The little village that turned into a booming town while the dam was being built by the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. The dam is now operated by remote control, and Otamatata is a small and peaceful Waitaki village once more.
Aerial view of the Benmore dam, photographed by Whites Aviation, 15 March 1969. Ref: WA-68479-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
Benmore Survey District [electronic resource] / drawn by S.A. Park, Jan 1922. "Sourced from LINZ. Crown Copyright reserved.
Looking North up Waitaki River pre-Lake Benmore. Ahuriri River bottom left. Mt. Magpie and Mary Range centre. Black Jacks Point (now island) bottom right. V.C. Browne & Son NZ Aerial Photograph Collection.
Aerial view of Otematata, Canterbury, showing the village under construction, taken 19 March 1959 by Whites Aviation. Ref: WA-49630-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
Blast cloud as explosives are used to create the spillway intake at the Benmore hydroelectric project. Photograph taken circa March 1960, by an unidentified photographer. Evening post (Newspaper. 1865-2002) :Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: PAColl-8557-35. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
The Benmore power project during construction in March 1961. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
The Benmore power project during construction, March 1961. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Aerial view of the Benmore Hydro project on the Waitaki River, New Zealand. Photograph taken 9 May 1964 by Whites Aviation. Photographs. Ref: WA-62055-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
Four transformers for the Benmore Power Station at Timaru, January 1964. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
1964 Otematata, Waitaki District. Whites Aviation Ltd :Photographs. Ref: WA-62057-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
Messrs Rich, Jamieson and Pick posed against the backdrop of the construction of Benmore Dam, February 1965. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Matt Jamieson pictured in front of the Benmore Dam outfall, February 1965. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Messrs Rich, Jamieson and Pick posed leaning on a Ford Zephyr Mk III near Benmore Dam, February 1965. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Benmore Dam construction, February 1965. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Geoff Rich at the Benmore Dam spillway, February 1965. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Dam dwellers : end of an era living with hydro-electricity development in the Waitaki Valley and Mackenzie Country. Image: South Canterbury Museum. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Photo: Peter Kurdulija (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The images in this gallery are used with permission and are subject to copyright conditions.
