THE centenary of the turning of the first sod for building of the Hume Dam is set to be marked by a flood of informed discussion.
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Then Governor-General Sir Ronald Crawford Munro Ferguson turned the first sod for the Storage, Reservoir Dam on the Murray River at Mitta Mitta' on November 28, 1919. The ceremonial spade is on display at Lavington Library.
Charles Sturt University, in conjunction with La Trobe University and Albury & District Historical Society, has organised a mini-conference on the day of the centenary.
Ten presenters will explain something of the history and legacy of Hume Dam.
The speakers have been asked to craft visual stories which follow as near as possible the Japanese Pecha Kucha style of presentation - showing up to 20 slides and speaking for 20 seconds to each slide.
They each have just short of seven minutes to put their views on an aspect of the history or legacy of Hume Dam.
Border historian and event organiser Bruce Pennay said the centenary of the Hume Dam had so far been masked by commemoration of other two other great engineering anniversaries.
"A great deal of attention has been given to the centenary of the Great Ocean Road and the 70th anniversary of the Snowy Hydroelectric Scheme," he said.
"We hope that this mini-conference and the other events organised to mark the centenary show that the Albury-Wodonga community values Hume Dam and its environs."
Dr Pennay said Greg Ryan, president of the Albury & District Historical Society, would explain some of the intricacies in building the dam - how did they build a dam across a flowing, and indeed sometimes flooding river?
"The nation's leading water and dam managers from the Murray Darling Basin Authority and NSW Water are among the speakers," Dr Pennay said.
"The mini-conference will prompt discussions of how this cultural landscape increases understanding of past and present Indigenous culture."
Indigenous scholar Virginia Marshall, from ANU, will tell of Aboriginal peoples in the Murray Darling Basin and the significance of the area where the Hume Dam is situated.
Treahna Hamm will show some of her pictures and will show how she crafts visual stories of the river and its river people.
Also at the conference, Wodonga/Albury Camera Club will show 70 of the best photographs its members have taken of the dam and its environs.
And father and son musicians, John and James Ross have specially composed and will premiere a short piece of Water Music.
The event is free, but registration is required before Monday, November 25.
