SNOWY SCHEME ASSOCIATION

info@coomatechcentre.com.au
PO BOX 721 COOMA 2630
+61 2 6455 3999 AUSTRALIA

60th Anniversary of the Start of the Snowy Scheme (2009)

Snowy 60th Reunion

Join in Snowy 60th Reunion

15th October to 22nd October 2009 in Cooma

Snowy Scheme Association was formed in haste so that the those who are keen to come together for a 60th Reunion will find a warm welcome. They will have several opportunities to socalise with old associates, friends and their families.

This time it will be organised by former Snowy Mountains Scheme friends in Cooma and Adaminaby. It will not be for entertainment but for meeting together, possibly over a meal or at an event. Many local groups and clubs begun and flourishing during the Project bulding time are still active. You may choose to see what is happening with your interest group in the town today.

Cooma and Adaminaby have planned the Reunion around the weekend of 17 and 18 October 2009, with significant Reunion opportunities either side of the weekend as well. The overall Program has been issued, and will continue to be issued, to those who register to allow them to make definite bookings. A supplementary Program-update is to be released early in September to allow you to have maximum information available to make the most of this unique Reunion opportunity.

Events firmly scheduled

There will be major gathering held in Adaminaby on Saturday 17 October 2009, the actual anniversary date. It will feature a re-enactment of the start ceremony in the early afternoon for the Snowy Mountains Scheme that was held originally overlooking the water course of Eucumbene River, now under the waters of Lake Eucumbene. This re-enactment will be held at in the relocated town of Adaminaby itself.

Reunion gatherings in Adaminaby will start with an ecumenical Church Service at 9am followed by tours to the surrounding old town and camp sites followed by lunch back in Adaminaby. Supplementary gatherings will also be held in Cooma for others this day.

On Sunday 18 October 2009 there will be major Reunion Gathering held in Cooma at the Cooma Showgrounds. It will start with an award ceremony will be held inside the pavilion (Multi-Function Centre) starting at 10am wirh a morning tea followed by the award ceremony itself - with speeches - starting at 10:45am sharp. It will give recognition to the tunnel mining  innovation of rock bolting; refer to the attached tourist leaflet describing the engineering heritage site "Lambie Gorge". In the afternoon, after lunch it is planned to have particular Reunion Groups, at labelled locations, around the Paviliaon and Showground, grouped according to the list given on the Membership Registration form.

NOTE: The many facets of the rock bolting advance in mining in hard rock originated from a select team of Snowy Mountains Authority people in Cooma. It consequently revolutionised this type of tunnel mining across the world. Engineers Australia has awarded the Rock Bolting Development Site the highest level of recognition, viz., a National Engineering Heritage Landmark, because it represents the engineering advance of the whole subject that is normally inaccessible to view and appreciate. 

Parties of about 20 people will be escorted at 15minute intervals after the award ceremony (finishing about noon) to walk from the Multi-Function Centre on a short walk over a bush track to the Rock Bolting Development Site in Lambie Gorge.

It will be possible to purchase lunch in the Multi-Function Centre after the award ceremony (finishing about noon).

Supplementary events during the morning for Reunion visitors will be held at other locations in Cooma, such as at Centennial Park where the monthly Rotary Markets are held, and at SMEC's property opposite the Showgrounds where there will be tours and demonstrations.  Some food for lunch will be available at both of these activities.

Reunion coach tours are being planned to start from Cooma and offer one day and a three day visit to the mountain locations that were the hive of activity during the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. These unique conducted tours will be on the days immediately before and after the weekend activities. The three day tour will mean overnignt accommodation in Khancoban and Talbingo as part of the package so that all Regions of the Snowy Mountains Scheme can be touched. This does not mean, however, that all the mountain camp-sites can be reached - many of them are very hard to find now.

Please note that because of accommodation limitations in Khancoban and Tumut, only one large coach load of ours can be accommodated per night there for a particular tour, but reverse route tours may be possible to spread the bookings.

Membership Registration and Payment Is Needed

In these hard corporate times, it falls to the participants in Reunion to pay for the Reunion running costs. Cooma Call Centre can take membership registrations, or you can do it from the Website, or you can download the form and post it with your fee. Registrations not posted require you to make a direct deposit (at any Australian Bank) to our bank account with a unique Registration Number included. The Association will convert bookings accompanied by payments into services. Membership will also allow the possibility of Reunion Members to find help to make the individually desired reunion connections.

We need a membership fee of A$20 to be paid now, per family at the one address, (preferably including your Email address) accompanied by the description that identifies your grouping for finding others that you want to meet. Please pay either by Direct Deposit or post the Money Order or Cheque to Snowy Scheme Association, PO Box 721, COOMA, NSW 2630. If you are overseas, please request concessional arrangements of us for your payments.

What payment of Membership will allow us to do is to send out the 60th Reunion Program with deadlines so that you can make firm Reunion activity bookings early as possible. It will also give us the planning information needed for services to be provided and for planning of reunion groupings. If you have made your Membership Registration, please refer to the Bookings page "Snowy 60th Reunion Programme Booking". You may benefit from reading the 60th Reunion Options Overview as another source of helpful advice to know the limitations of our help.

© Copyright 2004, Adaminaby Snowy Scheme Collection