Eildon Dam Museum

12/10/2026

Dick says "Thankyou for all your donations" but we still need more.

Considering DONATING to the Eildon Dams Museum project of covering the ‘Mimi Jane’ with steel framework from the construction of the Eildon Dam water inlet tunnel to the power house BUT YOUR A TECHNOPHOBE like myself, then here are some steps to make it easier, hopefully.

PHONE APP PAYMENTS.
Open your banking app.
Choose which account to pay from,
Press Pay $ tab,
Press the add or Plus (+) sign.
(After any scam alerts, press continue.)
From the list of ways to pay, choose Email.
Type in [email protected] and press continue.
Eildon Dams account will show and type in the $ amount.

COMPUTER PAYMENTS.
Access your bank.
Go into payments
Go to Pay Anyone
Select your account to pay from
Select; Payee or add new
Select; add a new payee
(After any scam alerts,)
From the list of ways to pay, select Email Address
Type in [email protected]
Eildon Dams account will show
And then type in your $ amount.

10/10/2026

09/10/2026

They're about to arrive back at the museum.

08/10/2026

REMINDER : SUNDAY 18TH OCT. 5PM & SUNDAY 25TH OCT. 5PM

07/10/2026

Kilpatrick brothers from Eildon.

In the early 1900s, the Kilpatrick brothers were prominent figureheads in the history of Eildon, Victoria, primarily famous for their pioneering role in timber milling and supplying firewood.

When construction of the Sugarloaf Reservoir (the precursor to the modern Lake Eildon) commenced in 1915, a massive influx of dam construction workers settled into the area, creating a major shanty town. The Kilpatrick brothers (notably including Hec Kilpatrick) established operations to fulfill the massive resource demands of this boom.

They became highly recognized for:

Sustaining the Dam Construction Workforce: They were officially contracted and employed to supply the large quantities of wood and timber needed to support, fuel, and house the thousands of dam workers.

Local Bark and Timber Gathering: Their extensive timber gathering on the surrounding hillsides provided the bark and slabs used to build the local huts and vernacular worker accommodations of early Eildon.

The Kilpatrick Listing: The family is specifically recognized on the RSL Eildon Honour Roll for their deployments during World War II.

06/10/2026

Tom Allen's Ten Mile House.

Tom Allen's Ten Mile House was a historic staging post, hotel, and thriving settlement hub established in 1864 at the junction of Sailor Bill’s Creek and the Goulburn River, located about 10 miles upstream from Jamieson on the road to the Woods Point goldfields.

Built in 1864 as a basic log and canvas dwelling and store by Tom and Mary Allen.
Served as a vital overnight stopping place and refreshment station for coaches traveling from Mansfield to the remote mountain goldfields.

Mining Hub: Supported roughly a dozen local quartz and alluvial gold mines in the immediate vicinity, including the Champion, Blue Ribbon, and Sailor Bill's mines.

By the 1880s, the Ten Mile House complex expanded far beyond a simple pub into a self-sufficient settlement:
Consisted of a 12-guest-room hotel, a bunkhouse, general store, post office, bakery, butcher, blacksmith, stables, and a chaff-cutting plant.
Featured its own reticulated water supply, advanced acetylene gas lighting (using a large carbide and water generator), and telephone connection by 1898.

Community Life: Managed later by the Allen sons—including Jack Allen, who served as postmaster and licensee, and Tom (T.H.) Allen, a prominent local shire president. Local lore recalls Mrs. Allen keeping numerous caged birds on the verandah.

Fall of Mining: As local mining production dwindled, the surrounding settlement shrank from a population of around 200 in the 1890s to nearly deserted by the 1930s.

The 1939 Bushfires: The historic hotel and remaining structures were completely destroyed during the catastrophic Black Friday bushfires on January 13, 1939.

Present Day: Little remains of the bustling complex today except for seasonal blooms of daffodils and snowdrops from the long-forgotten gardens.

05/10/2026

There is more to these Lake Eildon houseboats than meets the eye.

A $2 million to $3 million houseboat on Lake Eildon represents the absolute pinnacle of luxury inland marine architecture in Victoria. Because Lake Eildon caps the total number of houseboat permits at roughly 720, buyers often pay a massive premium just for the licensing rights. In this ultra-high-end bracket, boats morph from simple watercraft into floating, tech-driven multi-story mansions.
High-end models in this tier, like the renowned OASIS ($2.35M) or Legacy ($1.99M), typically include the following specifications:

Maximum Allowable Footprint: These boats are usually built to the maximum limits permitted by Goulburn Murray Water (GMW), featuring structural dimensions around 60ft x 24ft plus an expansive rear duckboard.

Commercial-Grade Shell: Features tinted glass floor-to-ceiling facade walls, sleek composite aluminium eaves, smooth polished fiberglass cladding, and heavy-duty steel front pontoon rock guards.

Multi-Level Layouts: Typically 2 to 3 expansive levels with internal architectural staircases made of stainless steel and smoked glass. They comfortably sleep 12+ guests across 4 to 6 walk-around queen/king bedrooms with multiple private designer ensuites.

Robust Power Stations: Heavy-duty solar arrays paired with large-capacity lithium battery banks and automated backup generators (e.g., Victron inverter systems) ensure you never run out of power while anchored in a remote cove.

High-End Propulsion: Typically powered by twin high-horsepower engines (such as twin MerCruiser V8s or Volvo Pentas) paired with front and rear thrusters for effortless maneuvering of a massive structure.

Environmental Compliance: Advanced wastewater filtration, enormous blackwater holding tanks, and complex greywater management systems that stringently meet the strict Lake Eildon Houseboat Regulations.

Smart Home Automation: Full Control4 or Savant automation systems allowing you to control lighting, dual-layer electric blinds, zoned ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning, underfloor heating, and CCTV security cameras locally or remotely via phone.

Starlink Connectivity: Seamless high-speed Wi-Fi integrated across all decks.

Designer Interiors: Engineered French oak timber flooring, premium stone-benchtops, integrated ice makers, and designer furniture brands (like King Living).

Al Fresco Top Decks: The upper levels feature second steering helms, hardtop canopies, fully functional secondary outdoor kitchens/bars, expansive daybeds, and integrated luxury spas overlooking the water.

Unfortunately, the costs don't end there.

04/10/2026

How did the Rubicon woodcutters and SEC crew interact in the 1920s?

The historic Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme and the thriving timber industry of the Rubicon State Forest coexisted from the 1920s to the 1950s. While they shared the same rugged valley and transport networks, the woodcutters (bush sawyers) and the State Electricity Commission (SEC) power generation crew maintained a relationship characterized by mutual independence, occasional logistical friction, and ultimate reliance on each other for survival.

The dynamic between these two distinct frontier communities played out across several key areas:

Social Separation and Class Dynamics
Despite living in close proximity, the two groups formed distinct sub-communities within the forest.

The Woodcutters:
The sawyers and mill workers lived in isolated, rugged bush settlements and camps centered around the eight active sawmills. Their culture was typical of early Australian frontier logging—grueling, fiercely independent, and heavily reliant on manual labor.

The Power Generation Crew:
The SEC workers lived in a highly structured, paternalistic company town built at the lower Rubicon station. Because they were government utility employees, they enjoyed more reliable wages, modern infrastructure, mechanised heavy haulage and corporate amenities.

While the crews drank at the same local establishments and their families sometimes shared regional schools, they generally kept to their own social circles due to differences in employer culture and daily routines.

03/10/2026

Does it still exist?

Yes, the iconic holiday house from The Castle located at 3491 Maintongoon Road, Bonnie Doon, Victoria still exists today.

Current Status: The house is still standing and has even been listed as a retro-themed holiday rental on Airbnb, where fans can stay to soak up the "serenity".

Features: The property features the famous enclosed front verandah where classic scenes were filmed, and owners have even added a backyard "pool room" as a nod to the movie.

02/10/2026

WHAT DID THEY FINALLY COST? : Sugarloaf, Rubicon, Eildon Dam.

Sugarloaf Dam Project.

The total capital cost of the original Sugarloaf Dam project (initially known as the Sugarloaf Reservoir or Weir, later expanded to become Lake Eildon) reached over £1.12 million by the mid-1920s.

Official reports from the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission document the financial progression of the build:

1915 (Project Proposal): The initial estimated cost for the first stage of the reservoir was £100,000, with a long-term final stage projected at £1,100,000.

1921 (Mid-Construction): The recorded capital debit for the Sugarloaf Reservoir stood at £559,560.

1925 (Near Completion): The cumulative capital cost, exclusive of loan flotation, grew to £1,128,618 as the project neared its final 1929 completion.

Rubicon Power Generation.

According to SECV parliamentary reports from 1926, the scale of the infrastructure required a massive capital investment for the era:

Transmission Line & Substation £244,800
Wood-structure poles carrying a 66,000-volt line to Melbourne.
Hydro Generation System £619,910
Included 4 mountain stream stations with an upgraded capacity of 35,050 horsepower.
Total Project Value £864,710
Designed to ultimately secure roughly 16% to 20% of Victoria's entire power grid.

Eildon Dam.

The construction of the modern "Big Eildon Project" to expand the original Sugarloaf Dam in the 1950s had an initial projected cost of £12 million (Australian pounds) when official work commenced in 1951. By its completion and official opening in 1956, the total cost to the community reached £20 million.