Jindabyne

Jindabyne New South Wales
Jindabyne, as viewed from across Lake Jindabyne
Jindabyne
Coordinates	36°24′0″S 148°37′0″E / 36.40000°S 148.61667°E / -36.40000; 148.61667Coordinates: 36°24′0″S 148°37′0″E / 36.40000°S 148.61667°E / -36.40000; 148.61667
Population	2,441 (2011 census)
Postcode(s)	2627
Elevation	915 m (3,002 ft)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
LGA(s)	Snowy Monaro Regional Council

Jindabyne is a town in south-east New South Wales, Australia that overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the Snowy Mountains, in Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It is a popular holiday destination, especially in winter, due to its proximity to several ski resorts throughout the Kosciuszko National Park, including Thredbo and Perisher.

Originally situated on land that is now under Lake Jindabyne, the township was transferred to its present location in the 1960s due to the construction of Jindabyne Dam, on the Snowy River, as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. At the 2011 census, Jindabyne had a population of 1,727 people. The town's name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning "valley".

Jindabyne is one of the highest settlements of its size in Australia, at 918 metres above sea level. Light snowfalls sometimes occur during winter. In mid-July in 2004 and 2005, snow fell up to half a metre following freak snowfalls over a large area of New South Wales. Jindabyne is connected to the surrounding area by Kosciuszko Road, the Alpine Way and the Barry Way.

Originally situated on a site that is now under the waters of Lake Jindabyne, the township was relocated to its present position in the 1960s before the damming of the Snowy River as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The Scheme was developed from the 1940s as a way of increasing the flow of inland rivers in order to encourage the development of primary industries based on irrigation, and to create hydro-electricity.

Completed in 1967, Jindabyne Dam is a major dam, located approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south south-east of the relocated township. Parts of Old Jindabyne can be seen when the levels of Lake Jindabyne are low particularly the top of the church. The settlement of East Jindabyne is located above what was Old Jindabyne. The dam's main purpose is for the generation of hydro-power and is one of the sixteen major dams that comprise the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a vast hydroelectricity and irrigation complex constructed in south-east Australia between 1949 and 1974 and now run by Snowy Hydro.