Glenbawn Dam
One of the largest rock-filled dams in Australia
DAM LEVEL
96%
CAPACITY
749GL
SIZE OF LAKE
26 KM2
Glenbawn Dam is a popular inland sport and recreation destination near Scone, offering year-round attractions for water sports and fishing enthusiasts, nature lovers, bushwalkers, campers and picnickers. The dam has one of the largest rock-fill embankment walls in Australia, 100 metres high and 1.1 kilometres long. The main purpose of the dam is to supply water for irrigation, power generation, stock, industry and household needs in the Hunter Valley, and provide flood mitigation and environmental flows.
Look out points
Dam wall
The wall is 100 metres high and 1,125 metres long.
Lake Glenbawn State Park
The park has many vantage points with panoramic views of the lake and countryside.
HOURS
- Entry to the dam can be purchased through Lake Glenbawn State Park
- Office is open 9am to 5pm, Phone 02 6543 7193
TOP SAFETY TIPS
- Wear a life jacket
- Supervise your children
- Look out for underwater hazards
- Keep a safe distance when boating
- Follow all algae alerts
Learn more about safety at our sites.
REPORT A HAZARD OR INCIDENT
Please phone 1800 061 069
In an emergency call 000
We’re the people taking care of the state’s water at the source – capturing, storing, delivering. Learn more about WaterNSW.
Boat ramps
Camping
Children’s Playground
Picnic Shelters
Shower facilities
Toilets
Visitor centre
Things to do
Stay
A range of powered and non-powered camping options are available on the shores of the lake along with cabins and bungalows run by Reflections Holiday Park - Lake Glenbawn.
Water sports
The large lake offers water sports including skiing, jet skis, sailing, canoeing and swimming. Lake Glenbawn State Park has several boat ramps.
Fishing
Fishing at Lake Glenbawn includes Australian bass, Golden perch (yellow belly), silver perch, Murray cod, catfish, eel and carp.
Map and directions
Glenbawn Dam is 14 kilometres east of Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley. Scone is about 270 kilometres north-west of Sydney via the Pacific and New England highways.
Keep to vehicle speed limits and be aware of pedestrians
No model aircraft or drones
Facts and History
Glenbawn Dam is situated on the Hunter River about 14 kilometres east of Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley. The dam is about 270 kilometres north-west of Sydney.
Find out more
GLENBAWN DAM
Facts and History
Glenbawn Dam is situated on the Hunter River about 14 kilometres east of Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley. The dam is about 270 kilometres north-west of Sydney.
Glenbawn Dam has a capacity of 750,000 megalitres, one and a half times that of Sydney Harbour. It has additional potential capacity of 120,000 megalitres for flood mitigation.
Glenbawn Dam is named after a property on which it is built.
Why the dam was built
The dam was built in the 1950s to secure water for agriculture, industry and the surrounding townships, and to mitigate flooding.
Vineyards and pastures for dairy farming are the main agricultural industries supported by irrigation. The dam also provides water for nearby power stations and the towns of Scone and Muswellbrook.
Glenbawn Dam operates in conjunction with Glennies Creek Dam to supply water requirements along 40 kilometres of the Hunter River from Glenbawn to the tidal reaches near Maitland.
A six megawatt hydroelectric power station uses irrigation, flood mitigation and environmental flows.
How the dam was built
Glenbawn Dam is a rock-fill embankment with a clay core. An ungated concrete chute spillway is located about one kilometre south of the dam wall.
The original embankment was 78 metres high, providing a storage capacity of 300,000 megalitres. Construction began in 1948 and finished in 1958. The dam was enlarged in 1987.
Later improvements
Glenbawn Dam was enlarged in 1987, raising the wall to 100 metres high and increasing storage capacity to 750,000 megalitres with additional potential capacity of 120,000 megalitres for flood mitigation.
Hunter NSW dams
WaterNSW acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we work and pay our respects to all elders past, present and emerging. Learn more