Electricity Substation No. 349 facts for kids

The Electricity Substation No. 349 is a special building in Randwick, Australia. It helps deliver electricity to homes and businesses. It was designed by Walter Frederick White and built in 1930 by J Rutherford. This substation is also known as #349 Princes Street substation. It is owned by Ausgrid, which is a company that provides electricity. This building is so important that it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 May 2008.

History of Electricity Substation No. 349

Early History of the Land

Before the 1780s, the local Aboriginal people used this area. They fished and held cultural activities here. You can still find signs of their presence, like rock carvings and grinding grooves. The Aboriginal people are thought to have lived in the Sydney area for at least 20,000 years. The Cadigal people lived south of Port Jackson to Botany Bay. The local clan in Maroubra was called "Muru-ora-dial". After Europeans arrived, many Aboriginal people moved away or sadly died from new diseases.

How Randwick Grew

One of the first land grants in this area was given in 1824. Captain Francis Marsh received 12 acres of land. Later, in 1839, William Newcombe bought land nearby.

Randwick got its name from a town in England. Simeon Pearce and his brother James suggested the name. Simeon was born in Randwick, England. The brothers helped develop both Randwick and Coogee. Simeon bought land and built his house, calling it "Randwick". He also helped get a road built from Sydney to Coogee in 1853. He pushed for Randwick to become its own town.

At first, Randwick grew slowly. It was hard to get to Sydney because of swamps and sandhills. A horse-bus started in the late 1850s, but the journey was tough. The bus often got stuck in the sand!

Randwick had different kinds of people living there. Wealthy families lived in big, fancy houses. But working-class people lived in smaller homes, often working in market gardens or with animals. There was even a very poor area called Irishtown, where families lived in makeshift houses.

In 1858, the NSW Government passed a law to create local councils. Randwick was the first suburb to apply. It became a municipality in February 1859.

Sporting events were popular in Randwick. A racecourse, the Sandy Racecourse, opened in 1860. In 1863, John Tait started the famous Randwick Racecourse. This made a big difference to Randwick. Trams soon linked the suburb to Sydney. Randwick became a busy and successful place, and it still is today.

Powering Sydney: Electricity Supply

Electricity Substation No. 349 was built around 1930. The Municipal Council of Sydney built it to provide power to the Randwick area. In the late 1920s and 1930s, Sydney was growing fast. More and more homes and businesses needed electricity. Because of this, many electricity substations were built every year.

The Municipal Council of Sydney (MCS) started providing electricity in 1904. They built many small substations across Sydney. The MCS supplied power to inner Sydney and also to outer suburbs. Over time, other private companies joined the electricity market. However, the MCS bought most of them.

In 1935, the Sydney County Council (SCC) took over the MCS's electricity work. The SCC built 40-50 new substations each year! It became the largest local authority in Australia. Later, the SCC changed its name to Sydney Electricity in 1991. In 1996, it merged with another company to become EnergyAustralia.

How Substation Designs Changed

Early electricity substations were often large and fancy buildings. But as more and more were needed, they became smaller and simpler. This helped save money and build them faster. By the late 1920s, many substations used standard designs. They were often built to fit on a typical suburban block.

However, substation designs still followed popular architectural styles. Some special, unique substations were built for "high class" suburbs. By the 1950s, the trend of fancy designs ended. Newer substations became simple brick boxes or metal kiosks. Today, many substations are hidden inside larger buildings or underground.

The early electricity companies wanted substations in residential areas to look good. An architect joined the Sydney County Council in 1936 to help with this. Substation No. 349 is a great example of this effort.

What Substation No. 349 Looks Like

Electricity Substation No. 349 is built in the Interwar Mediterranean style. It also has parts that look like Spanish Mission style. It has a single gable roof. The front wall has a large arched doorway with a fancy plaster decoration above it.

One side of the building has a door for workers. It also has a raised roof section with a ventilation turret. This turret has fake windows and decorative metalwork. The ventilation panels are made of curved concrete blocks. The building is made of brick and covered with a smooth stucco finish. The roof is made of curved ceramic tiles.

Condition of the Building

The building is in good condition. The outside of the building still looks like it did when it was built. The equipment inside has been updated over the years.

Changes Made

The gutters and downpipes have been replaced. Modern chain wire fences have also been added.

Why Substation No. 349 is Special

Electricity Substation No. 349 in Randwick is very important. It is a beautiful and well-preserved example of an Interwar Mediterranean style substation. It also has parts of the Spanish Mission style.

The City Architect's Office of the Municipal Council of Sydney designed it around 1930. They built it to provide power to the growing suburbs. This substation shows the high quality of work from the City Architect's Office. They wanted their buildings to look good in the city. This building shows how electricity providers used to add artistic value to useful buildings.

It is the largest and most complete substation of its kind. It is still used for its original purpose today.

Electricity Substation No. 349 was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register because it meets several important rules:

• It shows how history unfolded in New South Wales.

This substation is important because it was part of a big expansion of electricity. It helped bring power to Sydney's eastern suburbs in the 1920s and 1930s. It also shows how electricity supply has continued over time. It still works as part of Sydney's electricity network today.

• It is connected to important people in history.

Substation No. 349 is linked to the work of Walter Frederick White. He was an architect for the Municipal Council of Sydney. He worked there from about 1924 to 1947. This substation is one of the best examples of his designs for electricity substations. He also designed other important substations, like the Waverley Zone Substation No. 269 in Bondi.

• It shows great design and creative skill.

This substation is a unique and beautiful example of its style. It is unusually large and has many fine details. It shows the high standards of the City Architect's Office. They made sure these buildings fit well into the urban environment. It is similar to the Waverley Zone Substation No. 269, both designed by Walter Frederick White. Substation No. 349 is the most complete of the Spanish Mission style substations in Sydney.

• It is rare or special in New South Wales history.

Electricity Substation No. 349 is the only distribution substation of its style with such fine details that is still complete and in its original condition. Other similar substations built between 1929 and 1939 are smaller, less detailed, and not as well preserved. These include: * No. 300, Clovelly (around 1929) * No. 314, Vaucluse (1930) * No. 364, Bellevue Hill (1931) * No. 592, Watsons Bay (1939)

• It shows the main features of similar places in New South Wales.

While it serves a typical function in the electricity network, this substation is unusually large and well-designed for a distribution substation.