Share
clip 2Clip description
The crews involved in hard rock tunnelling in the Snowy Mountains Scheme are introduced.
Curator’s notes
The Snowy Mountains are predominantly made up of granite, and 'drill and blast’ hard rock tunnelling comprised a major part of the work of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Tunnelling work was tough, hazardous and dirty.
Shot during the 1960s, the clip shows the various tunnelling crews and their equipment. There are a large number of workers involved, compared to crews on today’s highly mechanised hard rock tunnelling projects. The footage includes the rockbolting crew. The technique of rockbolting, a safer and cheaper alternative to concrete lining for tunnel wall support, was an innovation at the time.
