Travel Channel

Scrivener Dam

Impressive views

Lady Denham Drive
Canberra, ACT 2600

Nearest Train: Buses 31, 32

Phone: +61 2 6205 0044 (Tourist Information)

Named after Charles Scrivener, the government surveyor who first saw the potential of damming the Molonglo River to form an ornamental lake, work finally began in September 1960. In 1964, the lake was filled and inaugurated as Lake Burley-Griffin by the then Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies. The dam is 36 meters above road level and consists of a concrete section with five-meter high floodgates, which can be lowered to release floodwaters. Each floodgate is 32 meters long and can be operated independently. The dam created a lake of 664 hectares in surrounding parkland of 843 hectares.