East Perth Power Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Perth Power Station |
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East Perth Power Station at the centre of this 1930 photograph: Bunbury Bridge crosses the river and East Perth Gasometer is in the top right
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| General information | |
| Type | Power Station |
| Location | East Perth, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°56′46″S 115°52′50″E / 31.94624°S 115.88047°E |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 8 January 2016 |
| Reference no. | 3318 |
The East Perth Power Station is an old, no-longer-used power station located in East Perth, Western Australia. It's a large area with many industrial buildings. This site covers more than 8.5 hectares. It is located near East Parade, Summers Street, the Swan River, and the Graham Farmer Freeway.
History of the Power Station
The East Perth Power Station was built between 1913 and 1916. The Western Australian Government constructed it. The goal was to generate all the electricity for the Perth area. East Perth was chosen for its location. Coal could easily arrive by train. Also, the Swan River provided lots of cooling water. This water was needed for the plant's condensing system. The total cost to build the station was £538,000.
In the 1920s, 1930s, and 1950s, new power generators were added. This was done to meet Perth's growing need for electricity. By 1948, the station had many different ways to make power.
In 1968, the station changed from using coal to using oil. But six years later, it switched back to burning coal. The station stopped working in December 1981. Newer and cheaper ways to make electricity became available. This made the old power station no longer needed.
Protecting this Important Building
The East Perth Power Station is seen as a very important industrial heritage building. It still has old machines and equipment inside. Experts believe this equipment is unique in the world. It shows five different stages of power generation technology. These stages were used throughout the 20th century.
Plans to protect and save the site began early. They were first put in place in 1993. In 2007, a special project collected stories from former workers. These stories are now kept at the Battye Library. In 2011, a historian named Charles Fox wrote a book. It was about the station's history and called Powering Perth.
Future Plans for the Site
In the 2000s, a group called the East Perth Redevelopment Authority made plans. They wanted to decide what to do with the site. The public could share their ideas for three months. This happened from November 2004 to February 2005. Work started on the site in July 2004. This included cleaning up and making the buildings stable.
In 2005, the Government of Western Australia looked at building a new stadium. They suggested two places for it. One was Kitchener Park near Subiaco Oval. The other was the East Perth Power Station site. In 2008, the government decided to build the stadium at Kitchener Park. This meant the Power Station site would be used for something else.
The plan was to build a new $500 million museum there. Design work for the museum was to start in 2008. Construction was expected to begin in 2012. The museum was planned to open in late 2015. The government's Office of Strategic Projects was in charge of this work.
However, a new government was elected in 2009. The new Liberal party government, led by Colin Barnett, stopped these plans. They wanted to reduce government spending.
In February 2015, the site was divided into four parts. These parts were put up for sale to developers. The first part for sale included the power station building itself. The buyer would have to keep and redevelop this historic building.
