Building a power station

Building a power station

In 1960, a foreign consortium was granted the rights to build a hydropower station at Manapouri to feed its aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point in Bluff. Under a revised agreement, the construction of the power station fell to the New Zealand government.

The government did not take the decision to construct the power station lightly. The lake's status as one of the country's scenic wonders and great tourist destinations would be threatened in the quest for industrial self-sufficiency.

This 1964 aerial photograph of the power station shows the stores and storage-tank area, the cleared workshop and operating area, roads and tunnels carved into the land, and the hostel ship Wanganella.

The photograph documents the region's development. It also captures the sense of interest and pride in this development. The building of the power station in this rugged environment was a marvel of civil engineering.

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga a Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image

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