LAKE EUCUMBENE TOWNS: ADAMINABY, ANGLERS REACH, PROVIDENCE PORTAL
Scroll beyond the links below for town information
Lake Eucumbene and the small towns of Adaminaby, Anglers Reach and Providence Portal are around 160kms south-west of Canberra, via the Monaro (pronounced “Monairo”) and Snowy Mountains Highways. These towns and Lake Eucumbene, lie at over 1000 metres altitude just east of Kosciuszko National Park. They are also on the north-western end of the breathtaking Monaro Plains, mostly treeless plains at over 1000 metres altitude and stretching over 100kms. The major regional centre of Cooma, is around 70kms south-east and Selwyn Alpine Resort is about 30kms north-west of these towns.
The Snowy Hydro Electric Scheme required Lake Eucumbene to be constructed as its central storage area. This lake, on the Eucumbene River, was completed in 1958 and is the largest of 16 constructed as part of the scheme and has an area of just under 36,000 acres and a capacity of just under 4,800 gigalitres. In comparison, Sydney Harbour has a capacity of about 500 gigalitres. To construct Eucumbene, the original town of Adaminaby was flooded and the residents moved to a new town location about 10kms east. Occasionally, in times of drought, relics from the old town are exposed, such as building foundations, machinery, bricks, roads and a bridge. Today the old cemetery can still be visited, on high ground above the lake near the old town. Old Adaminaby has accommodation options and easy access to Lake Eucumbene.
According to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, the first European settler arrived in 1827, bringing cattle to graze the mostly treeless open plains where Lake Eucumbene is nowadays. Others followed soon after and by 1861 the original Adaminaby town was being established and its name back then was Seymour. Old Adaminaby continued to grow as it was the last town en route to the Kiandra goldfields, about 35kms north. Kiandra is a ‘must see’ ghost town on the high plains at 1400 metres altitude where an informative, self-guided walk is one of the most fascinating 30 minutes that can be spent in all of the Australian High Country. Brumbies are often seen around Kiandra and the surrounding high plains and the 680km Australian Alps Walking Track passes through Kiandra. Parts of the area around Kiandra were affected by the 2020 bushfires, so check the alerts for closed areas via the following link
Adaminaby is the largest of these small towns, with a population of around 300 and the only one with a shopping village, country pub and fuel. Known for its ‘Big Trout’, a statue of a Rainbow Trout, representing the fact this is an iconic trout fishing region. Adaminaby offers accommodation options, nearby campgrounds and a 9 hole, sand green golf course, set high up on open plains at 1025 metres altitude.
The Snowy Scheme Museum in Adaminaby displays a collection of historic items relating to the Snowy Hydro Scheme, including machinery, vehicles, photographs, plans, books and maps. The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays 10am – 2pm with adult entry being $6, concession $5 and children $4. From October until the end of May an art and craft market is held in the grounds of the museum on the 2nd Saturday of each month. More information can be found here
Anglers Reach and Providence Portal are both situated on the edge of Lake Eucumbene with lake views and a backdrop of mountains. These towns are actually small villages of accommodation properties and holiday parks within a pretty bush setting where native animals abound, all within a 15 minute drive of Adaminaby.
A few kilometres west of Providence Portal is the Denison Campground, close to the Eucumbene River, which is a large, free, and picturesque campground with toilets, fireplaces and picnic areas. There are acres of open grassy areas suitable for car based camping in this delightful High Country setting. Detailed information on camping throughout Kosciuszko National Park can be found here
Stunning scenery, roadside mountain huts and superb fishing areas are all within a short drive of these towns. Lake Eucumbene is open all year for fishing and the rivers and streams of this part of the High Country of NSW generally close from the end of the June Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend until NSW Labour Day Weekend at the end of Sept/start of October. A popular annual event is the Snowy Mountains Trout Festival held early November across different locations of the Snowy Mountains.
There are 2 restored, historic, mountain huts that are open for day visitors to experience around 10km north of Providence Portal on the Snowy Mountains Highway. Delaney’s Hut and Sawyers Hill Rest House are only a few kilometres apart and are well worth a stop. Both huts were a welcome sight enroute to and from the goldfields of Kiandra, and at over 1350 metres altitude, were often surrounded by snow.
Heading south from Adaminaby, the Monaro Plains are a haven of High Country history and a photographer’s dream with old houses, rustic shearing sheds and relics of the High Country pioneers. When touring these undulating high plains, each time you reach the end of the stretch of the road you’re on, the landscape invites you to keep exploring what’s over the next hill or round the next bend. The first and last rays of sun across this region, transform ancient trees and granite boulders into stunning scenes.
