Student Worksheet

Thought-starter: 'The Hydro' has been operating for over 100 years!

Instructions to students

In this lesson, you will complete a NAPLAN style practice creative writing task. Read the Reading Text below and write a story based on the information and photographs provided. You have 40 minutes to write and proofread your story. Write on separate paper and remember to include your name.

Reading text

An Introduction to Hydro Tasmania

Hydro Tasmania provides electrical energy for the people of Tasmania, Australia’s island state. The word ‘hydro’ means ‘water’. Hydro Tasmania has thirty hydropower stations in Tasmania and a wind farm on an island in Bass Strait. Hydro Tasmania operates two wind farms on mainland Tasmania under a joint venture. Hydro Tasmania catches the electrical energy from these sources and sends it to places where it is needed, to power people’s homes and businesses.

The information below focuses on the story of one of Hydro Tasmania’s many workers. As part of their centenary (100 year) celebrations, Hydro Tasmania collected stories like this one from employees and their families. This is Jane Crosswell’s story about her involvement with Hydro Tasmania as a child and then as an adult. Long ago, Hydro Tasmania was nicknamed ‘The Hydro’ and is often called that by its employees.

A Hydro Girl at Heart

Twenty-two years is a long time to work somewhere. You could say that I grew up with Hydro Tasmania in my blood.

My father, Geoff Apted, worked in construction at Meadowbank Dam in the late sixties. As a family we moved to Strathgordon when I was three years old – I went to primary school at Strathgordon.

I remember my father coming home from work and telling us as children about the strange foods that many of the migrants would bring in their lunch boxes. We were fascinated that someone could eat whole chillies or black pudding for lunch! Things we had never even seen at our dinner table.

I grew up in Hydro villages and like my brothers and sister, went to work for The Hydro straight out of school. So as you can imagine, I witnessed a lot of change.

I commenced my work career at Tullah* at age fifteen. My role was what was commonly known as a 'Nipper'. I earned $1.50 per hour, washing cars, making tea, washing floors ... My favourite task was taking the rain gauge readings each morning. I felt very important as I had to take the reading at precisely 9am each morning and report the levels to Head Office for passing on to the weather bureau. It was a very responsible job!

You could say I have been a bit of a trailblazer – I’ve had quite a series of firsts in Hydro – I was the first girl ever to work at Stringers Creek* (now the site of Reece Dam) and I remained the only female for some time; there were no female engineers around in those days. I worked there until the Zeehan bushfires went through the site. It burned down the only female toilet on site so I couldn’t go back until they built a new one. We ended up with what was probably the first unisex toilet (shared by males and females) on the West Coast! It made for some interesting encounters!

When I later moved into the office environment in the Accounts section at Tullah, I was the first person to operate an electric typewriter in the office – we only had one (and no computers)! And at the tender age of seventeen, I was acting Paymaster for three months during the height of the West Coast Construction era (not bad considering there were over 2000 people on the payroll and we paid everyone in cash). I remember the day I was given the combination to the huge bank safe – again, I felt very important and responsible!

They were more innocent times back then. If there was work to be done we worked hard and also created our own fun. Some of the practical jokes we played would probably get us fired today, but it was all harmless, and a typical part of Hydro village life. We were very insulated.

The most important part of working there, and ultimately the reason I have stayed so long, were the people. We were Hydro people! Those people believed in me and have helped me to believe in myself. Many strong friendships developed, which of course have continued. I was very fortunate to be involved in so many different areas of the organisation. The opportunities presented always allowed me to stretch myself and to try new things – all of those things have made me a better person and I hope I have left at least some small footprint behind.

No matter how long it’s been, it still makes me smile to run into old Hydro colleagues in the street. We stop for a natter and catch up, and we are still 'Hydro People'.

* Places where Hydro Tasmania employees worked and/or lived with their families

Writing Task

Using the information about Jane and the photographs for ideas, write a creative short story.

Make Jane the protagonist (main character). She may also be the narrator – OR you can use another character or an omniscient narrator to tell the story in third person.
Don’t try to use all parts of Jane’s account. Choose one or two and expand on them using your imagination.
Make sure the details you make up are appropriate and make sense when combined with the information provided by Jane.
- GOOD EXAMPLE: Jane is reading the rain gauge for The Hydro one day and comes across a poisonous snake.
- BAD EXAMPLE: Jane is reading the rain gauge for The Hydro one day and is abducted by aliens.

Structure your story with a beginning, a middle and an end. Note: you can begin the story wherever you
like. You do not have to go back to Jane’s ‘beginning’ (i.e. when she was born).
Give your story an interesting title.
Write your name on your story ready for submission.
When everyone has finished, share your story with others in the class.

Hydro Tasmania - Jane Crosswell (NAPLAN Writing Practice)

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