Thor Diesendorf, actually has a personal connection to this story, through his grandfather. For a few years, starting in 1950, Walter Diesendorf—an Austrian-born award-winning electrical engineer—worked as a system design engineer for the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority. In 1958 Walter was promoted to Senior Executive Engineer for electrical and mechanical activities at the Snowy Scheme. So, while all of this was happening at Guthega Power Station, Thor’s grandfather was right in the thick of it!
This historic timber is available at Thor’s Hammer now.
It’s strong, rustic and incredibly interesting, and ideal for both outdoor projects like landscaping features or pergolas, as well as a range of indoor furniture options (like our Steel Hoop Leg Table).
Call us on 6282 9900 to enquire, or email hammer@thors.com.au
Read on to discover more about the history of these unique timbers sourced from the Munyang Bridge…
CONTENTS
(Click the links below to jump to the section you’re interested in)
Guthega Power Station—The First Stage of the Snowy Hydro Scheme
The Munyang Bridge was a tiny (but important) piece of a major, nation-defining project; the Snowy Hydro Scheme.
The Snowy Hydro Scheme was a major moment in Australian history.
Over 25 years, 100,000 construction workers built:
7 power stations
16 dams
145 km of tunnels
80 km of aqueduct pipelines
Around 1,600 kilometres of roads and railway tracks (Source)
Guthega Power station was the first of the seven power stations built as part of the scheme. Along with the power station, they were building the Guthega Dam, and a huge network of tunnels and pipes (known as a ‘penstock’) that would carry pressurised water from the dam down into the power station’s turbines, creating hydro-electric energy.
The Guthega-Munyang tunnel was a massive project, excavating through the mountains to construct a tunnel measuring 3.5 miles (nearly 5km) long, 19 feet high and 19 feet wide.
The then Minister for National Development, Senator W. H. Spooner said about the completion of the tunnel: "For well over 50 years engineers have dreamed of harnessing the waters of the Snowy Mountains and now it is certain that before the end of this year the coming into operation of the Munyang power-house will mark the first stage of turning that vision into reality.” (Source)
“For well over 50 years engineers have dreamed of harnessing the waters of the Snowy Mountains and now it is certain that before the end of this year the coming into operation of the Munyang power-house will mark the first stage of turning that vision into reality.”
The Construction of the Munyang Bridge for the Snowy Hydro
To enable the construction of this impressive collection of stations and tunnel networks, a large amount of important project infrastructure needed to be built, including roads, offices, barracks, and mess halls. As well as—of course—a bunch of sturdy bridges across the raging Snowy and Munyang Rivers.
The Munyang Bridge from which we salvaged our load of timber was located next to the hydro-electric power station, just above the confluence of the Snowy and Munyang Rivers. A report in the Canberra Times in 1951 described the building of the bridge in fantastic ‘old-timey’ language:
“Work is well advanced at Munyang. There are more than 100 men in the camp. Mess huts have been erected, but the men live in tents. Again, the accent is on road construction. Munyang is sheltered from the biting winds of Kosciusko, because it is in a valley. It is on the snow line, however, and the men said it becomes exceptionally cold at night, the temperature dropped to four degrees.
A bridge is being built at Munyang and it will be completed by the end of the week. Engineer in charge of the Munyang section is Tom Lewis of Melbourne. He is only 22 years old and is a graduate of the Melbourne University.
He has been with the Authority since the inception of the Scheme, and has earned a reputation as one of the hardiest men in the area. He is the trailbreaker for the engineers and applies for jobs in the remotest areas. He was at Smiggins Hole, Island Bend and Perishers Creek, until they became “too civilized”.
The bridge across Munyang River is a triumph of resourcefulness. Cement and sand were hauled in over scarcely negotiable tracks by tractors drawing sledges. All timber for the bridge was cut from the slopes of nearby mountains.”
Source: “Big Road Programme for Snow Works”, Canberra Times, 28 May 1951.
‘Little Norway’ in the Snowy Mountains, NSW
The Snowy Hydro not only transformed our understanding of engineering, and our energy and water supply, it also heralded a new era of multiculturalism.
The majority of workers were European migrants, housed for the duration of the project in 120 on-site camps.
Around 60,000 of these workers were World War Two displaced persons, most of whom became Australian citizens and remained after the project, forming diaspora communities throughout the country. Many of your friends, family and colleagues may have descended from some of these workers.
Led by Norwegian engineer Frederick Selmer, the second largest engineering contractor in Norway at the time, almost all of the workers on the Guthega-Munyang project were young Norwegian men (around 250 of them!).
Consequently, the workers' village that had sprung up to cater to the workers came to be known as ‘Little Norway,’ with bridges, roads, and buildings, constructed offices, barracks, and mess halls.
Many of the Norwegian workers were on a great adventure in Australia, and brought a passion for skiing to the Aussie Alps.
“As is only to be expected, sport has played a great part in the daily life of the Selmer people, Norway being known as the "cradle of ski-ing," and Snowy Mountains being very similar to many Norwegian districts In nature as well as partly in climatic, it is only natural that ski-ing was taken up extensively and enthusiastically by the Selmer men. A ski-ing club was formed, the Selmer Norwegian Ski-ing Club, and competitions arranged, mainly in the Nordic tradition” (Source).
Skiers these days will be familiar with Disappointment Spur Hut, which was built by the Snowy Mountains Authority as a maintenance shelter for the Munyang pipeline.
Timbers from the Munyang Bridge Available Now!
At the time of writing, we still have approximately 200 linear metres of timber from the Munyang Bridge. The majority of these pieces are long bearers from the bridge, originally used as the foundational structure for the bridge. The main timber species are Ironbark and Silvertop Ash—both super dense and durable.
These timbers would be suitable for a wide range of both outdoor and indoor uses. Outside it could be used for landscaping infrastructure and features, seating or or pergolas, to mention a few options. Indoor, it could become a beautiful piece of custom designed and made furniture, filled the history of its past life.
This timber is iconic and significant for most Australians, but we can imagine those interested in engineering, Australia’s migrant history, and the history of Australian mountain alpine culture might find these timbers especially personally significant.
We have the following stock available:
200x100mm Ironbark / Dense Reds. Lots of long lengths up to 4.4m. Super solid with a nice silver patina.
150x100mm Silver Top Ash. Lots of long lengths. These are a little bit more rustic and checked than the ironbark pieces but still solid.
As you’ll understand, stock like this doesn’t come along every day. It’s an incredibly special, one-off product. The stock available changes week to week so please get in touch with us to find out what’s available, and to get some advice on how best to use this timber for your indoor or outdoor space.
Ways to Use the Munyang Bridge Timbers
Steel Hoop Leg Table. Explore product.
Research & writing by Ellie Keft and Maria Larkins.
Photography by Rohan Thomson & Lachlan Richardson. Historical imagery sources listed with each image.