Longreach Powerhouse MEG
The Longreach Powerhouse
Museum is the old powerhouse with some of the original plant
in situ. The Longreach Shire Council runs the museum
and Gary Deakin is the council's Museum Officer. Gary was
interested in the MEGs network and wanted to start a MEG at
the museum. Unfortunately, due to a lack of volunteers, he
almost did not continue with the idea. However, thanks to
his enthusiasm, Gary started a ‘group of one' with plans to
expand in the future.
As a starting point,
Gary has provided some information on the early years of the
Longreach Powerhouse. He has promised to add a few stories
from some of the men who worked at the site for the next Longreach
MEG report, which will appear early in 2005. Thank you Gary
In keeping with the
partnership initiative of the principle of the MEGs, our Director,
Jan, has also contributed some information gleaned through
research into the QEM Archives for this report. More will
follow early in 2005.
Selected Newspaper
Articles from 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 i thout 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. With thanks
to Gary Deakin)
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 State Electricity
Commission of Queensland (SECQ) Sixteenth Annual Report in
1953 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 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 .
(Edited by Dr. J.
King from the SEAQ Annual Report for1953, p.10, QEM
Archives)
Longreach Powerhouse,
QEM Archives.
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