| Historical notes: | Paddington is on land of the Gadigal of the Eora nation (AIATSIS 2016), which stretches from the southern shore of Sydney Harbour to today's Petersham, and which practically and spiritually sustained the Gadigal for millennia. Early European accounts noted the area today called Paddington as the place of the Maroo, a path along the ridgeline long used by local Aboriginal people as trading routes between farmed grasslands or bountiful fishing areas (Heiss & Gibson 2015).
The rich archaeological and historical record of harbour allows us to recreate something of how Aboriginal people used Kogerah - as they called Rushcutters Bay - and its Paddington hinterland in the centuries before Europeans arrived. As a resilient and innovative community, they continued to adapt their lives, co-existing around the bay until the turn of the twentieth century (Elmoos 2019). Following initial European colonisation, much of the Aboriginal population of Sydney died due to the smallpox outbreak of 1789. Following this, Aboriginal people regrouped, living in camps east of Potts Point at Barcom Glen and downstream on public land at Rushcutters Bay, throughout the 19th century (Irish n.d.). Despite the impact of colonisation, Gadigal culture has survived and Aboriginal people have continued to retain links to the area.
PADDINGTON:
This suburb took its name from the London borough. It was Sydney's first early suburb that was not self-sufficient - its inhabitants had to go away each day to their places of employment.
The area developed after a road was constructed to link up with a pilot station to be built at Watson's Bay. John Palmer, commissary, refused to allow people to cross his grant, so the road had to follow a roundabout way through Paddington to bypass (it).
It was not until 1838, when it was decided to build a new barracks in Paddington, that life came to the area. Once soldiers and families moved here, shopkeepers followed. Builders moved in and put up 3,800 houses from 1860 -90. (Pollen 1988: 195-7).
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, and candles. Technological advances in the 1870s and 1880s made electricity a feasible lighting and power alternative. Early supply was from small generators and early providers of networks were principally municipal councils.
The first instance of NSW's municipal electric power supply was streetlighting in regional centres experiencing major growth in the 1880s. Tamworth and Young were amongst the first examples, with Tamworth receiving electric streetlights in 1888 and Young in 1889. (Penrith City Council 2021).
ELECTRIFICATION OF SYDNEY
Sydney's first public demonstration of electric light was in 1863 when Sydney Observatory was illuminated in honour of the Prince of Wales's marriage (Australian Energy Regulator 2007, p. 2). Early supply was from small generators scattered throughout the city for specific buildings or events.
Large-scale production was in its infancy in NSW in the 1890s, and the number of facilities constructed to generate or distribute electricity was relatively insignificant compared to municipal gas works established in that decade. Local municipalities pushed for legislation allowing them to generate electricity, build infrastructure, light streets and supply public and private places. Sydney's first council to generate and supply electricity to private homes, businesses and street lights was Penrith, which established an electric light station in 1890 (Nepean Times 1957, p. 1). Another light station was built closer to the city at Redfern in 1891.
The wealthiest municipality, the Municipal Council of Sydney (MCS), got State government consent to establish its own networks and supply private customers under the Municipal Council of Sydney Electric Lighting Act 1896. Its Electric Lighting Committee was established in 1898 to bring the network to the MCS area, reaching from Millers Point to Chippendale, Surry Hills and Moore Park (City of Sydney n.d.). While originally supplying the MCS area only, it soon became the biggest supplier of electricity in NSW.
Sydney's first major central power station was the Ultimo Powerhouse (listed on the State Heritage Register (SHR) as part of Powerhouse Museum Complex, Ultimo (SHR 02045)), built in 1899 by the NSW Department of Public Works to power the electric tram network. Construction of White Bay Power Station, Rozelle (SHR 01015)) followed in 1913 (Dunn, 2008). Trams were central to Sydney's growing population and economy and electrifying steam tram lines occupied much of 1900 to 1910.
MCS's first power station supplying street lighting and private use was at Pyrmont, opened in 1904. While earlier 'electric light stations' were small power stations supplying a small area, large power stations required the technological development of several types of substations to convert electricity to lower voltages for private use. Substations were designed to house transformers and other bulky equipment, such as AC to DC convertors, switchgear and batteries. Two types emerged, the zone and distribution substation. Zone substations were large complex facilities receiving power from bulk supply power stations such as Pyrmont and reducing voltage for local distribution. Distribution substations reduced the voltage further and supplied customers.
City Building Surveyor and City Architect Robert Hargreave Brodrick designed Pyrmont Power Station, and his branch designed hundreds of substations across Sydney to be substantial, ornamental pieces of civic infrastructure (Vade Mecum 1906, p. 200). The quality of design and construction was high, moving beyond functionality to fine civic architecture that sat comfortably in its surrounds. Land for them was either purchased in negotiation with owners or acquired by MCS through resumption if necessary. All stand-alone substations until 1936 were designed by MCS's City Architect & Building Surveyor but built by various parties.
In 1904 MCS built its first six distribution substations: Town Hall (Sydney), Lang Park (Sydney), Athlone Place (Ultimo), Pyrmont Street (Pyrmont), Oxford Street (Darlinghurst) and Nicholson Street (Woolloomooloo).
MCS first began supplying other areas of Sydney in 1905. A small substation was built to supply the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington and another for Camperdown Children's Hospital (Murray, 2025).
Smaller private companies supplying city businesses were bought by MCS from 1907-13. MCS quickly established itself as one of two primary suppliers in Sydney, with the Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation (ELPSC) supplying electricity from Balmain Power Station to inner western suburbs from 1909 to 1956. In 1910, four municipalities entered agreements with MCS to extend mains into their areas, a rapid escalation to the extent of the network.
By 1914 MCS supply reached 23 municipalities outside the city centre, in the largest electricity network in NSW. The subsequent rapid expansion of the network in the 1920s was on a scale unprecedented in Sydney or the State and this continual network expansion required constructing additional infrastructure throughout greater Sydney. This means that a significant portion of MCS's substations were built from 1921 onwards.
PADDINGTON
Paddington (named after the London borough) was Sydney's first early suburb that was not self-sufficient. Its inhabitants had to leave the suburb daily to commute to and from their places of employment.
The area developed after a road was constructed to link up with a pilot station to be built at Watson's Bay. John Palmer, commissary, refused to allow people to cross his grant, dictating that the road had to follow a roundabout way through Paddington.
It was not until 1838, when it was decided to build a new barracks in Paddington, that the area began to grow substantially. Once soldiers and families moved here, shopkeepers followed. Construction rose with 3,800 new houses constructed from 1860 -90. (Pollen 1988: 195-7).
PADDINGTON ELECTRIFICATION
The original 1905 Substation No.9 Paddington was built in Young Street to power a new wing of the Royal Hospital for Women. Two years later, power supply from the original substation was extended to Paddington Town Hall. Paddington Municipal Council was slow to implement innovations like electric street lighting and electrification of the area was extended in an uncoordinated way.
SUBSTATION, PADDINGTON
Notification for land resumption for the new substation in Young Street was gazetted in February 1926. The land was across the road from and replaced the original substation. Construction by MCS commenced by August 1926. Bunnerong Power Station was under construction at this time, and it is likely MCS was anticipating future network needs by acquiring land and building a new substation.
The original, coloured plan for the substation, dated 8 April 1926 shows a Free Classical style building with main entrance on Young Street and a secondary entrance on Weedon Street. Interestingly, the elevation facing the corner of Young and Weedon Streets was originally designed as a flat masonry wall. At some point during design or construction, this was changed to be curved, presumably to make the most of unusual triangular site.
It is unclear who designed the 1926 substation. The original plan is unsigned, but annotated 'Approved by A.G.M.' Like all substations built by MCS, it was executed within the architectural branch of the City Building Surveyor's Department.
MODIFICATION INTO PART OF A ZONE SUBSTATION
Plans for a Zone substation to accommodate increased demand and wider distribution from Bunnerong Power Station were underway by 1929. MCS acquired the land behind Substation, Paddington, by purchase and resumption. The Great Depression curtailed capital works and in 1935 the whole electricity undertaking was transferred from MCS to Sydney County Council (SCC). Planning for the new substation commenced in 1936.
The zone substation was working by late 1939. The entrance to 'Substation No. 342' was on Weedon Avenue, and Substation, Paddington, was incorporated into it.
In 1952, the NSW Electricity Commission (Elcom) became overall State authority providing electricity in NSW, and SCC generating assets were transferred to it. Elcom controlled NSW's electricity until dissolved with the Sydney Electricity Act 1990. A series of private and public entities now provide electricity and its infrastructure in Sydney, overseen by the NSW Government. Ausgrid now manages most active distribution and zone substations (excluding the high-voltage transmission network).
Substation, Paddington, has continued in service as part of the zone substation since 1939 and, equipment upgrades notwithstanding, remains largely intact. |