South Fremantle Power Station Timeline
1987
Day of the Panther starts filming with a lot of the action scenes taking place in the power station. Its sequel Strike of the Panther is also shot at the same time and both direct-to-video films are directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith (Scott Murray). Both films are privately financed and filming takes place at a number of other Perth and Fremantle locations, including the “Mount Hospital, Chinatown in Roe Street and the Chinese restaurant on Mill Point Road near the freeway” (The Worst of Perth).
1986
July 15 - The State Government is considering using the South Fremantle Power Station to temporarily store Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) but the proposal has been deferred indefinitely.
August 9 – Tests of fish from the immediate vicinity of the power station show they are contaminated with up to 140 times the recommended level of the potentially lethal chemical PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls), (Canberra Times).
The State Energy Commission of WA samples areas around the South Fremantle Power Station groyne for PCB contamination, following the discovery of PCB capacitors within the structure. “Upon dismantling the groyne it was discovered that all of the capacitors were above the water level, the capacitors were removed and the groyne rebuilt”.
1985
September 27 - The South Fremantle Power Station is decommissioned and closed after 34 years’ service. Approximately 60 jobs are lost, although some workers are provided with employment elsewhere within SECWA.
Exiting below to the control rooms to the north of the building and continuing in that direction, the tunnel located here bore the electrical output from the power station to the switchyard to the north, which is still extant and operational. It is back filled and sealed during the process of decommissioning.
1984
September 10 – The Deputy Premier is asked to report on the Parry Corporation proposal, which intends to establish a marine technology park and in turn, asks the Board of the WA Technology Development Authority to evaluate the proposal. He also requests the board to assess a consultant's pre-feasibility study conducted on the site of the South Fremantle Power Station as a potential location to establish the marine technology park.
September 26 - There are currently 95 workers employed at the South Fremantle power station, with 21 people intending to retire following its closure. Remaining employees are expected to be relocated to other positions within the State Electricity Commission. Five workers will remain at the power station for an approximate two year period from September 1985 for 'care and maintenance' purposes.
October 24 – In a section titled ‘Engine Drivers (State Energy Commission) Award No.15 of 1977 before the Western Australian Industrial Commission (No.664 of 1984):
(5) (a) A worker under the direct control of the Station Engineer Bunbury, Kwinana, Muja or South Fremantle Power Station, being operating thermal power stations with installed capacity in excess of 12.5 megawatts, shall, where employed on the maintenance or operation of such power station be paid $21.10 per week.
1981
March 25 - There are no plans to close down the South Fremantle power station, particularly, as a coal-fired power station, it continues to make a significant contribition to the State Energy Commission's supply system. At thirty years of age, it's expected the power station would have a life expectancy of approximately 40 years. The power station currently has 180 workers.
December 24 – Operations at East Perth Power Station ceases, marking 65 years of continuous operations. A number of small facilities continue to remain in operation on the site.
1980's
By the 1980s, production of electricity at South Fremantle had become uneconomical.
1977
November - The Cockburn Sound Study Group conduct an analysis of Cockburn Sound sediments for traces of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) with no positive results found.
1976
April 14 - It's reported that workers at the South Fremantle power station used to add high quantities of chlorine gas into the discharge pipes leading from the condensers, as a common practice of killing marine growth. Following the construction of the power station and the subsequent discharged waste being released into the ocean, it was evident that fish stocks, namely herring and tailer, were being depleted in the entire area.
June 22 – Corporal Lawrence Mealin, who was with the 3 Squadron SASR (1st Special Air Service Squadron), dies aged 27 when he falls down a coal chute/coal storage pit at the power station, whilst participating in a night raiding exercise. Born in Burma, he had enlisted on 17 May 1967 and served in the Vietnam War between 8 September 1969 – 13 August 1970 (Special Air Service Historical Foundation, Special Forces Roll of Honour and Virtual War Memorial Australia).
Some reports of a worker going to the second floor of the office building and jumping out the window to his death is unsubstantiated and newer information states that the death may have actually been accidentally caused when a worker, on his break, fell asleep, falling from the ledge he was sitting on.
1975
Richard McMahon conducts a study on the concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) found in fish in Cockburn Sound and is unable to detect any levels of it (Environmental Behaviour of PCBs (1975) Amdel Report No 1089. The Australian Mineral Development Laboratories. Adelaide, South Australia).
November 6 - Investigations are underway to identify the source of reported black oil marks staining cars, furniture and laundry on clotheslines, affecting residents of the nearby Hamilton Hill area. Whilst many complaint letters received by the Town of Cockburn have been quick to blame the power station, members of the Public Health Department suspect that it may be caused by the localised burning of industrial and domestic waste. Upon completion of the investigation, the Air Pollution Control Council will be informed.
1974
March – The net loss of four million barrels per day ends.
December – The nominal price of oil quadruples to more than $12.00.
The South Fremantle plant converts back to using coal for fuel until its closure in 1985.
1973
October 5 – Syria and Egypt launch an attack on Israel, which starts the Yom Kippur War. The United States and many western countries show their support for Israel. In reaction, several Arab crude oil-exporting nations impose an embargo on the countries supporting Israel. They curtail production by five million barrels per day, despite other countries being able to increase production by a million barrels. The loss of four million barrels per day extends through to March 1974.
Oil prices soar, increasing 400% in six months.
1971
Workers walk off the job over a wage dispute (Reid).
1970
The Kwinana power plant is constructed.
October 28 - With East Perth located a long distance from Collie, it's deemed uneconomical to transport supplies of coal to the city power station, particularly with Kwinana being much closer and a source of high calorific value furnace oil. The Kwinana power station also operates in close proximity to the oil refinery. East Perth power station currently generates a minimal level of electricity at some 2-3% of the commission's total ouput and is only good for providing power during peak loading problems. The same situation applies to the South Fremantle Power Station, with Bunbury also becoming that way. Part of these issues arise from the establishment of the Muja power station, which is far more economical than all three power stations.
1969
May 6 - Cabinet discusses the expensive coal-handling equipment that was installed at South Fremantle, which is now lying idle and subsequently written-off as a result of the change-over to oil burning. The power station was constructed at a cost of £12,000,000 (equating to $16,018,000 in 1968), which incorporates eight precipitators for £80,000. Furthermore, 16 exhausters and 16 mills, "bunkers, conveyors, locomotives, coal houses, rails in the yard, and a storage yard which runs into acres and has a concrete floor and retaining wall 6 inches thick. All this cost millions of pounds to install".
1968
August 17 - Coal stocks at South Fremantle are completely exhausted, which precipitates the change-over to oil burning.
October - The output of electricity generated by the Bunbury Power Station at 5.44% of the Commission's total output, is significantly lower than that of South Fremantle at 17.31%
December - The East Perth Power Station converts from coal to furnace oil for burning.
1967
June 23 - Whilst the State Electricity Commission refuses to disclose the price of furnace oil they're paying, an article in The West Australian today states that "the annual fuel bill for a 480-megawatt power station at Muja - using exclusively open-cut coal - would be $1,780,000 lower than a 480-megawatt station fired by oil at Kwinana".
1966
The Muja power plant is constructed, 22km east of Collie on the coalfields.
1963
A decision is made to construct the second stage of the Muja Power Station.
1962
The State Electrical Commission begins the state’s first local credit union, which is founded by electrical engineer Arthur Carter (The West Australian, 2020), to provide assistance to workers experiencing financial difficulties (Reid).
1961
July 18 - BP Australia Ltd signs a contract to annually supply the South Fremantle Power Station with 30,000 tons of furnace oil.
1960
Construction of stage A of the new Muja Power Station begins, consists of two 60 MW coal fired generating units.
End of 1950's
With B station completed and coming on full load, the plant employed over 200 people, mostly men.
1957
May - The Bunbury Power Station commences operation. The power station consists of a 30 MW turbine and two 15 MW boilers (Register of Heritage Places).
The Bunbury, Collie, East Perth and South Fremantle power stations link up to form the interconnected grid (Register of Heritage Places).
1956
The Wellington Dam Hydro-electric Generating Station is commissioned in Worsley near Collie, interconnecting the Collie Power Station with both East Perth and South Fremantle. This forms the start of the development of the South West Power Scheme, which requires an interconnected power grid as a necessity (Register of Heritage Places).
1955
April - The State Government decides to convert South Fremantle Power Station to oil burning in lieu of coal.
April 21 - A fault occurs between the South Fremantle and East Perth power stations, affecting the whole metropolitan area. It takes a few hours to restore the power and it's believed to have been caused by lightning causing an overload on the line between both power stations.
1954
January - The No.3 turbo alternator comes online.
December – The No.4 turbo alternator comes online. The power station is now complete with a total capacity of 100 MW.
October 19 – The basin for the power station provides for the condensing water intake, which requires five million gallons an hour when the station is at full load. The condensing water outlet for the warm water is on the right of the basin (The West Australian).
December 11 – 48 year old linesman William Ralph Thomas Vowles is burnt and crippled by power lines carrying 22,000 volts, after working on a pole near the power station. He is badly burnt on the scalp, the left forearm and the toes of his left foot. Later in the Fremantle Hospital, his forearm and two toes are amputated. Only his safety belt prevented a serious fall after he touched the wires. Other linesmen working nearby, lower him to the ground and give him artificial respiration, using a ladder as a rocking stretcher across a truck until a St John ambulance arrives. He later dies on 17 December.
A major fire in the coal conveyor from the crusher house causes structural damage that is so severe, it forces the plant to switch to oil fuel for the boilers, as coal could not be obtained. The gantry, that led to the coal hopper handing plant, was completely burnt down.
1953
February 5 - Rigger Arthur Foxan is working on the roof of the power station is knocked unconconscious. Whilst repairing a chimney stack some 150ft off the ground, a sudden gust of wind swings a sling suspended from a crane, crushing his head on contact. A colleague manages to grab him before he could fall 50ft to a cement floor below.
November 26 – The ‘B’ section of the power station is expected to be completed for winter next year with the full capacity of the four turbo-alternators in operation. Plans are underway for a new power station to be built in Bunbury, with its first machine on load in five years (West Australian).
1952
January 22 – A power station for Bunbury is being planned twice as big as South Fremantle with 200,00kw. Combining the East Perth and South Fremantle power stations supply of more than 150,000kw to the metropolitan area (Daily News).
February 4 – The Australasian Society of Engineers propose a 24-hour work meeting tomorrow, which would see unionists at the power station stopping work (The West Australian).
February 5 – Chairman of International Combustion Ltd London Mr G Taylor, whose company is supplying the boilers and combustion engines, stated that whilst he’d visited many power stations around the world, the South Fremantle power station “was one of the modern he had seen and the State Electricity Commission was to be congratulated on its planning and foresight because such power stations were an essential to the establishment of new industries.” Four of the eight boilers had already been installed, with the remaining four expected to be in operation within the next two years. His company had supplied the last boilers fitted to the East Perth power station before World War II. He continued to say, “Western Australia and Queensland had the brightest futures and would lead in development” (The West Australian).
February 17 – Mechanical trouble occurred with the No.2 25-000kw machine when it was running early yesterday morning.
February 20 – A replacement spindle for the No.2 25,000kw turbo-alternator, which broke down on Saturday (four days earlier) is being flown from England to Perth immediately. It means the machine will be back on load in approximately 3.5 weeks, instead of the expected five weeks. Power cuts in the meantime continue. The high-pressure spindle became distorted, with the same failure occurring with the No.1 machine last May (The West Australian).
February 26 – A 24-hour work strike seems likely to take place at the power station, unless their demands for doubled margins are met by tomorrow.
February 27 – Approximately 400 workers, including those in the metal trade, stop for 24 hours at the power station, following a State campaign by the committee representing the boilermakers and AEU.
February 29 - 25 year old rigger Martin Hill dies after falling 30 feet from steel framework within the building. He dies in the Fremantle Hospital the next day, after receiving a fractured left thigh, a compound fracture of the jaw and a fractured collarbone in the fall (Sunday Times).
March 6 – A trial run of the No.2 25-000 kW turbo-alternator proves to be successful, which means consumers can now return to their normal use of electricity.
May 1 - Martin Keith Hill, 25 years old, dies after he was injured two days ago at the power station. He'd been working on scaffolding when a plank fell on him, causing him to fall 40ft onto a metal heater. An inquest finds that he died from multiple injuries, inhalational pneumonia and respiratory failure.
May 4 – William James Smith, 38, is hit by a piece of falling timber whilst working on a steel. He is taken to Fremantle Hospital with concussion and a suspected fractured jaw.
July 18 - Tuart trees said to be as old as 1,000 years, are felled to make way for the power station’s power lines in Spearwood.
August 8 – Work is starting to supply Fremantle consumers with 5-cycle electricity from the power station. Approximately 1,400 consumers have already received the change-over from 40 cycles (The West Australian).
October 11 – Army officers on the reserve list of Western Command are set for a hypothetical battle when the enemy, a force known as the ‘Fantasians’ who have landed in Bunbury. They are hell bent on capturing the South Fremantle power station and nearby harbour. Despite being some 20 miles away from the battleground, the 30 or so officers taking part in Exercise Uproar will be split into a number of headquarters in rooms throughout the Swan Barracks and will attempt to counter the battle through telephone over internal signal networks (Daily News).
October 28 - Engineers believe they have solved the problem of ‘spontaneous combustion’ tendencies, which occur under long-term storage conditions. To counter this problem, a 10ft high retaining wall to block winds to the sides of the stockpile has been built. The coal, which is stacked by a bulldozer, is thoroughly compacted and together with the wall, prevents air circulation in the interior of the pile which in turn, stops the outbreak of a fire. Vertical pipes leading to the interior of the stockpile, enables thermometers to be lowered for temperature observation.
Four transmission lines will connect the South Fremantle power station with East Perth, following two routes.
Construction of the South Fremantle power station involves “the placing of 20,000 yards of concrete and the running of 320 core miles of cable. About 7,000 tons of steel sections have been fabricated into buildings, steelworks, bunkers, chutes and chimneys.” Shipping delays and uncertainties, in addition to the difficulty of obtaining vital resources materials and equipment are proving to be a challenge.
Eight water tube boilers in South Fremantle are designed to maximise evaporation levels with alternative firing either from pulverised coal or oil fuel (The West Australian).
November 13 – Percy Samuels, a 51 year old fitter working at the power station, is struck by a sheet of iron which fell from a block and table yesterday. He was taken to Fremantle Hospital for observation of a suspected back injury (The West Australian).
1951
January - The South Fremantle Power Station opens. It takes six years to obtain the necessary pipes and valves for the new station. Cement for the walls were in such short supply that it was padded out with fly-ash, a waste product from the East Perth Power Station. The main building was designed specified and SECWA oversee the construction, who also designed the foundation, which was constructed by Structural Engineering Co Ltd in Welshpool. The concrete was constructed by W. Fairweather & Son in Perth.
The opening plaque records W. H. Taylor (MIEE., MIE. Aust.) as the General Manager of the WA Government Electricity Supply (1914-1946) and General Manager of the Metropolitan Systems of the State Electricity Commission (SEC) (1946 to 1948) (Bodycoat).
The four boilers of ‘A’ station are fired up.
Particularly due to “lingering wartime shortages of material,” construction of the plant’s budget, which was initially estimated to cost £7m, ends up blowing out to a final of cost £17m (Western Prospects).
March 21 – Electricity Minister Mr Brand speaks out on the difficulties they experienced in bringing the power station into operation. Valves for the two condensers for the first unit had not yet arrived, despite the contract being given in 1945, which resulted in them having to be made locally at various works and departments. Obtaining steel was a challenge in itself and was only obtained through special continuous approaches through Premier Mr McLarty to Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd. Despite all sections of the work being conducted using the greatest amount of overtime possible permitted by the unions and government as well as the most skilled employees they could employ, the station would still not be ready for another 12 months.
The switchgear, ancillary equipment and grinders had since been completed. The coal tippler, crushers, elevators and conveyors for feeding coal to the boilers were almost complete. The 66,000-volt high-tension transmission main connecting the South Fremantle power station with the East Perth power station had been completed and the frequency-changer for converting 50-cycle current to 40-cycle current at East Perth has been installed” (Kalgoorlie Miner).
March 24 – A fire broke out on the first floor of the main building early yesterday morning. It was confined to a small section of the building and was soon under control, thanks to the quick work of engineers, watchmen and firemen.
May 2 – The No.1 25,000kw generating set was given a trial run for a few hours last week, which causes two minor plant ‘blow-outs’ and some necessary adjustments to be made.
May 27 – Rumours are circulating that the power station has experienced a serious power break over the past week (Sunday Times).
May – The No.1 25 MW turbo-alternator comes online.
June 12 – Persistent rumours are spreading of the extensive damage that has been done to electrical equipment at the South Fremantle power station.
June 27 – The Honourable David Brand, Minister for Electricity, officially opens the power station.
Station A houses two Metropolitan Vickers steam turbines powering the two 25 MW direct coupling alternators.
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An overhead crane services the full length of the Turbine Room with a 70 ton load capacity and 10 ton auxiliary and was designed and constructed by Perry Overhead Engineering Crane Co (Adelaide).
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The turbo alternators, 22kV switchgear, 66 kV switchgear and main transformers were designed and produced by Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Export Co (Manchester).
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The 3000V switchgear was designed and constructed by Ferguson Pailin Ltd (Manchester).
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The 440 V switchgear was designed and constructed by Australian General Electric Pty Ltd.
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The condensing plant was designed and constructed by CA Parsons (England) and Morts Dock and Engineering Pty (Sydney).
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Both A and B stations houses four 125/150,000 lb per hour coal-fired boilers, which were designed and constructed by International Combustion Ltd (London and Derby). Combustion gases are released through two chimneys on the roof of the Boiler House, with the dust being cleared by the four electro static precipitators, which are also housed on the roof.
The power station operates by burning coal in a boiler to produce steam, which under high pressure, then flows into a turbine which spins a generator to create electricity. The steam is then cooled, condensed back into water before returning to the boiler to start the process all over again (Bodycoat).
The transmission line running between the South Fremantle Power Station and O’Connor substations comes into operation.
June 27 – Whilst working on construction work at the power station yesterday afternoon, Gerald Roberts fell 20ft on to a concrete floor. He was taken to the Fremantle Hospital and admitted for observation of concussion. The cause of his fall is unknown (The West Australian).
September 25 – The last of the two 25,000kW generators in South Fremantle's "A" station begins testing.
December 3 – A fault develops early in the morning at the East Perth power station, causing Perth to plunge into darkness during an electrical storm. Power restrictions in place give the community a one-hour on, one-hour off supply of electricity, which would continue until construction of the South Fremantle Power Station is completed, although the power cut this morning has affected many suburbs and industries in Perth.
December 4 – Royal Perth Hospital and Tomlinson's Steel Works begin changing over from 40Hz to 50Hz, with the State Brickworks and White Rock quarries next to change over. They and other industries will be using the 50-cycle power directly from the South Fremantle Power Station, instead of East Perth.
December 23 – The steel framework for ‘B’ section is almost complete. Pouring of the concrete foundations has started and assembly of plant equipment will begin shortly (Sunday Times).
1950
March 9 - “Reliable information indicates that there would be no relief from power cuts this winter.” Power from the new power station isn’t expected until after winter, at the earliest. “Traders were entitled to know the true position so that they could order lamps and candles to meet public demands.” It comes after the previous year when the supply of lamps and candles ran out and people were left in the dark (Daily News).
May 15 - It's hoped that Perth will experience the last year of winter power cuts, which begins today and curtails the use of radiators, shop lighting and display advertising. This is due to the winter load on cold days being well beyond the capacity provided for by the East Perth Power Station. It's hoped that this time next year, the South Fremantle Power Station will be sufficiently in operation to cope with the demand of the winter load.
May 28 – Fire severely damaged the electric motor of the 7-ton crane on the 80ft staging early last night. Using a 400ft hose, the Fremantle Fire Brigade were able to bring the outbreak under control, which was limited to the electrical gear.
June 7 – Alfred Black, 41, was struck on the head by the crank handle of the diesel motor he was cranking, which backfired. The motor drives a compressor at the power station. He was taken to the Fremantle Hospital with a fractured skull and abrasions to his face (West Australian).
July 27 – No date for the completion of the power station can be given but progress is said to be excellent, Minister for Electricity Mr Brand said. An essential plant equipment, being the portion of the condenser plant for the turbines had been delayed, caused by numerous strikes in the engineering workshops and the lack of materials caused by other strikes in the Eastern States.
Construction has already begun on section ‘B’ with foundations being complete. The station switch house and control-room building are also complete and the installation of switchgear is well advanced. All the panels have been set up in the control room and the wiring work has already begun (The West Australian).
July 30 – “Tippler pit concrete work is finished and the steelwork for the building has been erected. Above the tippler pit, the primary crushers will crush the coal, and from there it will be conveyed to the power station boiler house." Bunkers, the conveyor gear and the No.1 turbo alternator are close to complete. The “No.2 machine has the alternator in position and is lined up with the steam rotor.” (Sunday Times).
September 1 – A stop-work meeting of 60 building labourers was held yesterday at the power station to protest their request for more dust money, after it wasn’t granted by a board of reference.
September 29 - 15 year old apprentice James Needham receives a suspected broken jaw, fractured leg, concussion and lacerations of the ear when he falls 20ft from a landing he'd been standing on at at the South Fremantle Power Stationn.
November 24 – Completed sections of the power plant are being checked and tests.
December 4 – Calls are made to build another power station before South Fremantle is complete, particularly as a power station is almost out-of-date before it’s even built.
1950's
At its peak, 250 people are employed at the power station, mostly men. Females formed the minority and were employed in the canteen or on the switchboard (Fremantle Gazette).
The camaraderie of workers is described as excellent with a strong team spirit amongst the workers. They would play a quick game of soccer, fish or swim. There was a strong social club with special monthly events that were well attended, with the Christmas parties a social highlight. After retiring, many workers continued to meet and socialise at the Hilton Park Bowling Club the Point Water Golf Club (Reid).
1949
January 17 – Francis Edmonson, General Manager for the State Electricity Commission, makes a plea to all those involved with the construction of the power station to do their utmost to complete the facility as soon as practicable.
January 12 - A committee called Riverton Progress Association holds a meeting at the Riverton Hall, in response to the high tension power line that is planned to cut through and across private properties in the Riverton area. It was established for the purposes of forming a deputation against the decision made on the power line.
April 1 – A meeting is held at the power station by workers voicing concern about overtime conditions, requesting that the present 2-hour overtime should be reduced to one, as darkness made work slow and dangerous.
April 5 – A decision is handed down by Edward Dunphy, President of the State Arbitration Court, to reduce the amount of overtime by union members working on the South Fremantle power station. It culminated from the State Electricity Commission and Union groups (Metal Trades Federation, Builders' Labourers' Union and the Carpenters' Union) unable to come to an agreement over the amount of overtime to be worked over the winter months. Overtime until now, has consisted of two hours every night except for Fridays and alternate Saturdays.
March 28 – Russell John Dumas, chairman of the State Electricity Commission, tells engineers from the Australian engineering conference, that the eight boilers being installed at South Fremantle "will be fired with pulverised Collie coal with provision for maximum evaporation under oil firing". Upon welcoming delegates to the construction site, he said that capacity of the power station would be four times that of East Perth. Although the station could be divided into four sections on the steam and electrical sides and operating independently of each other, they "were all capable of inter-connection". Provision for coal storage was approximately 20,000 tones. Outdoor switch and transformer yards were currently being installed at both power stations to facilitate the 66,000 volt main transmission lines.
May 5 – It's hoped that a section with two 25,000kW turbo generators will be completed in time for next winter, or even perhaps by December at the end of the year.
May 9 – Electricity Minister Victor Doney states that whilst no date is being given for the completion of stage 1, it's expected to be in operation some time early next year. Doney and members of the State Cabinet were given an informal tour of the construction site, where they were told A section's steel frames were ready for concrete and foundations for B section was in an advanced state of preparation. Cement walls are being installed in A section, with the windows subsequently being fitted shortly after.
May 12 – This year's winter power cuts is expected to be far more extensive than previous years and will now include restrictions on shop lighting, which until now, hasn't been included. This comes as an attempt to minimise the strain on the East Perth power station.
May 29 – Delegates to the Australian engineering conference are told, upon visiting the partly-constructed power station, that the eight boilers “will be fired with pulverised Collie coal with provision for maximum evaporation under oil firing.”
June 3 - The State Electricity Commission’s General Manager F.C. Edmondson makes a plea for the public to, “strictly observe restrictions and use electricity sparingly for lighting and other purposes.” An overload in supply would see it necessary to switch off sections for short periods (Daily News).
June 20 - Builders on the tilting-pit begin working night shift from 11.30pm to 7.30am. Those who are union members, will receive a bonus of £7 every three weeks and as the result of the newly introduced shift work scheme, work will consist of 48 hours a week. The tilting-pit job is expected to last six months.
1948
January 18 - Fourteen steel columns have now been erected to form the boiler house section's outer wall. They consist of approximately 100 tones out of the 6-7,000 tones that will be required to complete the power station. A 12 ton crane will be lifted into position in pieces on top of the steel columns by another 12 ton crane, before any additional height can be added. The elevated crane will be supported with a 30 ton water ballast tank on each back leg. A bulldozer has started to clear sand to allow the water from the ocean to reach the wall of the station, where a 27ft deep pump well will be constructed.
February 11 - It's hoped that the first section of the power station will be completed by December next year. Further contracts have recently been awarded:
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Boiler house equipment and buildings - International Combustion Ltd
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2 x 25,000kW turbo alternators and condensing plant - Vickers Electrical Export Co
The total cost of the recent contracts, including transformers and auxiliary equipment, total £2,353,678.
February 22 – With hopes the power station will be completely constructed by the end of 1952, Public Works minister, Victor Doney, has entered into negotiations with contractors Structural Engineering Co, to work overtime in order to expedite completion of the work. The rate of construction is expected to accelerate with the docking of Melbourne Steamship Co's Lowana vessel, ready to unload its cargo of structural steel for the power station.
February 27 – State Cabinet authorises the construction of the power station's 'B' section at a cost of £2,354,678 and tenders will almost immediately be advertised by the State Tender Board.
The State Electricity Commission begins a housing development in Hilton, to house workers installing the new equipment and operating the power station, once construction is complete (Western Prospects).
May 5 - The Public Works Department are close to finishing all the foundations required for the first stage of the power station and are currently completing work on the condenser intake and return conduits. Structural Engineering (WA) Ltd have been making good progress with fabricating structural steel at their Welshpool factory and the installation work at the power station. Generating equipment is currently being manufactured with the condensers by contractors in New South Wales and the frequency changer house is being erected by an East Perth contractor.
July 6 – The power station's steel frame work for the building is advancing well, with foundations for the boiler drums already complete. It's hoped that assembly of the boilers and alternators will being soon, as equipment continues to arrive at Fremantle from contractors in Great Britain, including a winch for lifting the drums into position, which will be installed over the next few days. A tender was recently awarded for duplicating a section of the power station and foundations for it is expected to soon proceed.
Meanwhile down south, preliminary work has begun on the South West power scheme with a contract being signed for the clearing of a transmission line from Collie to Picton Junction. Upon clearing of the bush being sufficiently advanced, poles will be erected. A transmission line has already been completed from Picton Junction to Boyannup, although the insulators are yet to be obtained as they are difficult to come by.
November 4 - Provision is being made to overcome the shortage of tradesmen, particularly bricklayers, carpenters and fitters, which is hindering the progress of the power station's construction.
November 21 – Two-thirds of workers at yesterday's mass meeting agree to work two hours overtime to speed up the completion of the power station. It comes after Russell John Dumas, chairman of the State Electricity Commission, tells the workers of the "critical electricity supply problem due to the poor condition of existing equipment at the East Perth power station".
1947
February 25 - Due to the fuel crisis being experienced in Britain, serious delays in the production of Power Station equipment, particularly units for the diesel rail cars, are being felt and may extend some time through to their summer period.
June 6 – Tenders will be advertised calling for contractors who can provide generating equipment and extend the power station building for 'B' section to be completed within a four month period. The contract was essentially duplicating 'A' section. Converting the metropolitan electrical system from 40kW to 50kW could not begin until 'A' section and the frequency changer was complete.
July 30 – The Fremantle Harbour's 2,000-ton floating crane is used for the first time today to unload three heavy shipments from the Kaipaki freighter at the North Wharf. With weights of 60t, 31t and 30t, the equipment for the State Electrical Commission will be stored in one of the nearby wharf sheds until it is later transported to the East Perth Power Station. The equipment includes part of the frequency changer, which will be required to convert South Fremantle's 50kW output to 40kW until conversion is complete throughout the metropolitan area. Other sections of the frequency changer are expected to reach the port next month on the Kaituna, with the remaining sections on the Somerset freighter in September.
September 9 - British General Electrical Co Pty Ltd are awarded a £119,946 contract for the provision of 2kv, 7kv, 3kv and 660v cable, cable-dividing joing boxes and an oil pressure indicating system for the power station.
October 2 – Two giant transformers have been set up on their foundations, in preparation of the South Fremantle power station oneday being in operation. Steel is now being delivered to the site for erecting the buildings.
1946
January – Construction begins on the South Fremantle Power Station. Post war shortages slows the rate of construction, requiring creative solutions to supplement the lack of materials (inHerit).
Most of the plant is designed and constructed in England, with skilled contractors sent out from England to assemble the plant on site. Many of them would remain in Western Australia and become employed by the State Electricity Commission.
Other workers employed at the power station were men previously from the Goldfields, who’d worked with steam equipment on the mines and who were seeking post-war employment (Western Prospects).
March 20 - The State Electricity Commission (SEC) is established to take over the State Government’s electricity undertakings, “following the sharp increase of customers’ electricity demands after World War II”. Its mission is to create a high-voltage transmission grid with the ability to carry power over long distances. They will be responsible for connecting independent power stations to the main electricity grid through a program known as the South West Power Scheme (Western Power).
April 2 – William Henry Taylor, General Manager of the Government Electricity Supply Scheme, recently drove the first pile for the foundations at the new South Fremantle Power Station. Decades earlier, he'd also driven the first pile for the East Perth Power Station in 1914.
July 1 - The State Electricity Commission (SEC) begin operations.
1945
The South Fremantle site is chosen for its proximity to the metropolitan population, the nearby railway facilities for the delivery of coal and the access to sea water which would be used for the cooling system (Reid).
May 24 - Premier John Wilcock announces that tenders have been awarded for the provision of two generators with a combined power of 50,000kW. He states that the goal is to have the power station operating in three years.
September 16 - A contract is signed for the provision of boilers and associated equipment between the West Australian Government and International Combustion Ltd. A second tender is also signed between the Government and Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Export Co for the supply of a 2,500kW.
December – Foundations are being laid on the wooden piles that have been founded on rock. The piles vary from five to 10ft deep and will support approximately 6,500 tons of concrete. Ninety workers are currently on the job, which is expected to soon grow to 300.
1943
Planning of a new power station begins.
1940
A Royal Commission investigates a proposal for a South West Power Scheme but this is rejected (Inherit).