The hydro electricity schemes pipes leading down to Tarraleah Power Station

Tarraleah
Old hydro-electricity township in the centre of Tasmania
Located 114 km northwest of Hobart, Tarraleah is a hydro-electricity township in the mountains between Hobart and Queenstown which is notable for its huge hydro-electric pipes which tumble down the side of a valley near the chalet.

Tarraleah is a typical little construction town with portable homes, prefabs and a chalet. There is a Police Station as well as offices for the Forestry Commission and the Department of Fisheries in the town's small commercial centre. It has a population of around 500, most of whom work for the HEC.

The Tarraleah Chalet was designed and built by the Tasmanian HEC in 1936-37 at a cost of £8 271. It was intended to be a showpiece for what would otherwise have been a dull construction village.

Things to see:  

Tarraleah Chalet

The Hydro-Electricity Operation
The views of the hydro-electricity pipes as they tumble down the hill are spectacular. Nearby is a plate which provides information about the pipes. 'The average length of the six steel penstocks is 584 m. Their diameters vary from 1525 mm at the top to 1220 mm at the station with plate thickness varying from 10-20 mm. Each penstock is fitted with an hydraulically fitted butterfly valve. These valves will close automatically if the velocity in the penstock reaches 30 per cent above the normal operating velocity of 45 m per second.'

Outside the power station, which is located at the base of the mountain, there is a Visitors Gallery where travellers can see the scale of the generators and hydro-electric operation.