Charters Towers
Maggi Watson and her band of enthusiastic
volunteers spend a great deal of their time helping visitors
and residents of Charters Towers to enjoy the historical sites
in the city.
Our Director, Jan,
visited Charters Towers when Maggi expressed an interest in
starting a MEG to look into the energy history of the area.
The group is now established and we can begin to collect stories
of energy through time in Charters Towers . The gathered information
will help to expand the local history collection of the area.
To illustrate the
partnership between QEM and each MEG, Jan has compiled some
initial research relating to Charters Towers energy history.
Then we have Maggi's first contribution from the Charters
Towers MEG. Thank you Maggi! More will follow shortly, so
keep looking!
Charters Towers Electric
Supply Company building, 1950.
Charters Towers
Powerhouse
In 1939, electricity
to 274 consumers in Charters Towers was supplied by the North
Australian Woollen Worsted Mills ( Charters Towers ) Ltd.
The plant included:
One 100-kw Bellis and
Morcom steam engine direct-coupled to a Lancashire alternator;
One 484-h.p. National
heavy-oil engine direct-coupled to an alternator;
One 335-h.p. National
heavy-oil engine direct-coupled to a 300-kva Brush alternator;
One 75-h.p. Fairbanks
Morse heavy-oil engine direct-coupled to a 60-kva G.E. alternator;
One 35-h.p. Fairbanks
Morse heavy-oil engine direct-coupled to a 30-kva alternator.
The distribution system
primary, 2,200 volts; secondary, 415/240 volts, 50 cycle,
three-phase a.c.
Out of a population
of 8,100 in the supply area, there were 785 consumers.
(Source: Tait's Electrical
Directory, 1939-1940, p.179. QEM Archive)
Note from Dr. Jan King
The 75-h.p. Fairbanks Morse generating set is still in Charters
Towers at the Ergon Energy site (as at August 2004).
Mr. John Fordham wrote
an article on the Charters Towers Power Station for The
Olde Machinery Mart in August 1990. On the cover of
the magazine was a photograph of the generating set. Mr. Fordham
collected some information about the Charters Towers Power
Station from Mr. G. Matthews of Townsville, who was a former
Maintenance Superintendent at the Power Station. Both of the
Fairbanks Morse engines were originally installed at Cambelltown
for the NSW railways. They were installed at Charters Towers
in 1931 by a Mr. Glover for the North Australian Woollen and
Worsted Mills
'
Mr. Fordham also offered
the following brief history of Charters Towers electricity
supply:
1897 Electricity
generation commenced, Charters Towers Electricity Supply Co.
1910 Electricity
undertaking by the Charters Towers Gas, Coke, Coal and Light
Co.
1920 Electricity
generation ceased.
1931 North Australian
Woollen and Worsted Mills ( Charters Towers ) Ltd. Commenced
electricity generation.
1956 Electricity
undertaking transferred to Townsville Regional Electricity
Board.
1977 Townsville Regional
Electricity Board became North Queensland Electricity Board.
Thank you to Mr. Fordham
for the information.
Here
is Maggi's first contribution.
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