The Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, begun in 1949 and completed in 1974, was arguably the most ambitious engineering project in Australian history — redirecting the Snowy and Eucumbene rivers inland to generate power and irrigate the dry interior. The alpine lakes depicted on coins in this series are largely artificial, created by the scheme's network of dams and tunnels. Over 100,000 workers, many of them post-war European migrants, spent two decades reshaping the landscape of the Australian Alps.
KM#415 belongs to a broader RAM wildlife and nature series from the late 1990s. Mintage figures for individual issues in this run were modest by commemorative standards.
The Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, begun in 1949 and completed in 1974, was arguably the most ambitious engineering project in Australian history — redirecting the Snowy and Eucumbene rivers inland to generate power and irrigate the dry interior. The alpine lakes depicted on coins in this series are largely artificial, created by the scheme's network of dams and tunnels. Over 100,000 workers, many of them post-war European migrants, spent two decades reshaping the landscape of the Australian Alps.
KM#415 belongs to a broader RAM wildlife and nature series from the late 1990s. Mintage figures for individual issues in this run were modest by commemorative standards.