David_Wakely
Channel Work Team
Work team were employed to dig and use horse teams to construct the irrigation channel network from Glenmaggie Dam to the farms around the Maffra and Sale district. Known as the MacAlister Irrigation system. Built on the MacAlister River the dam was to supply sugar beet farmers in the Maffra area with water. Sugar beet was used to manufacture sugar. Once Federation occurred and Colonial boarder taxes were scrapped sugar was cheaper from Queensland sugar cane and the sugar beet industry was abandoned. The dam however still supplies farms in the area with irrigation water. This photo taken on Vance farm near Mewburn Park, Maffra about 1924. Photo from Vance family via Joan Laws.
Channel Work Team
Work team were employed to dig and use horse teams to construct the irrigation channel network from Glenmaggie Dam to the farms around the Maffra and Sale district. Known as the MacAlister Irrigation system. Built on the MacAlister River the dam was to supply sugar beet farmers in the Maffra area with water. Sugar beet was used to manufacture sugar. Once Federation occurred and Colonial boarder taxes were scrapped sugar was cheaper from Queensland sugar cane and the sugar beet industry was abandoned. The dam however still supplies farms in the area with irrigation water. This photo taken on Vance farm near Mewburn Park, Maffra about 1924. Photo from Vance family via Joan Laws.