Author: Tara Oldfield
Senior Communications Advisor
Earlier this year, the East Gippsland Region Water Authority transferred 128 historic regional water records to PROV’s collection.
The East Gippsland Water Authority was established in 1995 to cover the region previously administered by the Orbost, Mitchell, Tambo and Mallacoota water boards. They:
- serve an area 21,000 square kilometres
- with a population of 49,422 people
- manage 9 separate water supply systems
- and 11 water recycling systems.
The East Gippsland water records now in our collection span from 1886 Bairnsdale correspondence files to minute books from the 1900s, through to 1994 Tambo land acquisition files.
Paynesville water supply scheme correspondence and plans
This file spans 1944 through to 1948 when the population of Paynesville was approximately 261 people. The file begins with a note from the Engineer to the Water Trust on the:
“Urgent need of the water supply in Paynesville.”
This letter is followed by numerous maps, handwritten correspondence and various typed reports of relevance including a 1944 Inquiry into Water Supplies to Country Towns. The plans provide options for locating a water tower as part of numerous other water supply plans (top left of the plan pictured).
Tambo Water Board land acquisition files
These comprehensive files record landowners’ compensation claims in relation to land acquisitions made by the Tambo Water Board, dating back to 1987.
The files were created as per the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986. In accordance with the legislation, the Board was required to provide a notice of intention to acquire the specified land, except in defined circumstances. Landowners had a claim to compensation. These files are the records relating to those land acquisitions and any compensation required.
Full list of records
These are physical records now available to order and view in our North Melbourne reading room. They include:
- Bairnsdale Sewerage Authority minute books, 1932-1982 (VPRS 21364)
- Bairnsdale Sewerage Authority general correspondence files, 1932-1983 (VPRS 21365)
- Bairnsdale Shire Paynesville Warer Supply Scheme correspondence and plans, 1944-1948 (VPRS 21366)
- Bairnsdale Shire Lindenow Water Supply Scheme correspondence and plans, 1946-1951 (VPRS 21368)
- Bairnsdale Waterworks Trust general correspondence files, 1886-1984 (VPRS 21369)
- Bairnsdale Waterworks Trust minute books, 1900-1984 (VPRS 21394)
- Bruthen Waterworks Trust minute books, 1928-1984 (VPRS 21409)
- Bruthen Waterworks Trust general correspondence files, 1946-1984 (VPRS 21410)
- Buchan Waterworks Trust minute book, 1972-1984 (VPRS 21411)
- Buchan Waterworks Trust general correspondence files, 1980-1983 (VPRS 21412)
- East Gippsland Region Water Authority minute books, 1995-2022 (VPRS 21413)
- East Gippsland Region Water Authority committee minutes, 1996-2022 (VPRS 21414)
- Lakes Entrance Sewerage Authority minute books, 1971-1984 (VPRS 21415)
- Lakes Entrance Waterworks Trust minute books, 1956-1984 (VPRS 21416)
- Lakes Entrance Waterworks Trust general correspondence files, Nowa Nowa water supply and urban district, 1973-1982 (VPRS 21417)
- Lindenow Waterworks Trust minute book, 1952-1984 (VPRS 21418)
- Lindenow Waterworks Trust general correspondence, 1961-1984 (VPRS 21419)
- Mallacoota Sewerage Authority minute book, 1980-1983 (VPRS 21420)
- Mallacoota Waterworks Trust/Mallacoota Water Board minute books, 1968-1994 (VPRS 21421)
- Mallacoota Water Board general correspondence files, 1988-1994 (VPRS 21422)
- Metung Waterworks Trust general correspondence files, 1950-1984 (VPRS 21423)
- Metung Waterworks Trust minute book, 1963-1984 (VPRS 21426)
- Mitchell Water Board minute books, 1984-1994 (VPRS 21427)
- Mitchell Water Board general correspondence files, 1993-1994 (VPRS 21428)
- Omeo Waterworks Trust minute book, 1965-1983 (VPRS 21429)
- Omeo Waterworks Trust general correspondence files, 1947-1983 (VPRS 21430)
- Orbost Sewerage Authority minute books, 1951-1984 (VPRS 21431)
- Orbost Waterworks Trust minute books, 1917-1984 (VPRS 21432)
- Orbost Water Board minute books, 1984-1994 (VPRS 21433)
- Paynesville Sewerage Authority/Paynesville and Lindenow Sewerage Authority, 1979-1984 (VPRS 21434)
- Paynesville Waterworks Trust minute books, 1960-1984 (VPRS 21435)
- Swift's Creek Waterworks Trust general correspondence files, 1971-1984 (VPRS 21436)
- Swift's Creek Waterworks Trust minute book, 1972-1983 (VPRS 21437)
- Tambo Water Board minute books, 1984-1994 (VPRS 21438)
- Tambo Water Board outward letter books, 1984-1986 (VPRS 21439)
- Tambo Water Board land acquisition files, 1987-1994 (VPRS 21440)
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