Longreach Powerhouse
The Longreach Powerhouse Museum is situated in the old powerhouse with some of the original plant in situ. The site is managed and operated by Longreach Regional Council.
Selected Information from Newspaper Articles, Longreach 1920-1934
In 1920, the Western Champion reported that fifteen thousand pounds had been set aside for an electricity scheme in Longreach. The council were expecting the foundations for the engines ‘any day’ and the poles to be erected by 1 May 1920.
The first year of the operation of the powerhouse, 1921, was reported to have been without any interruption to the supply generated by the four engines. The powerhouse was described as being ‘magnificently equipped and undoubtedly one of the most up to date plants in the State. It promises to be a great financial success’.
The Longreach Leader’ stated that there were 560 consumers by 1927. An interesting insight into the social history of Longreach is revealed through some of the articles appearing during the year. The availability of electric lighting provided an alternative for sporting fans. No longer were they confined to daylight matches. The Longreach Leader reported that the Longreach Rugby League Committee conducted ‘Electric Light Sports’ every Friday evening.
In the same year there was a warning in the newspaper to consumers reminding them that they faced a penalty if they replaced their own electricity fuses. Only authorised persons were allowed to conduct such work.
The Electrical Engineer in 1927 was Mr. Pollard. He mentioned that he was often asked if it was ‘cheaper and better’ to iron in the evenings. His reply was that ‘it costs the same to iron at any time; there is no variation in charge, but it is better to iron during the day time, because users will get better efficiency from their iron, as the supply is heavily loaded at night with lights’.
In 1930, the newspaper carried an appeal to schools to instruct the children not to fly kites in streets that had electricity mains. Apparently, there had been problems with kites coming into contact with mains.
For Show Week in 1930, the town’s Eagle Street was festooned with brightly coloured strings of electric lights, which presented ‘a brilliant festive appearance’.
In 1934, the Electrical Engineer, Mr. Crowley, reported that there had been the occasional interruption in supply caused by cars and trucks driving into mains. He said that when the ‘culprits’ were found, they would have to pay the cost of the repairs.
In the same year, consumers were advised that it was an offence to connect any electrical appliance such as an iron, kettle or wireless without applying for permission from the council. The appliances were required to be inspected before installation and consumer use.
Longreach cricket fans caused a ‘heavy increase in load due to radio listeners’ tuning in to the Test Matches in September 1934. It was possible to listen to matches played in many parts of the world by turning on the electric radio set.
In 1934, part of the Longreach Powerhouse was destroyed by fire. The claim for repairs came to fourteen pounds five shillings.
(Edited by Dr. J. King from a list of newspaper articles in Power and Progress by E Britton and G Deakin, (1999), pp.37-38)
The Powerhouse
The Longreach Shire Council inaugurated the supply in 1921. The Electrical Engineer in 1939 was Mr. H.A.D. Meares.
The powerhouse plant in 1939 included:
One 140-h.p. Hornsby twin-cylinder horizontal suction gas-engine, belt-driving an 85-kW generator;
One 100-h.p. Hornsby twin-cylinder horizontal suction gas-engine, belt-driving a 50-kW generator;
One 64-h.p. Hornsby single-cylinder horizontal suction gas-engine, direct coupled to a 40-kW generator;
One 300-h.p. National vertical gas engine, direct coupled to a 175-kW Lancashire generator.
The tariff varied in relation to the units consumed. Lighting units ranged from one shilling to 9d. per unit, less 2d. per unit depending on usage.
The first 300 units of power cost 5d. per unit and all over that cost 4d. per unit. Refrigeration costs 1½d. less 10% and electric stoves rated at 2d. per unit. If the consumer combined domestic light and power, the tariff was one shilling per unit for the first 10 units, 9d. per unit for the next 10 units and all in excess were 9d. per unit.
For the year 1938/9, a total of 443,370 units were sold.
To generate the electricity, 433 tons of charcoal was used at a cost of three pounds four shilling per ton.
(Source: Tait’s Electrical Director, 1939/40, p.186-187. QEM Archive)
The Sixteenth Annual Report of the State Electricity Commission of Queensland (SECQ) in1953 mentioned the Longreach Powerhouse. It was stated that the commissioning of coal-burning gas producers in the powerhouse was the first time in Australia for that type of plant to be used for public electricity supply purposes. The producers used screened coal from the Blair Athol mine and ‘were the subject of considerable investigation following their initial installation in December 1951’. The producers were rebuilt extensively by contractors and finally tested in February 1953. The guaranteed output was exceeded and the efficiency maintained to satisfaction. The gas producers were more economical than either charcoal or oil fuel on which Longreach Powerhouse previously depended.
The cost of different fuels in Longreach in 1953 for an annual output of 2,000,000 units
OIL = ₤24,600; CHARCOAL = ₤17,850; COAL = ₤6,900
Based on the experience in Longreach, coal-burning gas producers were being installed in Dalby, Emerald, Blackall and Barcaldine. It was also predicted that the producers would be used in the near future in Western Queensland.
(SEAQ Annual Report for1953, p.10, QEM Archives)
Selected Information from Newspaper Articles, Longreach 1920-1934
In 1920, the Western Champion reported that fifteen thousand pounds had been set aside for an electricity scheme in Longreach. The council were expecting the foundations for the engines ‘any day’ and the poles to be erected by 1 May 1920.
The first year of the operation of the powerhouse, 1921, was reported to have been without any interruption to the supply generated by the four engines. The powerhouse was described as being ‘magnificently equipped and undoubtedly one of the most up to date plants in the State. It promises to be a great financial success’.
The Longreach Leader’ stated that there were 560 consumers by 1927. An interesting insight into the social history of Longreach is revealed through some of the articles appearing during the year. The availability of electric lighting provided an alternative for sporting fans. No longer were they confined to daylight matches. The Longreach Leader reported that the Longreach Rugby League Committee conducted ‘Electric Light Sports’ every Friday evening.
In the same year there was a warning in the newspaper to consumers reminding them that they faced a penalty if they replaced their own electricity fuses. Only authorised persons were allowed to conduct such work.
The Electrical Engineer in 1927 was Mr. Pollard. He mentioned that he was often asked if it was ‘cheaper and better’ to iron in the evenings. His reply was that ‘it costs the same to iron at any time; there is no variation in charge, but it is better to iron during the day time, because users will get better efficiency from their iron, as the supply is heavily loaded at night with lights’.
In 1930, the newspaper carried an appeal to schools to instruct the children not to fly kites in streets that had electricity mains. Apparently, there had been problems with kites coming into contact with mains.
For Show Week in 1930, the town’s Eagle Street was festooned with brightly coloured strings of electric lights, which presented ‘a brilliant festive appearance’.
In 1934, the Electrical Engineer, Mr. Crowley, reported that there had been the occasional interruption in supply caused by cars and trucks driving into mains. He said that when the ‘culprits’ were found, they would have to pay the cost of the repairs.
In the same year, consumers were advised that it was an offence to connect any electrical appliance such as an iron, kettle or wireless without applying for permission from the council. The appliances were required to be inspected before installation and consumer use.
Longreach cricket fans caused a ‘heavy increase in load due to radio listeners’ tuning in to the Test Matches in September 1934. It was possible to listen to matches played in many parts of the world by turning on the electric radio set.
In 1934, part of the Longreach Powerhouse was destroyed by fire. The claim for repairs came to fourteen pounds five shillings.
(Edited by Dr. J. King from a list of newspaper articles in Power and Progress by E Britton and G Deakin, (1999), pp.37-38)
The Powerhouse
The Longreach Shire Council inaugurated the supply in 1921. The Electrical Engineer in 1939 was Mr. H.A.D. Meares.
The powerhouse plant in 1939 included:
One 140-h.p. Hornsby twin-cylinder horizontal suction gas-engine, belt-driving an 85-kW generator;
One 100-h.p. Hornsby twin-cylinder horizontal suction gas-engine, belt-driving a 50-kW generator;
One 64-h.p. Hornsby single-cylinder horizontal suction gas-engine, direct coupled to a 40-kW generator;
One 300-h.p. National vertical gas engine, direct coupled to a 175-kW Lancashire generator.
The tariff varied in relation to the units consumed. Lighting units ranged from one shilling to 9d. per unit, less 2d. per unit depending on usage.
The first 300 units of power cost 5d. per unit and all over that cost 4d. per unit. Refrigeration costs 1½d. less 10% and electric stoves rated at 2d. per unit. If the consumer combined domestic light and power, the tariff was one shilling per unit for the first 10 units, 9d. per unit for the next 10 units and all in excess were 9d. per unit.
For the year 1938/9, a total of 443,370 units were sold.
To generate the electricity, 433 tons of charcoal was used at a cost of three pounds four shilling per ton.
(Source: Tait’s Electrical Director, 1939/40, p.186-187. QEM Archive)
The Sixteenth Annual Report of the State Electricity Commission of Queensland (SECQ) in1953 mentioned the Longreach Powerhouse. It was stated that the commissioning of coal-burning gas producers in the powerhouse was the first time in Australia for that type of plant to be used for public electricity supply purposes. The producers used screened coal from the Blair Athol mine and ‘were the subject of considerable investigation following their initial installation in December 1951’. The producers were rebuilt extensively by contractors and finally tested in February 1953. The guaranteed output was exceeded and the efficiency maintained to satisfaction. The gas producers were more economical than either charcoal or oil fuel on which Longreach Powerhouse previously depended.
The cost of different fuels in Longreach in 1953 for an annual output of 2,000,000 units
OIL = ₤24,600; CHARCOAL = ₤17,850; COAL = ₤6,900
Based on the experience in Longreach, coal-burning gas producers were being installed in Dalby, Emerald, Blackall and Barcaldine. It was also predicted that the producers would be used in the near future in Western Queensland.
(SEAQ Annual Report for1953, p.10, QEM Archives)
