The guided tours were part of Hydro Tasmania’s centenary celebrations and marked the first in a series planned for power stations statewide.

From feedback received, Hydro Tasmania production manager Michael Knowles said that the general feeling of people the guides took through was that they had driven past the place for years and years but had never been inside, and now they had the rare opportunity to see how a power station actually worked. 

‘‘Guides told them how the dam was built and how the water comes through the turbines,’’ Mr Knowles said.

’’They got a real hands-on look at turbines and the generators.’’

Mr Knowles said visitors were also told how the electricity market operates.

The Trevallyn Power Station was commissioned in 1955 and makes use of daily flows down the South Esk River.

A dam on the river diverts water through a 3.2-kilometre tunnel to the station and water is discharged into the Tamar River at sea level by an open tailrace channel.

The station contains four vertical-shaft generating sets comprised of two 20.9 megawatt francis turbines directly coupled to 3-phase, 50 Hz, 25 MVA synchronous generators and with provisions for synchronous compensator operation.

It was the first Tasmanian power station to be built outside the Central Highlands.

The Gordon, Lake Margaret, Devil’s Gate, Tarraleah and Paloona power stations will also be open for public tours in the coming months.

For full details of events, visit hydro100.com.au