Posted 05.12.2025
The Australian Bradfield Scheme is one of the most ambitious water diversion proposals in Australia’s history, originally conceived in the late 1930s by Dr. John Bradfield, a prominent civil engineer known for designing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Brisbane’s Story Bridge. The primary objective of the scheme was to address the persistent challenges of drought and aridity in the vast inland regions of western Queensland and parts of South Australia by redirecting abundant coastal river water to these dry areas.
Bradfield’s plan called for the construction of an extensive network of infrastructure, including large dams, tunnels, pumps, and pipelines. The proposed water sources were the upper reaches of the Tully, Herbert, and Burdekin rivers, all located in North Queensland. These rivers are heavily influenced by seasonal monsoons, resulting in significant water flow during wet periods. Instead of allowing this water to flow eastward into the Coral Sea, the scheme aimed to capture and divert it westward, over the formidable barrier of the Great Dividing Range.
 
 
 




The diverted water would have entered the headwaters of the Thomson River system, enabling it to travel southwest across the arid interior toward Lake Eyre, a vast, often dry lake in South Australia. This transformation was expected to create a more reliable water source for agriculture, potentially turning millions of hectares of semi-arid land into productive farmland. Proponents believed it would also provide substantial economic and social benefits, such as supporting rural communities, boosting food production, and even reducing the frequency and severity of dust storms.
Despite the grand vision, the Bradfield Scheme faced significant technical, environmental, and economic challenges. Questions were raised about the feasibility of moving such vast quantities of water over mountainous terrain, the high costs involved, and potential impacts on the coastal river ecosystems. Over the decades, the proposal has been revisited and debated, with supporters viewing it as a bold solution to Australia’s water scarcity and detractors citing environmental risks and technological hurdles.
To this day, the Bradfield Scheme remains an iconic example of large-scale engineering vision in Australia, symbolizing both the country’s innovative spirit and the complexities of managing water resources in a dry continent.

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