One Mile Creek Power Station

Coordinates: 45°2′11″S 168°38′40″E / 45.03639°S 168.64444°E / -45.03639; 168.64444
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One Mile Creek Power Station
Powerhouse
CountryNew Zealand
LocationQueenstown
Coordinates45°2′11″S 168°38′40″E / 45.03639°S 168.64444°E / -45.03639; 168.64444
StatusDecommissioned
Opening date18 September 1924
Dam and spillways
Type of damReinforced concrete arch
Height12 m
Power Station
Hydraulic head150 m
Turbines1 x 60 kW

One Mile Creek Power Station is a former hydro-electric generating station in Queenstown, New Zealand. The power station was commissioned in 1924 to provide electric power for lighting in Queenstown. A re-inforced concrete arch dam was constructed in One Mile Creek to divert water into a penstock that supplied a pelton wheel turbine in a powerhouse constructed near to the shore of Lake Wakatipu. The station was officially opened on 18 September 1924[1] and operated until 1966 when it was decommissioned. The headworks of the scheme were subsequently used by the Queenstown Borough Council for water supply purposes.[2]

A charitable trust was formed in 2002 to undertake restoration of the building and re-instatement of the generating equipment as a heritage project, and the work was completed in 2005.[2]

The One Mile Creek Walk generally follows the steep route of the penstocks from the powerhouse up to the dam.[3] The walk passes through beech forest that is the closest area of native forest to Queenstown.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Queenstown Hydro-electric Scheme". Lake Wakitip Mail. No. 3606. 23 September 1924. p. 4. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b "One Mile Creek Hydro-electric Station". Engineering New Zealand. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Wakatipu Walks" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Ben Lomond and Queenstown Hill Reserve Management Plan" (PDF). Queenstown Lakes District Council. p. 35. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.