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The monument commemorates the first irrigation site in Australia.
Water was first diverted from the Murray for irrigation in the 1880`s. However, it was the succession of drought years from 1895 - culminating in the record dry year of 1902 - that brought home to the residents of the Murray Valley the need for protection against drought, which was needed if the region was to develop. The "go ahead" for the construction of the weir was given on July 23rd, 1934, and within a few months the preliminary works were in progress. The project provided significant employment relief during the Depression. More than 500 men were working on the Mulwala Canal when construction was in full swing. The weir construction started April 26th, 1935 and was completed on 17-July-1939 with the filling of the lake starting on 12-August-1939.
Location
| Address: | Melbourne Street , Mulwala Canal, Mulwala, 2647 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.983204 Long: 146.011769 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | State |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 6th April, 1935 |
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This cairn and tablet were erected by the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission
To commemorate the ceremony of the turning of the first sod of the Mulwala Canal near this spot by the Hon. B. S. B. Stevens M.L.A. Premier of New South Wales on the 6th April 1935
In the presence of a large and representative gathering of citizens
The Honourable Hugh Main M.L.A. Minister for Agriculture
F. W. Brewster Chief Engineer
C. J. Evatt Commissioner
W. Rewlings Commissioner
