Mount Beauty is a town with a relatively short history, even by Australian Standards. It is a creation of the State Electricity Commission (no longer an entity) in the late 1940's as a construction town to house men working on the Kiewa Hydro-Electric scheme. Prior to that the nearby town of Tawonga supported farming activity in the area, but Mount Beauty didn't exist. That all changed in the 1930's when a 4 power station Hydro Scheme was proposed and commenced on the Kiewa River system.

The town was constructed to support the Hydro Scheme, and in combination with the works village at Bogong, half way to Falls Creek, housed some 3000 construction workers of a multicultural mix. Originally commenced prior to World War II and completed and commissioned in the early 1960's the project was more than 20 years in construction. Similar in make up to the workers of the Snowy Hydro Scheme in NSW an influx of post war skilled migrants and labourers mixed with Australians to undertake the massive project.

At this stage comprising 3 power stations including the West Kiewa which was the first underground power station constructed in Australia it will soon see the addition of a fourth. Tunnel boring for the originally proposed but never constructed fourth power station has recently commenced at Bogong Village.

After the scheme was completed in the late 1950's the town remained to support the hydro scheme, and some staff elected to remain and retire here. Falls Creek grew from a single hut in the 1930's to the resort it is today driven by the european influence of the construction workers. The small Mount Beauty community has grown and waned over the years with Kennett's privatisation of the SEC in the 1990's decimating the town and changes to timber industries and the decline of tobacco farming, but has seen growth in chestnut and wine grape farming. Farming has always been a steady activity in the area since long before hydro electricity generation. Today the town exists largely on the tourism generated by skiing at nearby Falls Creek, and other activities such as hang gliding and the growth sport of Mountain Biking making it a true four seasons destination.

This cache will find you at the Alpine Discovery Centre, which was originally the SEC Information Centre when I was a kid. It still contains a variety of interesting displays on the area, and is complemented by a viewing platform. It is sited at the front of what was once the Heavy Workshops (buildings on left as you travel towards town) and the Engineering Offices (behind the flame.)

Outside the centre you will find a Conway Loader or Conway Shovel. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity many years ago, to have a guided tour by a former chief engineer of the power station and tunnels. The West Kiewa Power Station was amazing, the lift ride to get down there impressed me as a kid, and it was spotlessly clean. I have also been into the tunnels this machine helped make, some of which are now impressively lined by glow worms.

The Conway Shovel was imported from England and used to load rail trucks underground with the waste rock from the hard rock tunnelling to remove it from the cutting face. There is surprisingly little information about this piece of equipment on the internet, but I found some photos taken by the famous Australian photographer Frank Hurley.

This shovel has been sitting here for as long as I can remember, and probably since the early 1960's. I doubt it could achieve the same sort of pace that is being achieved as they now tunnel at Bogong Village to install the fourth power station. If you have time, it's definately worth a trip to the picturesque village to take a look from the viewing platform up there.

I hope you enjoyed the background and the cache location, particularly if the visitors centre is open. It's also worth noting the nearby replica of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic's Flame, which is used annually for the international ski race, the Falls Creek Kangaroo Hoppet, part of the World Loppet series of races.

DJ