| Waranga Dam | |
|---|---|
 Waranga Basin at Harriman Point in 2023 | |
  Location of the Waranga Dam in Victoria | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | North Central region, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 36°33′S 145°06′E / 36.550°S 145.100°E |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1905 |
| Opening date | 1915; 1926 |
| Owner(s) | Goulburn–Murray Water |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Off-stream |
| Height (foundation) | 12.2 m (40 ft) |
| Length | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| Dam volume | 58.480 million m3 (2.0652 billion cu ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Waranga Basin (official) |
| Total capacity | 432,360 ML (95.11 billion imp gal; 114.22 billion US gal) |
| Surface area | 58.5 km2 (22.6 sq mi) |
| Website www | |
| [1] | |
The Waranga Dam is a major earthfill embankment dam with an uncontrolled spillway located approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north of Melbourne in the North Central region of the Australian state of Victoria. The impounded off-stream reservoir is Waranga Basin and forms part of the Goulburn River irrigation system, irrigating an area of 626 square kilometres (242 sq mi).[1] The dam and reservoir are located in Shire of Campaspe near the City of Greater Shepparton and is located 8 kilometres (5 mi) north-east of Rushworth, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of Tatura, and near Murchison. When full, the reservoir covers an area of 58.5 square kilometres (22.6 sq mi).
The area now covered by the Waranga Basin includes a swamp that was known as Warranga (an indigenous word) or Gunn's after William Gunn, one of the early pastoralists who established his squatting run, also called Waranga, in the area surrounding the swamp. William Gunn was a Braehour Gunn who emigrated to Victoria in 1853 from Wick, Scotland. His half-brother was the Honourable Donald Gunn of Manitoba, Canada.[2] Gold was discovered near Waranga Swamp in 1853, making it one of Victoria's oldest goldfields.[3]
- ^ a b "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ^ See pages 370-372, Donald Gunn and Alastair Gunn 'Scotland and Beyond; the Families of Donald Gunn (Tormsdale) and John Gunn (Dalnaha, Strathmore and Braehour).'
- ^ "RUSHWORTH - WARANGA NORTH MINING DIVISION" (PDF) (PDF). Victorian Government. Retrieved 13 August 2009.