A TRIBUTE TO NOEL BRUCE CARTER
A Tribute to Noel Bruce Carter
Noel Carter, originally from New Zealand, was a mechanical engineer who played a key role in the development of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. After joining in 1951, he was instrumental in designing the hydraulic laboratory and managing the commissioning of major power projects for the SMHEA, later extending his impact internationally through SMEC. In addition to his contributions to hydro-electric engineering across Australia and Asia, Carter is remembered as a valued member of the Cooma-Monaro community and an avid automotive enthusiast.
By Eric Lesleighter,
former head of Fluid Mechanics Branch, SMHEA and SMEC – January 2026
The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority (SMHEA) was established on July 7, 1949 and Noel Carter, a young New Zealand mechanical engineer was employed in May 1951. Noel went on to build and carve-out an outstanding career in mechanical engineering on major hydro-electric projects both on the Snowy Scheme for the SMHEA and overseas for SMEC.
In the early years of the SMHEA, there were moves to staff the fledgling organisation, to acquire the engineering personnel needed for the major Snowies development. In May 1951, Professor T D J (Tom) Leech, the first Engineer-in-Charge of the Authority’s Scientific Services Division and formerly the Professor of Engineering, Auckland University, was instrumental in inviting and securing the engagement of a former student, New Zealander – Noel (N B) Carter.
Born 27 January 1928, Noel studied and graduated in mechanical engineering from Auckland University in 1951. When he joined the SMHEA, things were just getting started. The Fluid Mechanics Laboratory was being planned in the early 1950s; and without a building, early hydraulic model studies were carried out in the open air until 1955, while the laboratory construction was then well underway. The laboratory development included the current meter calibration flume – and Noel was the designer. He worked with other skilled engineers in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory until around 1957 when he transferred to a head-office position in the Mechanical Engineering Division in the Power Plant Branch.
In those early years several Snowy engineers were fortunate to be able to work in America with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, generally for up to one year. Noel was part of that program. The initiative was notable in more ways than one. Working with experienced engineers on major hydro projects in the US provided for a rapid accumulation of knowhow, necessary for the Snowy development. It also enabled the speedy development of teams in Cooma with a range of engineering expertise – so that the Snowy development was rapidly “producing the goods” and projects were being designed and constructed. For example, the Guthega Power development, where the dam, pipelines and power station was operational and online in 1955.
Noel’s work on the Snowy Scheme was extensive, and he played a notable role on key components of most of the power development projects, contributing to design and specifying of plant, supervision of all phases – contracts, factory construction of components, assembly and testing – and on to commissioning of the plant. His involvement in those power and associated facilities was large scale – the heart of what was being accomplished by the Snowy power development. In 1974 he transferred like many other skilled SMA engineers to the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC).
Noel continued to work on SMEC engineered hydro projects, in the Cooma office, and extending to similar projects and hydro developments in Asia – Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and China. This included being appointed as Malaysian Country Manager, based in the SMEC Malaysian office for a period of three years from 1984.
As well as his professional work, Noel was a family man, and a well-known Cooma local with a range of community contributions, including the Cooma Car Club where he was occupied at times with his early model Citroen DS car. “Great car” he said to me one day, “but you need to have a trained carpet snake to work through all the congestion in the suspension and under the bonnet”. Noel maintained that car in good condition and drove it regularly into his ninety’s.
Noel died aged 96 on 5 November 2024, having made an outstanding contribution to the mechanical engineering of a great many major hydroelectric developments, particularly to the Snowy Scheme, overseas and to the Cooma-Monaro community.
Noel Carter, operating an Askania Micromanometer
