Celebrating the power of water
Eighty-year-old timber that once carried water at the Lake Margaret Power Station – the third oldest hydro-electric power plant in Tasmania – has found new life in a traditionally-built handcrafted boat.
The original woodstave pipeline at the 100-year-old Lake Margaret Power Station had deteriorated in time, which caused substantial leaking. It was replaced in 2008 and King Billy Pine salvaged from the pipeline was sold off for a dollar a metre.
Boat builder Bass Gamlin said the salvaged timber was a hidden treasure.
“The best timber came from the bottom of the pipe where the King Billy Pine would have been continually submerged,” he said.
“Salvaging the timber took much effort, but the residual timber was rich in aroma, light, strong and a pleasure to work with.”
The 15-foot clinker named Pippa was a feature at Hydro Tasmania’s launch of the Queenstown Heritage and Arts Festival (QHAF) program. Support for the QHAF was part of the company’s centenary celebration, which included public tours of the Lake Margaret Power Station, the oldest operating hydro-electric scheme in Australia.
“Hydro Tasmania is proud to be a major supporter of the festival. An inaugural sponsor, we’ve been delighted to see it grow from strength to strength,” Hydro Tasmania’s sustainable resources manager Sandra Hogue said.
“The festival theme this year is particularly fitting – the Power of Water is the power behind our business.”
