Lake Catani

Lake Catani Dam
The lake in 2006
Lake Catani Dam Location of the reservoir in Victoria
Interactive map of Lake Catani Dam
Country	Australia
Location	Mount Buffalo National Park, Alps, Victoria
Coordinates	36°43′57″S 146°48′37″E
Purpose	Water supply Recreation
Status	Operational
Construction began	1908
Opening date	1910
Construction cost	A£2,355
Built by	Public Works Department
Designed by	Carlo Catani
Operator	Parks Victoria / DNRE
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch dam
Impounds	Eurobin Creek
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Catani
Surface area	15 ha (37 acres)
Maximum length	800 m (2,600 ft)
Maximum width	400 m (1,300 ft)
Maximum water depth	10–20 m (33–66 ft)
Normal elevation	1,288 m (4,226 ft) AHD

Lake Catani is a reservoir formed by the Lake Catani Dam, an arch dam across the Eurobin Creek, in the Mount Buffalo National Park, in the Alps of Victoria, Australia. Completed in 1910 under the supervision and, most likely, design of Carlo Catani, an engineer of Public Works Department, the initial purpose was for the supply of potable and industrial water for the construction of the heritage-listed Mount Buffalo Chalet.

In more recent times, the reservoir was repurposed to provide recreational facilities in the area. The 15-hectare (37-acre) reservoir also serves as an emergency supply source for the Chalet and provides water for the campground.

Reservoir overview

The Mount Buffalo National Park was established in 1898 with an 1,166-hectare (2,880-acre) temporary nature reserve centred on the Eurobin Falls. In 1908 the area was increased to 9,240 hectares (22,800 acres) and became permanent national park reserve.

Water supply

Lake Catani was completed in 1910 by construction of a mass concrete arched dam across Eurobin Creek, a tributary of the Ovens River, at Haunted Gorge. The contract was let in 1908 for A£2,355. The dam blocked what was then known as the 'Underground River' and flooded Long Plain, in the process also flooding an Aboriginal camp site. It was initially intended to provide water for the Grossman sawmill, which was milling timber for the construction of the Mount Buffalo Chalet.

Carlo Catani was appointed Public Works Engineer in 1882 and spent much of his career developing hydrological schemes such as the drainage of the Koo-Wee-Rup and Elwood Swamps.

Recreational use

Lake Catani provided a popular venue for visitors, with boating and fishing in summer and ice-skating in winter. A golf course was also opened nearby at Tuckerbox Corner in 1911.

A campground, administered by Parks Victoria, is located near the shores of the lake, approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Porepunkah. It is the only vehicle-accessible campground within the national park.

Gallery

Streaming video of Mount Buffalo. Lake Catani can be viewed at 0:26.

• 
  The lake with diminished supply, Spring 2009
• 
  A wooden pier on the lake's shore, 2014

See also

• List of reservoirs and dams in Victoria

External links

Media related to Lake Catani at Wikimedia Commons

• "Lake Catani Campground". Parks Victoria. n.d. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  • "Lake Catani Campground" (PDF) (Map). Parks Victoria. June 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
• PwC (September 2018). Mount Buffalo Business Case Assessment and Activation (PDF). Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Report). Victorian Government. ISBN 978-1-921940-03-3. Retrieved 18 May 2026 – via Alpine Shire Council.