We have been using water to perform work for us for thousands of years. The Greeks used water wheels to grind wheat into flour more than 2000 years ago. The development of the modern hydro power turbine began in the 1800s, and hydro power from the water at Niagra Falls was used to light lamps at night for visiting tourists. On the 30th of September 1882 the world saw it's first hydroelectric power plant.
One of the most notable and complex hydro power plants in the world is the Snowy Mountains Scheme in Australia. It was built in the 1970's to provide electricity for New South Wales and now supplies up to 10% of the state's electricity needs.