HISTORICAL TIMELINE
This is a summary of significant dates in the evolution of the Reservoir.
1914 Widespread
drought across Australia - additional water storage needed for Melbourne to complement the O'Shannassy Reservoir opened in
1914
1917 Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works recommended new Reservoir in Silvan area
1926 Work commenced - clearing of large amounts of timber
1926 Outlet control tower built
1926 Aerial Ropeway built to carry materials
from Mt Evelyn to site
1927 Main control outlet conduit built
1927 Tramway (3' 6' gauge) built to transport materials from quarry to site, using nine small steam
locomotives - kept running until 1934
for site management
1928 Excavation of cornwall trench
1930 "White House" (administration works centre) built
1931 Storage of water commenced
1931 Planting of pines, blackwoods, silver wattles, willows
1932 Official opening
of Reservoir
1933 Proposal to build a second Reservoir abandoned
1934 All nine tramway locomotives
placed in storage on site
1942 Four of the tramway locomotives were moved to Yallourn open-cut power
station
1945 Bypass commenced - inlet and outlets
1953 Upper Yarra Dam to Silvan Reservoir pipeline opened
1955 Remaining five
tramnway locomotives sold for scrap
1972 Silvan to Olinda main opened - outlet channels decommissioned
1980 New main pipeline opened to Olinda and Mt Waverley
