Half a century later, the ruins of the abandoned township have emerged - a result of the prolonged drought crippling much of Australia.

Lake Eucumbene is the largest earthen dam in the southern hemisphere and can hold eight times the volume of Sydney Harbour. But with Australia in an almost permanent drought for five years, it has shrunk to 22% of its capacity. The lake's water level has dropped by 36m, revealing remnants of the life Adaminaby residents left behind.

The receding waters have exposed rusting machinery, broken bedsteads, smashed crockery and even the odd shoe. Bits of old brickwork can be seen, together with the stone foundations and doorsteps of dismantled houses. The Catholic church has reappeared, in the form of a staircase and two gateposts.

Greg Russell (82) grew up on a nearby property. Two of his children were baptised in the church. In his youth, he went to dances in town on Saturday nights. "I've been walking around [the ruins] there reminiscing, " said Russell, whose family has farmed sheep and cattle in the area for four generations. "It makes me feel nostalgic for a place that doesn't exist any more. Me and my wife virtually grew up there. To see it like that, it makes us feel sad."

Adaminaby was flooded as part of the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme. Thousands of post-war European migrants were employed on the scheme, one of the world's biggest civil engineering projects. It took 25 years to complete and occupies an important place in Australian social history.

Leigh Stewart (76) grew up in Adaminaby. In the 1950s, his family demolished their house and salvaged the bricks. "It's been interesting to walk around and try to work out what was where, " he said. "But there's no sorrow. The saddest thing about the level of the lake is the drought. We need rain."