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Lake Coleridge Power Station and Village

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NameLake Coleridge Power Station and VillageDescriptionLake Coleridge is the site for New Zealand's first hydroelectric power station. It's geography was ideal, with Lake Coleridge being 170 metres above the Rakaia River. Its location means that only gravity is needed to bring water from the lake through the power station, emptying into the Rakaia River below.

Construction workers arrived in 1911 to a wild and bleak landscape. Initially they were housed in tents and sheds. The winters were harsh which prompted the building of some permanent housing. Building the power station was a massive and dangerous undertaking. It took three years to complete, becoming operational on 25th November 1914.

At the time it was a significant engineering feat because the station was built on glacial moraine (shingle). During the early days of construction, the project employed up to 400 men. The gear for building and living was carried by traction engines, horses, carts and motorised lorries.

Temporary camp sites developed at various building locations and a permanent village became established around the power station itself. As conditions improved, wives joined their husbands and in 1914 a school began with 15 pupils.

In 1915 a 'show home' was built near the power station as an example of an all electric home. Electric Cottage is privately owned, but can still be seen on a walk around the village.

As construction workers moved on, power station staff and their families replaced them. One notable power station superintendent (1923-53), Harry Hart, was interested in New Zealand's forestry potential and experimented with planting exotic trees, particularly conifers, around the village. The collection grew large and diverse enough to be called an arboretum. Many trees are still standing and visitors can learn about some of them on the Harry Hart Arboretum Tree Trail.

Today, with many power station functions automated, the village's permanent population is small and residents mostly value the area for its recreation.

The power station is moderate in output by modern standards, feeding the national grid with a maximum 40 megawatts. Water stored in the lake is also used for irrigating farms on the Canterbury plains.

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CollectionTransportation and IndustryPlaceLake ColeridgeRakaia RiverImageLake Coleridge VillageMore InformationNational Library information about Lake Coleridge Power Station.

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Lake Coleridge Power Station and Village