Power in the East - A Short History of the Electricity Department of the City of Doncaster & Templestowe (White 1986). Publication has no copyright symbol. No publisher. No record in NLA. No ISBN. Apr2021 - All contact enquiries, online and offline effort to locate author failed.
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POWER IN THE EAST
Cover Doncaster Post Office 1920
A Short History of the Electricity Department of the City of Doncaster and Templestowe by John White,
Feb. 1986.
POWER IN THE EAST
Cover: Doncaster Post Office 1920
A Short History of the Electricity Department of the City of Doncaster and Templestowe by John White,
Feb. 1986.
Doncaster Road 1900
John White retired from the Electricity Department in August 1985 after serving Council for 22 years. He has previously produced a booklet for disabled motorists entitled "Oops my Crutch is Slipping" and has contributed to rehabilitation journals.
The Commencement
Valentine Crowley rose nervously to present his plan to the Council Despite the soundness of his scheme, and his special qualifications, he knew he faced strong opposition.
"Gentlemen”, he began, "the capital cost of an Electric Lighting Scheme is 1,845 pounds ($3,690). This includes high voltage supply from Koonung Koonung Creek to the comer of Doncaster and Blackburn Roads. Money for the first year’s wages and incidentals is255 pounds ($510), making the total to be borrowed 2,100 pounds ($4,200).”
Murmurs of dissent from two of the six men seated around the table came clearly to him. In addition, he felt that another was wavering. It was time to present his outstanding news.
"I am pleased to be able to inform you that some members of the Progress Association have been so public spirited as to guarantee the Council against all loss in the business”.
He paused for effect, then continued.
"I would mention that this is the finest thing that I have encountered in this State, and I think the District is to be congratulated on having such Citizens”.
It was Monday 24 August 1914, and the long battle by the Doncaster Progress Association was nearly woa
In 1911, the Progress Association had asked the Council to erect 6 street lamps at various points in Doncaster Road. The Shire Secretary told Council' ’
...the cost of each street lamp would be about five pounds three shillings
($10.30) and the cost of kerosene burning until midnight on nights which are not moonlight sixteen shillings ($1.60) including chimneys and wicks.”
The Council ruled that this was too costly. Electric Light must have seemed very distant, but the Progress Association persisted.
At this time several municipalities were supplying electric lighting to their citizens. In the Melbourne area prior to 1890 there had been competition between the existing Gas Company and the new electric companies for the service of street lighting. In that year a shipping strike restricted supplies of coal to the Gas Company and the Melbourne Council turned toward electricity.
By 1911 electricity around Melbourne was distributed by the Melbourne City Council and three private companies. These amalgamated to become the Melbourne Electric Supply Co. The area supplied went from Richmond to Camberwell and South Melbourne to Brighton. The demand for electricity was increasing. Many Councils gave their distribution rights to the Melbourne Electric Supply Company, but a number started their own undertakings. The City of Footscray arranged supply in 1911, Brunswick, Nunawading (which included the present Cities of Box Hill and Nunawading, and later taken over by Box Hill Council), Northcote, Port Melbourne and Preston in 1912. In the Shire of Doncaster the Council was seeking permission to fix kerosene lanterns on telegraph poles.
It was odd that the area was lagging in this venture, as it had led in so many others. The first wheat exported to England was grown in the Templestowe area around 1847. Victoria’s original gold strike was at Anderson’s Creek in 1851, and significantly, Australia’s first electric tram ran from Box Hill to Doncaster in 1889.
However, Council was concerned about its street lighting. On 1 September 1913, the district got one electric street lamp. It was located outside the West Doncaster Cool Store in Doncaster Road, westwards of Williamsons Road. The light costfour pounds ten shillings($9) to install, and was supplied from the Cool Store’s generator at an annual cost of two pounds ($4).
The other street lights were kerosene and erected only after the shopkeepers had agreed to attend to them They were not always burning on moonless nights as promised. So on 25 February 1914, Council resolved "that those persons who promised to light the street lamps be written to asking how it is that they are not lighted”. Meanwhile the Progress Association took up the attack with a deputation requesting the district be provided with electric light and power.
Council considered two schemes. The first required the building of a Power House to generate supply, at a cost of 4,616 pounds ($9,232). The second plan was to take supply from the Melbourne Electric Supply Company at a total cost of 3,798 pounds ($7,596). Both schemes relied on residential supply and needed connection to 150 homes to be financially successful. Council did not believe 150 homes would be connected as the houses were so scattered.
At the same meeting Consulting Engineer, Mr V) Crowley made a report on supplying electricity to Doncaster at a cost of 1,845 pounds ($3,690). Itwas decided that should Council take action, they would appoint Mr Crowley as their Consultant.
A special meeting was arranged for 24 August 1914, for Mr Crowley to make a full report, and that for the meeting, he and members of the Doncaster Progress Association were to count the number of houses that could be connected. At this meeting the Consultant was able to make his historic report that seven members of the Progress Association had actually agreed to guarantee the Council against loss.
In appointing Valentine Crowley as consultant, Council obtained the service of one of the most experienced Electrical Engineers in the country. Stating
his qualifications Crowley said, "I..am acting as Consulting Electrical
Engineer to the Municipalities of Bacchus Marsh, Gisborne, Romsey, Lance-field, Werribee, Lilydale, Maryborough, Tungamah, dunes, Coburg, Wynyard (Tas.) and reported last month on the Coburg-Brunswick Electric Tramway for the Melbourne City Council”.
Tenders were called for the supply and installation of the distribution system, and 28 tenders were received. The contracts were split into portions and were awarded to 7 of the tenderers.
An Order in Council under the Electric Light and Power Act was obtained from the State Government and an Agreement was signed with the Melbourne Electric Supply Company. A loan of 1,750 pounds ($3,500) from the Commonwealth Bank was raised. By now the first World War had started and completion of the scheme was delayed until early 1916 due to difficulties in obtaining cables and materials.
On 9 February Mrs Zerbe, wife of the Shire President, switched on the first electricity to the district. Supply was made to 100 houses, 25 street lights, and six irrigation pumps. Power was brought by a single phase4000 volt line along Doncaster Road from the Council’s boundary with the City of Camberwell Generation of this power came from the Melbourne Electric Supply Co.'s plant in Green Street, Richmond. The regulations required all high tension wires in the metropolitan area be underground, but as the route was sparsely built on, permission was granted from the Ministry of Works to erect the line overhead. The Melbourne Electric Supply Company continued to supply power to Doncaster until taken over the the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in 1930.
Paying tribute to those early pioneers, the City’s present General Manager Electricity Services, Graeme Andersen said, "The foresight and courage of the members of the Progress Association was outstanding. The debt they guaranteed was a fortune in those times. Happily the undertaking was an immediate success, and contributions were never needed to repay the loan”.
Further Expansion
The initial development created interest from ratepayers in other parts of the municipality. In October 1915 the Shire of Templestowe had re-united with the Shire of Doncaster after a severance of 25 years. The residents of Bulleen and Templestowe were quick to seek extension of power to their areas. Further Orders in Council were obtained, and by 1920 electricity had been carried east to Springvale Road, and two years later, after some difficulty with funding, power was brought to Templestowe.
Taking electricity to Warrandyte was a daunting task, and one which the Council could not solve from its own resources. An early plan proposed a hydro electric plant in the Pound Bend tunnel, but this proved far too costly. Help had to come from another direction.
By now the State Electricity Commission of Victoria had commenced operations. Formed to develop the huge brown coal resources in the La Trobe Valley, the Commission gradually acquired most of the private and municipal electricity undertakings.
A major factor in this expansion was the Commission’s takeover of the Melbourne Electric Supply Company in 1930. The Company supplied bulk electricity to cities including Northcote, Preston, Heidelberg and Shires of Nunawading (now City of Box Hill) and Doncaster and Templestowe. It also provided electricity services to Collingwood, Kew, Hawthorn, Camberwell, Richmond, Prahran, Malvern, South Melbourne, Brighton, Moorabbin and Fitzroy.
Realising the task of providing electricity to Warrandyte was beyond its financial ability, Council requested the S.E.C. to undertake the work. Power was eventually brought to Warrandyte citizens in December 1935, some nineteen years after their Doncaster neighbours.
The municipality remained an orchard area, and the electrical load did not develop very quickly. Power did however, play a part in making the district the leading fruit growing area in the country. Several large cool stores were opened including the first co-operative cool store in Victoria At their peak the co-operative cool stores housed 200,000 cases of fruit while private stores held another 45,000 cases.
The great "Appliance Revolution” was still a generation away, but electricity was gradually being used for more than lighting. Electric irons were introduced in 1912 when the Hotpoint iron became popular. Experiments were made in cooking appliances, but their development was slow. Fuel was relatively cheap and all houses were designed for the use of hard fuel stoves. The first electric oven, supplied by General Electric was introduced in 1912, and although it was not popular, it paved the way for the modern types. Similarly, the electric kettle, although available since 1903, was very slowly accepted. The first water heaters, introduced in 1909, were mainly used by dentists and doctors. Special tariffs were introduced to encourage their use, but it was many years before they became popular. Today in Doncaster and Templestowe nearly half of the homes have electric hot water services.
Part 3
The Roaring Days Return
The years following the Second World War saw great changes in Australia Assisted migration brought a huge influx of people with varied talents and cultures. The founding of the car and other manufacturing industries lessened our dependence on rural products. These conditions brought the great housing boom.
In the late fifties, Doncaster and Templestowe faced a population explosion greater even than the roaring gold rush days of the previous century. During the sixties, house building became the largest industry the municipality had known in its 100 year existence. To cope with the increased loadings, the electrical system had to be rebuilt.
The original 4,000 volt single phase supply had earlier been converted to 6,600 volt 3 phase supply. In 1964 part of the eastern portion of the supply system was converted to 22,000 volts. Further changes took place in 1968 when parts of Doncaster West, Bulleen and Templestowe were converted to 11,000 volts. In the midst of all this activity the State Electricity Commission made a takeover bid.
By now the S.E.C. had not only fulfilled its original charter to develop the La Trobe Valley brown coalfields. It had acquired all but eleven metropolitan electricity undertakings and a handful of country operations. The Commission’s plan was to complete the electrification of the State, and to be the sole retailer of electricity in Victoria Doncaster and Templestowe was the first metropolitan undertaking on the Commission’s 1964 takeover list
The Council was facing some mammoth tasks. There were many miles of unmade streets to be constructed, as well as numerous drains for which Council was solely responsible. The population was mainly young and in need of Infant Welfare and Child Care Centres; expanded immunisation programs, and recreation facilities. Relief from the annual problem of arranging loan funds for electricity works was appealing to some councillors. In addition, they no doubt hoped the purchase price would solve part of the road and capital works needs.
After lengthy deliberations, the Council refused the S.E.C. offer. Even those Councillors most anxious to dispose of the undertaking were not prepared to give it away. Among the reasons for refusing were the calculation of the purchase price, and the method of payment.
In valuing the worth of the Department, the S.E.C. ignored the real value of the assets and only considered the book value. The payment was not in cash, but by long term inscribed stock or debentures, bearing interest fixed at the rate then current. The Council found both these terms unacceptable.
As a result of these takeover proposals, the eleven municipal undertakings formed themselves into the Association of Municipal Electricity Authorities. This group had been very successful in negotiating for its member Councils, and has contributed to major reviews of the electricity supply industry. The home growth rate in those days was very heavy, and most new houses relied on electricity. Modem homes also brought increased usage for air conditioners, under floor heating, swimming pool filtering systems, and newly developed household appliances.
This growth during the 1960s placed the district into one of the highest domestic consumer centres in Victoria. The annual sales of electricity per consumer was 5,900 kilowatt hours, while the State average was only 3,800 kilowatt hours. In those ten years the Department handled an increase in customers from 4,000 to 15,000 and prepared itself for new initiatives.
New Initiatives
Underground Reticulation
In May 1971 the Council directed that all new subdivisions in its supply area be served by underground power lines. This revolutionary requirement has since become the norm in many areas throughout the State.
The decision meant the re-training of staff, and a large investment in new materials and equipment. This proved effective and within a few years the Department had pioneered several modern products and techniques.
The kiosk type transformer used in the underground system was designed by the Department with local manufacturers. It has become a standard for the national industry.
The street light column, designed and manufactured in the Department’s workshop served two purposes. It provided a mount for the street lamp, and a termination and fusing point for services to houses.
The Department pioneered the use of crosslink polyethylene high and low voltage cables in the underground system Special fittings and techniques had been developed for the termination of these cables.
The expertise in welding techniques for the termination of low voltage cable was developed with private industry. Employees of the Department had helped local Electrical Contractors learn these techniques.
By 1985 nearly 6,000 lots had been connected to the underground system making it one of the largest in the State.
Computers
With the large customer growth of the sixties and early seventies, the manual systems became inadequate. In 1971, the Department became the first of the municipal undertakings to computerise its billing procedures. A package for quarterly billing of domestic customers was designed, using the Local Authorities Superannuation Board as a service bureau.
This development continued with an in-house computer for commercial billing, payroll costing and stores programmes. In this area the Department during 1984 increased its computer facilities by adding networking techniques. This provided substation, street light, and pole records, design data, and a works information program.
Customer Advisory Service
In the early seventies, the Department pioneered the quarterly newsletter to its customers. A Customer Services Engineer was appointed to give technical advice, and to assist customers in the selection of appliances.
A free appliance inspection service was started, and customers were urged to use this for checking the safety of electrical items. The scheme included the repair of frayed cords, and for more complex matters detailed advice was given on the repairs needed.
Over the years, this initial program has developed into an Advisory unit to help the customer select the most applicable and economical appliances. This has been very valuable to customers when purchasing air conditioning or heating equipment and for those building a new home, or extending their present residence.
Part 5
The Future
The Victorian Government set up a Task Force in 1984 to enquire into the future structure of the Electricity Industry. After receiving submissions and holding interviews the Task Force concluded there was no basis for a structural change to the industry.
However, it did recommend that the accountability of both the Commission and municipal undertakings be improved. The Task Force found that all should report to the Minister for Industry, Technology and Resources on matters of electricity supply policy. Until that stage the Municipal Electricity Departments reported only to the Minister for Local Government.
The Task Force also recommended that uniform accounting practices, and reporting procedures should be introduced.
From these recommendations joint Council/SECV committees have started to develop uniform accounting practices, and performance indicators for the industry.
These, and future co-operative ventures will bring great benefits to the electric supply users of Victoria
The Doncaster undertaking approaches its eighth decade with 29,000 customers in a community vastly different from that of its origins. Yet the pioneer spirit of those times remains. Referring to this link with the past, the General Manager Electricity Services, Graeme Andersen said, "Over the last seventy years, the Department has shown initiative and excellence in contributions to both customers, and the electricity industry. This will continue”.
Underground Reticulation
Doncaster Road, 1985
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