Between 1949, when the first blasting shot was fired, and by 1974, when the physical works of the Scheme were completed, over 100,000 men and women from more than 30 countries had worked on the Scheme.  Australians formed the largest nationality group on the Scheme, making up one-third of the workforce, which reached a peak of 7300 in 1959. 

Many migrants were escaping the horror of war-torn Europe to begin a new life in a new land. Working together on the Scheme, they became part of the Snowy family  with former enemies and allies working side by side.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme - tough and unremitting as the work was - provided their introduction to Australian working life and it stands as a monument to their endeavour.

During construction, seven regional townships and over 100 temporary camps were established throughout the Snowy Mountains.  These towns and camps serviced the men, women and families who came to build the Scheme.  Life in the camps was extremely hard, especially during the early years, when hundreds of men spent harsh winters in canvas tents with only basic amenities and provisions.

A sense of companionship and camaraderie grew out of hard work and isolation.  Community centres and health facilities were established in towns around the Scheme.  Cooma changed from a quiet farming town to a cosmopolitan centre with nightclubs, hotels, and delicatessens with new and exotic foods. 

Children almost certainly had the best time of all.  Their classrooms were no different from those in the cities, except that once school was finished for the day, there was a range of exciting activities.  In summer there was bushwalking, yabby-catching and horse riding and in the winter, snowball fights, skiing and tobogganing.

In 1974 when construction on the Scheme was finished, many of the workers dispersed to new jobs in Australia and overseas.  But by far a majority of those who came to build the Scheme and a new life stayed, becoming Australian citizens.  These new Australians with their energy and enterprise would change Australia's social and cultural skyline forever.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme is not just a great feat of engineering; it is also a great social achievement with its multi-national workforce contributing to the cultural mix we enjoy today.  It has also made a significant contribution to the economic development of modern Australia.

The story of the Scheme's construction is a story of people who persevered through harsh conditions, rugged country and a unique climate, to eventually build one of the greatest projects ever undertaken in the world.