Darwin Dam
| Company type | Earthfill dam |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hydroelectric power |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Hydro Electric Corporation (now Hydro Tasmania) |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Water reservoir for hydroelectric power production |
Darwin Dam
The Darwin Dam is an earthfill saddle dam positioned offstream in Western Tasmania, Australia. It contributes to the reservoir network known as Lake Burbury, which is also contained by the nearby Crotty Dam.
Built in 1990 by the Hydro Electric Corporation (currently Hydro Tasmania), this dam facilitates hydroelectric power production at the John Butters Power Station. During its construction phase, it was identified as the Andrew Divide Dam.
Features and location
Together with Crotty Dam, the Darwin Dam creates the source waters for the King River Hydroelectric Power Development. Located at Lake Burbury’s southern extremity, it functions to impound water for the lake.
The dam embankment comprises 430,000 cubic meters of earth material, standing 20 meters tall and extending 700 meters in length. When at maximum storage, it contains 1,081,420 megaliters of water. Lake Burbury spans a surface area of 53,250 hectares and drains a catchment of 559 square kilometers. Notably, the dam wall does not include a spillway.
Its name originates from Mount Darwin situated to the west; both names trace back to the historical railway stop and abandoned settlement of Darwin on the North Mount Lyell Railway line between Gormanston and Kelly Basin. The dam submerges what was once Kelly Basin Road, formerly part of the railway route.
In the early 1910s, a similar project site nearby was surveyed by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company.