If you stand on the crest of the Gordon River Dam and look down, your stomach will probably do a slow, nauseating somersault. It’s 140 meters of sheer, curved concrete. That is massive. To put it in perspective, it’s taller than the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Honestly, it feels like something out of a 1970s sci-fi movie—a brutalist monolith dropped into the middle of one of the densest, wettest, and most unforgiving wilderness areas on the planet.
But the dam is more than just a big wall of cement.
It is the physical manifestation of a massive cultural scar in Australia. For some, it’s a triumph of 20th-century engineering that literally powered the state of Tasmania. For others, it represents a period of environmental destruction that almost wiped out the heart of the Southwest National Park. You can’t really talk about the Gordon River Dam without talking about the "dam protests," the Franklin River, and the time Tasmania almost tore itself apart over hydroelectricity.
Why the Gordon River Dam looks so weird
Have you ever noticed how some dams are thick and chunky while this one is thin and curvy? There is a technical reason for that. It’s a double-curvature arch dam. Basically, the shape is designed to use the physics of the arch to push the weight of the water against the canyon walls. Because the rock in the Gordon River gorge is incredibly hard quartzite, engineers didn't need a massive gravity dam. They could go thin.
It’s actually quite elegant if you’re into that sort of thing.
The dam holds back Lake Gordon, which is the largest water storage in Australia. We aren't talking about a small pond here. When it's full, Lake Gordon holds about 12.5 cubic kilometers of water. That’s roughly 25 times the volume of Sydney Harbour. It’s a staggering amount of weight pressing against that concrete arch. If you walk across the top, you can feel the isolation. The wind howls through the gorge, and the water below looks dark, almost black, because of the tannins from the button grass plains.
Getting there is half the battle
Driving to the Gordon River Dam isn't something you do on a whim. It’s a commitment. From Hobart, you’re looking at about a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive, depending on how many times you stop to stare at the scenery. You take the Lyell Highway and then turn onto Gordon River Road at Maydena.
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The road is winding. It’s narrow. In winter, it’s often covered in black ice or snow.
Once you pass Maydena, you’re basically entering a dead zone. No cell service. No petrol stations. Just trees, mountains, and the occasional lyrebird darting across the bitumen. You’ll pass through the Sentinel Range and the Southwest National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage area. The scale of the landscape is hard to wrap your head around until you’re actually in it. The mountains look like they’ve been chewed up by giants.
The darker side of the Gordon Power Scheme
We need to be real about the history here. The Gordon River Dam was completed in 1974 by the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC). At the time, the HEC was basically the most powerful entity in Tasmania. They wanted to "electrify" the state to attract industry.
But there was a cost.
To create Lake Gordon and the neighboring Lake Pedder, they flooded one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world. The original Lake Pedder had a unique pink quartzite beach. It was legendary among hikers. When the gates shut and the water rose, that beach disappeared forever. This sparked the first real environmental movement in Australia. It actually led to the formation of the world’s first "Green" political party, the United Tasmania Group.
Later, when they tried to dam the nearby Franklin River, the people fought back. The "No Dams" campaign of the 1980s became a defining moment in Australian politics. Thousands of people were arrested in peaceful protests. Eventually, the High Court of Australia stepped in and stopped the second dam from being built.
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So, when you look at the Gordon River Dam today, you’re looking at the survivor. It’s the last of the giant dams built before the world decided that maybe some rivers should stay wild.
What it’s like to actually stand on it
Walking out onto the dam wall is free. There aren't many places left where you can just wander onto a massive piece of infrastructure like this without three layers of security fences.
The drop-off is terrifying.
On one side, you have the deep, still water of the lake. On the other, a 140-meter plunge to the power station floor below. The Gordon Power Station isn't actually on top of the dam; it’s 183 meters underground. They had to blast a massive cavern out of the rock to house the turbines. It’s the largest power station in Tasmania, and it provides about 13% of the state's electricity.
If you’re a bit of an adrenaline junkie, there is a company that runs the world's highest commercial abseil down the face of the dam. It’s a 140-meter descent. Most people who do it say the first step over the edge is the hardest thing they’ve ever done. If you prefer keeping your heart rate under 100, you can just walk to the center and take photos.
A few things to know before you go:
- Fuel up in Maydena. There is no fuel at the dam or anywhere near it. If you run out, you're looking at a very expensive tow truck bill and a lot of embarrassment.
- Check the weather. The weather in Southwest Tasmania is bipolar. It can be sunny one minute and a freezing sleet-storm the next. Bring a heavy jacket, even in summer.
- Watch for wildlife. Wallabies, wombats, and quolls are everywhere. They tend to hang out on the road at dusk, so try to avoid driving after dark if you can.
- No drones. The area around the dam is strictly controlled. Don't be that person who loses their drone in the gorge or gets hit with a massive fine.
Is it worth the trip?
Look, if you want shopping malls and cafes, don’t come here. There is nothing but concrete and wilderness. But if you want to see what happens when human ambition meets the raw power of nature, it’s a must-visit.
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There is a strange silence at the dam. Because it’s so far from everything, the air feels different. It’s incredibly clean. You can hear the water trickling and the wind whistling through the dam's structure. It’s a place that makes you feel very small.
Some people find it ugly—a scar on the landscape. Others see it as a masterpiece of design. Both are probably right.
Actionable steps for your visit
If you're planning to head out there, do it right. Start your day early from Hobart—around 8:00 AM. Stop in Bushy Park to see the hop fields, then grab a coffee and a meat pie in Maydena.
Once you reach the Gordon River Dam, take the time to walk down the stairs to the lower viewing platform. Most people just stay on the top, but the view from below gives you a much better sense of the sheer scale of the concrete arch.
On the way back, make sure to stop at the Creepy Crawly Nature Trail. It’s a short boardwalk through a moss-covered rainforest that feels like a fairy tale. It’s the perfect contrast to the massive, cold concrete of the dam.
Finally, check the Hydro Tasmania website or local weather reports before you leave. If there’s heavy snow, the road past Maydena often gets closed by the police. You don't want to drive two hours just to hit a "Road Closed" sign.
Respect the power of the place. It’s a high-voltage, high-pressure environment. Stay behind the railings, keep your gear secure, and take in the view of a piece of history that, for better or worse, defined modern Tasmania.