| Historical notes: | Statement of Country:
The 'Eora people' was the name given to coastal Aboriginal people around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as 'Eora Country'. (Heiss 2015). Those living south of Port Jackson to Botany Bay were the Gadigal and Bidjigal people who spoke Dharug (Randwick Library webpage 2003), while the local clan name of Maroubra people was "Muru-ora-dial" (City of Sydney webpage, 2003).
Pre-1780s, local Aboriginal people in the area used the site for fishing and cultural activities - rock engravings, grinding grooves and middens remain in the area. (City of Sydney webpage 2003).
By mid-nineteenth century the traditional owners had typically either moved inland in search of food and shelter, or died as the result of European disease or confrontation with colonisers (Randwick Library webpage 2003).
The Aboriginal community's history in Randwick spans thousands of years, and their ongoing relationship with the land is integral to their identity.
EARLY ELECTRICITY NETWORKS IN NSW
Prior to introducing electricity in NSW, streets were lit with gas and houses used gas, kerosene and fat oil lamps, or candles. Mid to late 19th century transport and industry used steam power. Technological advances in the 1870s and 1880s made electricity a feasible lighting and power alternative to gas and steam. Early supply was from small generators and early providers of networks were principally municipal Councils.
The first instance of NSW municipal electric power supply was streetlighting in regional centres experiencing major growth in Tamworth (1888), then Young (1889), Lambton (1890) and Newcastle (1891).
ELECTRIFICATION OF SYDNEY
Sydney's first public demonstration of electric light was in 1863 (Australian Energy Regulator 2007: 2). Early supply was from small generators throughout the city for specific buildings or events. Large scale production was in its infancy in NSW in the 1890s, and the number of electrical works insignificant compared to municipal gas works. Local municipalities pushed for legislation allowing them to generate electricity, build infrastructure, light streets, supply public and private places. The first Sydney council to supply private homes, businesses and street lights was Penrith (1890), from their electric light station (demolished) (Nepean Times 1957: 1). Another was Redfern (1891) which remains (adaptively reused).
By far the biggest was the Municipal Council of Sydney (MCS) which got the power to establish networks and supply private clients by the NSW government under the Municipal Council of Sydney Electric Lighting Act 1896. It started in 1898 building the electrical network to MCS's area, from Millers Point to Chippendale, Surry Hills and Moore Park (City of Sydney n.d.).
While originally supplying MCS's area only, it soon became NSW's biggest municipal supplier.
MCS's first alternating current (AC) power station for street lighting and private use was at Pyrmont, 1904. There were two other major generators. NSW Government Tramway and Railway Departments electrified public transport. Ultimo Powerhouse (1899) electrified trams, while White Bay Power Station (SHR 01015) followed in 1913, supplying suburban rail and bulk supplying other municipalities and county councils. Smaller private companies supplying city businesses were snapped up by MCS from 1907-13.
MCS quickly established itself as one of Sydney's two primary electricity suppliers, with the Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation (ELPSC) which from Balmain Power Station, supplied inner western suburbs of Sydney from 1909 to 1956.
Two types of substations emerged, zone and distribution substations. Zone substations were large complex facilities receiving power from bulk supply power stations and reducing voltage for local distribution. Distribution substations reduced voltage further and supplied customers.
City Building Surveyor and City Architect Robert Hargreave Brodrick and his branch designed substations to be substantial, ornamental pieces of civic infrastructure (Vade Mecum 1906: 200). Quality of design and construction was high, producing fine civic architecture that sat comfortably in its surrounds. Land was either purchased from owners or resumed if necessary.
In 1904, MCS built its first six distribution substations: Town Hall, Lang Park, Athlone Place (Ultimo), Pyrmont Street (Pyrmont), Oxford Street (Darlinghurst) and Wilson Street (Woolloomooloo). None remain in use, and four (Town Hall, Lang Park, Athlone Place and Pyrmont Street) are demolished. Oxford Street is listed on the State Heritage Register as Taylor Square Substation No.6 & Underground Public Conveniences (SHR 01700) and Wilson Street is used as a private residence.
MCS first began supplying other areas of Sydney in 1905. A substation was built to supply a wing of the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington and another for Camperdown Children's Hospital (Murray, 2025). In 1910, four municipalities entered agreements with MCS for extension of mains into their areas, a rapid escalation to the extent of the network.
By 1914 MCS supplied 23 municipalities and required additional infrastructure. On 25 May 1914 it decided to erect a 33,000 volt transmission system to supply outer areas including the western suburbs and north of the harbour. (Mackenzie 1998: 10, 12). Continual network expansion required additional infrastructure throughout greater Sydney.
Rapid network expansion in the 1920s was on a scale unprecedented in Sydney or NSW and required additional infrastructure throughout greater Sydney. This means that a significant portion of MCS's substations were built from 1921 onwards.
MCS built Bunnerong Power Station at Botany between 1925 and 1929, to increase capacity for supplying electricity to outer Sydney suburbs such as Randwick. It was among Australia's most modern power stations, equal in size to White Bay, and capable of supplying one third of NSW's electricity.
In 1928 large extensions were made to the 30kV underground electricity systems. Several zone substations (called 'step-down' or '30kV power substations' then) were commissioned in the mid- to late-1920s to support the 33kV (later 30kV) transmission system. These were built at Zetland (No.188), Crow's Nest (No.187), Pymble (No.195), Mosman (No.180) and Balgowlah (No.191) to meet growing demand and anticipating greater capacity once Bunnerong was operational. By 1930 there were thirteen 30kV substations on the network, each named after their district or locality. (Vade Mecum 1930: 247)
Growing construction costs probably led to a pragmatic simplification and standardisation of zone substation designs by 1926-1930. MCS reported in 1930 'three particular designs of 30 kV substations have been prepared to meet certain conditions, such as locality, area of land available, etc.'. The three representative stations cited demonstrating the new substation designs were Zetland Substation, Marrickville Substation and Crows Nest Substation. (Vade Mecum 1930: 249-253).
MCS's network control was removed via the Gas and Electricity Act 1935 which reconstituted its Electricity Department as independent entity, Sydney County Council (SCC). In 1952 the NSW Electricity Commission became overall State authority for providing bulk electricity supply to NSW retailers. It remained in control until dissolved with the Sydney Electricity Act 1990.
A series of private and public entities now provide electricity and its infrastructure in the Sydney area, overseen by the NSW government. Ausgrid now owns most distribution substations and zone substations (excluding the high-voltage transmission network).
RANDWICK
Two grants were in 1824 to Francis Marsh, and 1839 to William Newcombe. Randwick takes its name from Randwick, Gloucestershire, as suggested by brothers Simeon and James Pearce, who bought and sold land here. Simeon campaigned for a road to Coogee and incorporation.(Pollon and Healy 1988: 217-8).
Randwick's progress was slow, isolated by swamps and sandhills and from early days, divided. Its people were mixed. The wealthy lived in large houses promoted as fashionable. But market gardens, orchards and piggeries continued alongside, run by the working class. In 1858 when the NSW Government passed the Municipalities Act, Randwick was first to apply.
Randwick long hosted sporting events, duels and illegal sports. Its first racecourse was built in 1860. John Tait in 1863 established Randwick Racecourse, Australia's first to run racing commercially. This boosted progress and horse-buses gave way to trams linking it to Sydney. (Pollon and Healy 1988: 218-9).
Improved transport (trams from 1880) and governance led it to prosper and thrive, with increasing villas, housing, shops and flats through the Victorian and Interwar periods (Pollon and Healy 1988: 218-9). An example of gentlemen settlers in Randwick is Newmarket House, built on the site of the 1861 Newmarket Hotel. Its 1880s southern wing for the Fennelly /James White interests beginning in earnest to train thoroughbred racehorses. This led to constructing the Big Stables, Sale Ring and Training Stables which host major annual horse sales. Another former villa estate is Aston Lodge, built by 1865 as a villa estate, but from 1891 to 1901 private then religious schools under the Loreto Order, and from 1901 to 1984 aged care, Mount St. Joseph school and convent, under the Little Sisters of the Poor. From the 1880s, larger scale industry began to penetrate Randwick's outskirts, with tram workshops, later tobacco manufacturing, paper mills, bitumen, oil and chemical refineries. Bunnerong Power Station was built through the 1920s. (Randwick Heritage Study 1986).
CANBERRA STREET SUBSTATION:
MCS began planning Randwick's Zone Substation for a high voltage feed from Bunnerong Power Station in 1927, investigating sites before selecting one offered by sandstone quarry owner Edward Noonan. Quarrying appears to have been its only use prior to constructing the substation in 1929 (Urbis 2025: 34). Substations such as Randwick's demonstrate MCS's rapid network expansion once Bunnerong was identified as being able to support electricity production for outer suburbs.
It was designed by Walter F White, in MCS' architecture department. Robert H Brodrick, who had overseen this department for years, retired in 1928. The design is based on an earlier design template established by Brodrick, with the elevation and floor plan of the Marrickville Substation type, but with Spanish Mission ornamental brick detailing.
It was constructed as a step-down substation for high voltage feed from Bunnerong. Builders W S Baker and Sons Ltd were contracted on 26 November 1929 to construct it. Randwick Municipal Council approved the application on 6 December 1929. It was completed in 1930, with cost blow-outs and from the start, problems of water ingress from roof leaks and the upper side of the sloping site.
The substation's capacity was gradually increased over two decades with rising electricity demand. It was originally fitted with two transformers. SCC took it over in 1935. Post-war demand for electricity led to a third zone transformer being installed in 1947, reconfiguring switching and control equipment and a fourth zone transformer being installed in 1948.
Capacity was increased in 1957 and 1967. Ongoing equipment upgrades and associated minor building works were the only improvements and it remained externally intact.
Construction of Kingsford Zone Substation in c.2010-2014 led to Substation, Randwick becoming redundant. Ausgrid determined it surplus to requirements and fully decommissioned it in 2014-2015. All equipment was removed in 2016 and decontamination and remediation works were done in 2017. The site is currently vacant until a disposal process through public sale can commence. |