Burrinjuck Dam

Item details


Name of item:	Burrinjuck Dam
Other name/s:	Barren Jack Dam, Barrenjack
Type of item:	Landscape
Group/Collection:	Landscape - Cultural
Category:	Water Supply Reservoir/ Dam
Location:	Lat: -35.0026934787 Long: 148.5833729450
Primary address:	, Burrinjuck, NSW 2582
Parish:	Childowla
County:	Harden
Local govt. area:	Yass Valley
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Brungle/Tumut

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
	Burrinjuck	Yass Valley	Childowla	Harden	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	State Government

Statement of significance:


	This Dam is a fascinating example of how applied modern technology has been used to meet the demand of a expanding rural area. The dam was part of a larger system of weirs and controls providing water for the government-sponsored Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme which enabled agriculture to expand in the area. It is the first major water storage built specially for irrigation purposes in NSW. The dam is also part of the State's first hydro-electric scheme. (DLWC S170 Register)
	Date significance updated: 06 Dec 00
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	L.A.B. Wade (PWD)
Builder/Maker:	Lane & Peters, Sydney
Construction years:	1907-1927
Physical description:	Burrinjuck Dam is situated on the Murrumbidgee River 60km by road from Yass in southern NSW. The dam is part of a larger system of weirs and controls which include that of Blowering Dam and Berembed Weir. Burrinjuck Dam provides water supplies for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area which has a combination of licensed agricultural, irrigation and stock use, with also town and domestic users. Apart from acting in a regulatory role the dam can also pass water through its 10 megawatt hydro-electric power station thus becoming a very fast and clean supply of electricity. The Dam is a steel reinforced cyclopean concrete gravitation dam. Large rocks known as granite plums were mixed with cyclopean concrete during construction as a cost saving measure. The dam is approximately 93m high and 340m wide, and stores more than 1,026,000 ML of water. Linked to the dam are a pump house, left and right spillways and a hydro electric power generation system. (DLWC S170 Register)
Modifications and dates:	1907-1927: Dam construction 1940-1957: Remedial works 1980: Dam height increased


Current use:	Hydro-electric Dam
Former use:	Hydro-electric Dam

History

Historical notes:

Burrinjuck Dam, originally called Barren Jack Dam, was a significant part of the scheme launched under the Barren Jack and Murrumbidgee Canals Construction Act 1906. The dam is the first major water storage built specially for irrigation purposes in NSW. It provided water for the large government-sponsored Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme which enabled agriculture to expand in the area. The dam was also part of the State's first hydro-electric sheme. At the time of its contruction, the dam attracted international interest as the 4th largest in the world. In 1911 the dam's name changed from Barren Jack to Burrinjuck. The dam was designed by the Department of Public Works. Work began in 1907 and was completed in 1927. Following major flooding in 1929, substantial remedial works commenced in 1940 but were interrupted between 1941-47 by WW2. The remedial and strengthening works which included enlargement of the southern spillway were completed in 1957. Circa 1980, further upgrading work to secure the dam against once-in-100,000 year flood was carried out. The height of the dam's wall was increased by some 13.4m, the new wall crest bolted down to its foundations by post-tensioned steel cables. The innovative technoogy attracted engineering attention. (DLWC S170 Register)

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Technology-Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied sciences	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Utilities-Activities associated with the provision of services, especially on a communal basis	(none)-

Recommended management:


	Preparation of a Conservation Management Plan is highly recommended. Conserve and maintain in accordance with the Burra Charter. (DLWC S170 Register)

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00958	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Land & Water Conservation Section 170 Register	1995	85154	Heritage Group: State Projects		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Tourism		2007	Burrinjuck Dam	View detail
Tourism	Attraction Homepage	2007	Burrinjuck Dam	View detail

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5012041
File number:	H00/00368; S95/00332 [S170]

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