No.3 Substation

Author

City of Perth

Place Number

02233

Location

98 Colin St West Perth

Location Details

Cnr Thelma St

Other Name(s)

Electricity Substation
Sub Station

Local Government

Perth

Region

Metropolitan

Construction Date

Constructed from 1914

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
RHP - Assessed - Consultation (Preliminary) Current 16 Jun 2016

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management
Category
Local Heritage Survey Completed\Draft Category 2
Local Heritage Survey Adopted 28 Mar 2023 Category 2
Municipal Inventory 13 Mar 2001
Perth Draft Inventory 99-01 YES 31 Dec 1999

Statement of Significance

The four buildings were constructed by Perth City Council to operate as the main line substations in conjunction with the State Government’s East Perth Power Station (1916), the first centralised electricity supply in Perth, and one (No.4 Substation, Stuart Street) continued to operate as an electricity substation into the twenty-first century. The four buildings are a rare example of a complete set of early twentieth-century electricity substations relating to the initial development of an electricity network in Western Australia. The four buildings are good examples of utilitarian structures designed in the Federation Warehouse style to fit within city streetscapes, an approach to constructing and siting industrial buildings that is no longer practised. Construction of the substations and installation of the plant was supervised by international company Merz & McLellan, especially Charles McLellan, who advised the City of Perth and State Government regarding electricity production and was influential in the decision to centralise and to switch from direct to alternating current. The buildings were designed by prominent and prolific Western Australian architect Jack Learmonth Ochiltree and are a good example of his design approach to functional buildings. The four buildings have high scientific value for their ability to contribute to the understanding of the development of power to the metropolitan region of Perth, especially No.4 Substation, Stuart Street, which retains much of its transformers and other machinery.

Physical Description

Brick power station which has been restored and adapted for commercial/residential use. Brick facade with window openings only at upper level. Stucco decorations, colourbond roof.

History

West Perth developed as suburban residential area in the late 1890s. From its inception it had the characteristics of a quality neighbourhood. Proximity to the city centre and Kings Park (then known as Perth Park), and the elevated location provided healthy site drainage as well as cooling breezes and views over the city and hills. The area had social status already associated with addresses in nearby Mount Street and access to the city's piped water system. The area was subdivided into large residential lots for development and proceed accordingly. The homes built in West Perth from the early 1900s included prestigious mansions built in prominent locations and smaller working class cottages in the narrower back streets and towards the northern end of the area adjacent to the railway. The former power station has been restored and adapted for commercial/residential use. It has a brick facade with window openings only at upper level, stucco decorations, and a Colorbond roof. When electricity was first supplied to the City of Perth area in the early 1900s a number of electricity sub stations were constructed to service the local area. When services became more sophisticated these buildings were no longer required. The Electric Substation at 98 Colin Street was built in 1914. It is No. 3 Substation of a non-adjacent group of four two-storey red brick buildings with stucco detailing, in the Federation Warehouse style, constructed to a standard plan that was modified to suit the location of each building. The buildings are all sited within central Perth, between one and 1.5 kilometres from each other. They were constructed for Mertz and McLellan in 1914 and 1915, designed by Jack Ochiltree and constructed by Todd Brothers.

Integrity/Authenticity

Low integrity. High authenticity. Restored, original form but has lost original detail.

Condition

Good

Associations

Name Type Year From Year To
Jack Learmonth Ochiltree Architect - -

References

Ref ID No Ref Name Ref Source Ref Date
Post Office Directories State Library of Western Australia
Ian Kelly, 'The Development of Housing in Perth (1890-1915),' Thesis UWA 1992
Aerial Photographs Landgate
Cons 4156/4 Metropolitan Water Supply Survey Plans State Recordsa Office of WA
Visual Assessment

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
9716 Electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Western Australia: representation on the register of heritage places. Brochure 2007
9935 Electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Western Australia: representation on the register of heritage places. Report 2007

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use GOVERNMENTAL Power Station
Present Use RESIDENTIAL Flats\Apartment Block

Architectural Styles

Style
Federation Free Classical

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof TILE Terracotta Tile
Wall BRICK Face Brick
Wall BRICK Painted Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Manufacturing & processing
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Community services & utilities
SOCIAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES Government & politics
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Government policy
DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY Technology & technological change
OCCUPATIONS Commercial & service industries

Creation Date

28 Apr 1989

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

10 Jun 2024

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.