Conference Paper

Author

Leah, C.

Title

Scrivener dam - remediation of a national icon

In

17th Engineering Heritage Conference: Canberra 100 - Building the Capital, Building the Nation

Imprint

Engineers Australia, Barton, Australian Capital Territory, 2013, pp. 37-42

ISBN/ISSN

9781922107121

Url

https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.880540878297972

Abstract

Scrivener Dam forms Lake Burley Griffin through Canberra's Central National Area constituting a key landscape feature in accordance with Walter Burley Griffin's vision for the city. The design of the Dam, incorporating 5 over flow fish-belly flapgates is also thought to be unique in Australia. Construction of the Dam took place between 1960 and 1964 in a time of rising population and increasing incidence of civil infrastructure to increase the productive capacity of Australia. It is argued in this paper that Scrivener Dam can be seen as a metaphor for all aging assets delivered during the post war boom years and that their true heritage value is as a gift from a previous generation for the benefit of a future generation. The principles developed for the remediation of Scrivener Dam can be applied to all existing infrastructure assets and are consistent with Australia's National Infrastructure Objectives: what is good for Scrivener Dam is good for the nation.

Related Published resources

isPartOf

• 17th Engineering Heritage Conference: Canberra 100 - Building the Capital, Building the Nation (Barton, Australian Capital Territory: Engineers Australia, 2013), 189 pp, https://search.informit.org/doi/book/10.3316/informit.9781922107121. Details