| Historical notes: | are the Cadigal and Wangal... There is no written record of the name of the language spoken and currently there are debates as whether the coastal peoples spoke a separate language "Eora" or whether this was actually a dialect of the Dharug. (Heiss and Gibson 2015).
With invasion of the region, the Cadigal and Wangal were decimated but there are descendants living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants. Aboriginal people from across NSW have been attracted to suburbs such as Pyrmont, Balmain, Rozelle, Glebe and Redfern since the 1930s. Changes in legislation in the 1960s provided freedom of movement enabling more Aboriginal people to choose to live in Sydney. (Heiss and Gibson 2015).
In 1788, Governor Phillip established the penal colony. After this the lives of the Cadigal and Wangal changed dramatically. Their traditional food supply was encroached upon and diseases such as smallpox severely decimated the local population. (Heiss and Gibson 2015).
Dispossession accelerated, when in 1792, Phillip received 'Additional Instructions' allowing him to grant land for church and school uses. These and Crown lands extended to the northeastern corner of the current municipality of Marrickville (Fox and Associates 1986: 16). Further 1792 communiques allowed granting land to British officers. To establish a chain of farms between Sydney and Parramatta, grants were made along the road to Parramatta. This ... has been the main artery to the west. (Burke 1986: 3).
Annandale:
Most of ... Annandale, 290 acres was granted in 1799 to George Johnston, a marine. He previously received land south of Parramatta Road where he constructed "Annandale House". The family became more affluent following sale of lands on the northern side of the road.
The land became part of 280 acres consolidated by John Young and the Sydney Freehold Land, Building and Investment Company Ltd formed in 1878, which subdivided and sold allotments.
Electrifying Sydney:
Technological advances in the 1870s and 1880s made elect
ricity production a feasible lighting and power alternative to gas and steam. Early supply was from small generators.
NSW's first municipal electric streetlighting was Tamworth in 1888, then Young in 1889. Next were Lambton (1890), Newcastle (1891), Penrith (1892) and Canterbury (1898). But this was relatively insignificant compared to municipal gas works established in that decade. Legislation enabling Redfern Municipality to generate electricity passed in 1895. This brought electrification much closer to the city.
Six bills facilitating Sydney supply were debated in NSW Parliament between 1887 and 1893. The Municipal Council of Sydney Electric Lighting Act 1896 passed in 1896, empowering council to light streets, generate and supply power for public and private places, in city and suburbs.
The Municipal Council of Sydney (MCS) established an Electric Lighting Committee in December 1898 to map the technical and commercial basis of the undertaking. British electrical engineers Preece and Cardew were engaged. In 1902 Thomas Rooke, of Preece and Cardew, was appointed council's Resident Electrical Engineer, marking the beginnings of what became the behemoth Electricity Department (also titled Electric Lighting Department and City Electrical Engineer's Department.)
Council's first alternating current power station at Pyrmont operated from July 1904. It generated electricity for street lighting and private customers, industrial and domestic. It was the second major central power station in Sydney.
There were two other major generators in the early 1900s. The public infrastructure of the NSW Government Tramway and Railway Departments electrified Sydney's public transport systems. Ultimo Powerhouse (1899) electrifiedtrams, while White Bay Powerhouse (1913) supplied suburban rail networks and bulk supply to other municipalities and county councils. The private Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation (ELPSC) built Balmain Powerhouse (1909) and supplied inner western suburbs. Smaller private companies supplying city hotels, theatres and businesses were snapped up by MCS from 1907-13, including Redfern Council's.
Electricity distribution relies upon several levels of voltage. Substations were designed to house voltage transformers and other bulky equipment needed, such as AC to DC convertors, switchgear and batteries. Their function was relatively simple: convert high voltage network current to low voltage for customers' use. They were located strategically around city and suburbs and became a visible sign of MCS's network. In the city and major thoroughfares underground mains cabling was laid. As the network extended across metropolitan Sydney, wooden and steel poles carrying overhead wires became common. As technology advanced and transformers became smaller, modest green transformer kiosks were rolled out by Sydney County Council across post-WWII suburbs, mitigating the need for so many substations.
City Building Surveyor and City Architect Robert H Brodrick not only designed Pyrmont Power Station, but he and branch designed distribution substations. These were to be substantial, ornamental pieces of civic infrastructure. Their opinion 'was also sought on questions affecting the artistic design of streetlamp-posts.' (Vade Mecum 1906: 200). The quality of early substation design and construction was high, moving beyond functionality to produce fine civic architecture that sat comfortably in and contributed to its surrounds.
Council's early substations were built by contractors, later ones through the City Building Constructor's branch (from 1925 a separate department). Distribution substations are mostly brick, on land purchased or resumed by council. In some cases, leased from larger consumers. (Vade Mecum 1927: 252 - 253).
In 1904 MCS built five above ground substations: Town Hall (city centre), Lang Park (north), Athlone Place (Ultimo: south), Woolloomooloo and Darlinghurst, and one in Pyrmont power station. All have since been decommissioned and either demolished or adaptively re-used.
The first extension beyond city boundaries was in 1906. A small substation was built to supply the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington. Another in Camperdown to supply the Children's Hospital. (Lisa Murray, 2025).
Johnston Street Substation:
The first expansion of street lighting for a suburban municipality (outside MCS boundaries) was a 1910 one designed and built for Annandale Municipal Council. In February 1910 on the motion of Mayor William Wells, Annandale Council decided to investigate electric lighting. It gave notice to the Australian Gas Light Company it would discontinue gas street lighting at the end of 1910. Council considered proposals from ELPSC and MCS, but by June was negotiating with MCS.
MCS purchased land for it in July 1910 from the Sydney Freehold Land, Building and Investment Company. It was built for alternating current with an original capacity of 60 kw. (Vade Mecum 1911) It demonstrates MCS's early phase of network expansion.
Its design is associated with City Architect Robert H Brodrick and deputy James Henry Merriman. Brodrick supplied a plan to the City Electrical Engineer on 22 July 1910, estimating the cost at (Pounds)400. The original coloured plan held in the City of Sydney Archives is dated 29 July 1910. It is in Federation Free Style, using brick and stone. This style was also applied to Pyrmont Power Station and other early substations, presenting a modern progressive image for the new public infrastructure.
Brodrick was City Building Surveyor and City Architect for MCS from 1898 to 1928. He was the most prolific City Architect, supported by Merriman. Working as principal and deputy, they designed a diverse range of civic structures including Pyrmont Powerhouse (1904), new Municipal Markets (1909 - 12), Strickland Building (1914), Hippodrome (1916), shops and hotels, council buildings and depots, public conveniences and streetlamps. Brodrick oversaw design of over 300 substations.
The words "Sydney ELECTRIC LIGHTING" and "SMC 1910" appear on its facade mounted as single letters (Schwager Brooks 1994, volume 2: 14).
Substation No. 15 commenced operation on 1 January 1911. The initial contract was for ten years' supply, after which Council could renew for another ten years, take it over, or demand that MCS remove it. The contract price for supply was (Pounds)654 7s 6d per annum. MCS installed 173 electric lamps, and wiring underground. At Council's request, stone bases from gas lamps were reused for electric lighting. Lights were placed in the centre of wider streets, namely Johnston, Annandale and Trafalgar. Mayor James Roberton declared in his 1911 annual report, 'we have one of the neatest and most effective installations of electric lighting in Australasia'. (SMH 19 January 1911: 12).
Alterations and additions were made in 1926 for equipment expansion, including new transformers. A Public Light Control Board was installed requiring separate door access. Extra ventilation was introduced, including louvres on front and back elevations, roof clerestory and ventilators. The storeroom partition towards the rear was demolished, creating one large interior space. A coloured plan, dated 10 December 1925, survives in City Archives, initialled by Merriman and signed by Brodrick.
MCS Electricity Department reported in 1927 that the substation ...was 're-equipped with new high tension and low tension switchboards, and supply maintained to all consumers.'
Although electrical equipment upgrades have continued, Substation No.15 essentially retains its 1926 configuration and continues to operate.
MCS was responsible for generation and distribution across inner Sydney from 1904-35. In 1935 the state government established Sydney County Council (SCC) and on 1 January 1936 2,394 staff and assets worth (Pounds)21.9million were transferred from MCS. In 1952 SCC's generating assets were transferred to the NSW Electricity Commission, but it continued distributing power until dissolved with the Sydney Electricity Act 1990. Corporatisation and competition led to a series of entities. Ausgrid is now the responsible authority for substations. (Lisa Murray, 2025).
Substation No.15 is a tangible element of early Sydney electrification that has remained in operation since 1910. It is the second oldest operating substation in Ausgrid's network. The oldest in operation is Substation No.5, Ultimo. [CMP]. It would probably also be among the oldest operating substations in NSW (Lisa Murray, 2025). |