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Draft:St George County Council

St George County Council was a publicly owned electricity supply utility in the St George area of southern Sydney, Australia. It supplied electricity to consumers in the Kogarah, Hurstville, Rockdale and Bexley Municipalities (Bexley merged with Rockdale in 1949). It existed, from December 1920, until 1980 when its operations and assets and those of Mackellar Country Council were merged into the existing Sydney County Council. It obtained its bulk power from the New South Wales Government Railways (after 1932, New South Wales Department of Railways), until 1953 when the electricity generation assets of that entity became part of the Electricity Commission of New South Wales, which became the new bulk power supplier.

St George before the County Council

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The St George area was defined as the four municipalities, Kogarah, Hurstville, Rockdale, and Bexley; the area lying west of the Botany Bay shoreline, between Cooks River and Georges River, and to the south of Wolli Creek. It corresponds, but not in all respects, to the cadestal Parish of St George, in the County of Cumberland. It now corresponds to the Local Government Area of Georges River Council and part of Bayside Council's area.

The first electricity supply in the St George area, was that for Thomas Saywell's tramway, which ran from Rockdale to the beach at Brighton-le-Sands. It was converted from steam to electric power, in 1900. An Act of the NSW Parliament, would have permitted Saywell to provide electric street lighting, for which he would have been paid, but it was never passed.[1][2][3]

Saywell constructed a coal-fuelled powerhouse, in what had been stables at the rear of his New Brighton Hotel, at what is now Brighton-le-Sands. It used a three-wire (-240V — 0V / Ground — +240V) direct current system, giving 480V d.c. for the trams—Saywell's trams had two trolley poles, one positive and the other for negative—and 240V for other uses. The powerhouse included a large bank of batteries. As well as powering the trams and lighting his hotel, Saywell's powerhouse did supply some other customers with 'electric current'. These consumers included, by around 1911, some street lighting in the Municipality of Rockdale[4][5] and some shop premises in Rockdale.[6]

As early as 1908, some citizens were advocating that Rockdale, in cooperation with the other municipalities in the St George area, should buy Saywell's 'Electric Works' and tramway, to provide the area with electricity and expand the electric tramways.[2] As the end of his tramway concession neared, Saywell expressed interest in providing electric street lighting for the neighbouring St George municipalities of Bexley[7] and Kogarah, as well as more lighting in Rockdale.[5] More distant Hurstville was almost certainly outside the distance range that Saywell's relatively low-voltage direct current system could serve, even if the small system had sufficient capacity to do that, which was unlikely.

At the expiry of Saywell's 30-year tramway operating concession in 1914, the Government Railways took over the tramway, retiring Saywell's aging trams. The government trams worked on a different current collection arrangement (one trolley pole and rail return). The tramway supply and overhead was reconfigured, and, initially, Saywell's power station continued to provide power for the government tram. In December 1917, a new tramway substation entered service, at Rockdale, supplied by a high-voltage a.c. power line from Newtown, and ultimately powered from White Bay Power Station.[8][9] It was later stated that it was around the time, when Saywell's concession expired, that the idea of the St George area's being supplied with bulk power, from the NSW Railways, first took hold.[10]

Saywell continued to generate electrical power until October 1923[8][11]—also continuing to supply power to Rockdale's electric street lighting[12] and his other consumers[11]—despite no longer supplying the electric tramway after 1917. The tramway still was used to move coal wagons from the railway, at Rockdale, to his power station.[13] However, Saywell's d.c. system was far too small, too unreliable, and too antiquated to serve the growing St George area.[14]

By 1920, the St George area had a significant suburban settlement, with a population of around 57,000. (EH) It was already serviced by town gas from the Australian Gas Light Company, but there was a pent up demand for electricity. Gas could be used for cooking, space heating, water heating, and gas-powered refrigerators, but gas was an inferior choice for lighting. Moreover, within a few years, radio receivers would require electricity, as would other small appliances like toasters and electric jugs. It was time to connect electricity to the St George area.

Origins

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Role of local government

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Early local government involvement (pre-1919)

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Local government entities in New South Wales (municipalities and shires) originally had responsibility for supply and distribution of electrical power within their boundaries. This situation led to two municipalities in Sydney having their own power stations. The first was Sydney City Council (also known, particularly relating to electricity undertaking as the City Council, or Sydney Municipal Council (SMC)), which owned Pyrmont Power Station. The second was the Municipality of Balmain, which outsourced its rights to a private company, Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation, which in turn built and operated Balmain Power Station. Municipalities, in proximity to those two, entered into arrangements to extend, into their area, a power reticulation network drawing power from either Pyrmont or Balmain. Some other municipalities, typically outside the inner suburbs, also had smaller power stations, but over time these power stations closed, and these areas reverted to taking their power from larger power generating entities.

Local Government Act (1919) and county councils

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The preamble of Local Government Act of 1919, stated its purposes as "An Act to make better provision for the government of areas ; to extend the powers and functions of local governing bodies; to establish bodies to take common action on behalf of areas ..."[15]

417 of the Act defined the powers of a council (a city council a municipality or a shire) to establish a trading undertaking, and 418 a) of the Act, defined as a trading undertaking "a) the supply of electricity and the supply and installing of electrical fittings and appliances".[16]

521 of the Act, covered joint undertakings by councils and that such joint undertakings could be managed either by "the councils themselves jointly, or by a joint committee composed of members of the councils."[17] It provided the legislative framework for what would later be known as 'county councils'; a new type of publicly owned trading entity, which was a joint undertaking of more than one council, controlled by a committee composed of members of the jointly-acting councils, and which was empowered to carry out its activities, anywhere within the combined areas of those councils.

The St George County Council would be the first of this new type of trading entity in New South Wales, in 1920, but many more would be established by 1950. In 1935, the existing electricity undertaking of the Sydney City Council (SMC), by then also extending over many smaller municipalities, adopted the 'county council' structure, becoming Sydney County Council. By 1950, the only retail electricity suppliers, within the Sydney Metropolitan Area, that were not county councils were the two privately owned electricity utilities, Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation and Parramatta and Granville Electric Supply Company. Their distribution networks were subsequently taken over by Sydney County Council (1956) and Prospect County Council (1957), respectively. Thereafter, the publicly owned county councils controlled all retail electricity distribution in New South Wales, each within their designated areas, seemingly as natural monopolies. These were an important part of the mixed economy that existed in New South Wales, during the interwar and post-war parts of the 20th Century.

Power for Southern Sydney

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The four municipalities in the St George area and the neighbouring Sutherland Shire desired to extend reticulated electricity and electric street lighting to their areas. By 1919, SMC was unable to finance an extension, for such a large number of new consumers[18] and, in any case, its generating capacity was already committed to other parts of the metropolitan area. SMC would remain constrained in its generating capacity, until it opened its second and larger power station, Bunnerong Power Station, in 1929.[19]

The third large electricity generating entity, in the Sydney region, was New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR), after 1932, NSW Department of Railways. It generated power for electric trams,[20] and from 1926, electric trains,[21] at Ultimo Power Station (from 1899)[20][22] and White Bay Power Station (from 1913).[23][24] Due to the travel patterns of its tramway passengers, these power stations had some spare capacity, particularly outside peak hours, and the Railway Commissioners were willing to supply bulk power.[18]

With electrification of Sydney's suburban railways imminent, the railways were constructing a transmission line along the Illawarra railway line. The four St George municipalities and Sutherland Shire approached the Railway Commissioners about taking bulk power from the railway's network.[25] At that time, the transmission line was only to extend as far as Hurstville—where a large railway substation was later built[26]—meaning that Sutherland Shire reluctantly had to drop out of the proposed supply arrangement.[27] The four St George municipalities, Kogarah, Hurstville, Rockdale, and Bexley, set up the St George County Council in December 1920.

Sutherland Shire subsequently set up its own electricity supply department, in 1925. It obtained its bulk power from New South Wales Government Railways,[28][29] which had electrified the railway as far as National Park in 1926. Sutherland Shire's electricity undertaking also took over a small power supply operation at Cronulla.[30] It was absorbed by Sydney County Council in 1954.[31]

Growth

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Legislation, establishment, and governance

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Construction and connections

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The new county council ratified its supply agreement with the Railway Commissioners, in June 1921.[32] It needed to borrow to implement its network of electrical reticulation and street lighting. Its initial plans included lighting over 400 miles of streets. In May 1921, it took out a loan of £100,000, from the Commonwealth Bank, at 5% interest per annum, repayable over a term of 30 years. Tenders had been called, and work was projected to start in August 1921.[33]

The first light pole was erected, in February 1922, at Arncliffe, and the first wires installed in June 1922. On 9 March 1923, the new electric street lighting was switched on for the first time. The event was marked by a gathering of dignitaries from local government, NSW Government, the railways, Commonwealth Bank, the consulting engineers, and construction contractors, at Kogarah. By that time, 200 miles of streets had been completed, and £50,000 of the loan had been drawn down. Originally, expected to take five years, the entire task was, by then, forecast to be completed after only two-and-a-half years.[10]

Later, in June 1923, Rockdale Council wrote to Saywell's company, expressing gratitude that the company was continuing to supply power to those of its consumers who were yet to be connected to the new electricity supply;[11] by November 1923, the power supply from Saywell's small 1900-vintage power station already had been discontinued, as light poles went up in Brighton-le-Sands.[34]

 
St George County Council Building, Montgomery St, Kogarah (1937)

By 1928, extension of the network had required loans totalling £400,000, but by then the loans were being serviced entirely from revenues. ( E House)

By 1939

By 1920 electric supply to the areas named had become an imminent fact, with  

electricity beginning its era of service to a community of 57,490 people. Early in  

1921 plans for providing 2,000 street lamps and 2,000 customer installations were  

accepted and proceeded with. On Friday, 9th March, 1923, current was switched  

on at an appropriate ceremony. Electricity in St. George had arrived.  

Responsible for this vital step in public service was the St. George County Council,  

the first County Council created

Services and assets

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Electricity House

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Newly finished 'Electricity House', in Hurstville, 1939 (Collection of State Library of NSW).

ELECTRICITY  

GROUND FLOOR  

Payment of Accounts.  

Range Display.  

Water Heater Display.  

Enquiries re accounts, installations  

supply, etc.  

Small Appliance Display.  

Large Appliance Display.  

BASEMENT  

Free Appliance Service.  

Better-Light Display.  

(Special practical exhibit of new  

scientific home-lighting).  

Extension showrooms.  

Coppers and Washers.  

FIRST FLOOR  

Demonstration Theatre.  

Foyer and Lounge.  

SECOND FLOOR  

Cookery Classroom.  

Staff Rooms.  

St George County Council also retailed electrical appliances, as part of its aims to increase electricity consumption.[35] Gas strike 1946.

The involvement of county councils in the retailing of appliances was somewhat controversial, and was opposed by private enterprise interests.[36]

St George County Council was involved in notable High Court ruling, on Section 51(xx) of the Constitution of Australia, in which the court held that a municipal corporation was to be distinguished from a trading corporation, notwithstanding the fact that it carried out trading activities (R v Trade Practices Tribunal; Ex parte St George County Council ).[37][38]

Demise and aftermath

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Merger

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In 1980

Dissolution of the county councils

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The electricity reforms of 1945 cast a long shadow of the state's numerous county councils. Section 7Y (1) (a) of the Electricity Act 1945 provided that the Governor may, by proclamation, dissolve a county council that has electricity functions. A number of regional county councils (outside the Sydney Metropolitan Area) were similarly dissolved on 1 July 1993 and replaced by electricity distibutors, owned by the NSW Government (expropriation of assets)

Part 2 of Schedule 11 to that Act contains savings, transitional and other provisions consequent on the dissolution of county councils. including the transfer of assets, rights and liabilities to corresponding electricity distributors. This Proclamation also specifies the corresponding electricity distributor in relation to each dissolved county council.

Another merger led to the formation of a government-owned entity, Sydney Electricity, which in turn became Energy Australia .....

Remnants

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The former distribution network of St George County Council is now controlled by Ausgrid.

There are still substations, in the St George area, which were built by St George County Council and carry its signage.[39][40] Its building in Hurstville, 'Electricity House', built in 1939, is now a branch of the Bank of China.[41]

Two histories of St George County Council were published; Electricity supply undertaking : twelve years of progress, 1920-1932[42] and The first fifty years, 1920-1970 : electricity supply undertaking.[43]




<<< Drafting Notes, suggested categories: Defunct utility companies of New South Wales, Defunct government entities of New South Wales, St George (Sydney) >>>

References

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  1. ^ "Electric Tramway and Lighting, Mr Saywell's Proposals, The Question of Monopoly". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 27 June 1900. p. 9.
  2. ^ a b "Saywell's Tramway and Electric Lighting Bill". www.parliament.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  3. ^ "Government Bills Passed". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 December 1900. p. 5.
  4. ^ "St Georgian" (11 January 1945). "Brighton's Romantic Past, Suburb Evolved from Sandhills, The Work of Thomas Saywell (Part III)". The Propeller. p. 6.
  5. ^ a b "ELECTRICITY v GAS". Sydney Morning Herald. 1911-03-06. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  6. ^ "Fire at Rockdale". The Star (Sydney). 7 January 1910. p. 2.
  7. ^ "Bexley By-Words". The St George Call. 12 August 1911. p. 5.
  8. ^ a b McCarthy, Ken (August 1979). "Fifty Years Ago, The Rockdale to Brighton-le-Sands Tramway, N.S.W." (PDF). Trolley Wire (183): 4.
  9. ^ "Tram Delays". The Sun (Sydney). 2 April 1921. p. 6.
  10. ^ a b "Electricity Installed, St George County Council's Splendid Achievement". The St George Call. 16 March 1923. p. 3.
  11. ^ a b c "Boxing & Football". Evening News (Sydney). 22 June 1923. p. 1.
  12. ^ "Around the Town". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 10 March 1922. p. 10.
  13. ^ McCarthy, Ken (August 1974). "September 1949 .... the beginning of the end" (PDF). Trolley Wire (153): 6, 11.
  14. ^ "Electric Interference". The Propeller. 1 October 1920. p. 2.
  15. ^ Parliament of New South Wales (22 December 1919). "Local Government Act, No. 41, 1919" (PDF). austlii.edu.au. p. Before 322.
  16. ^ "Local Government Act, No.41, 1919, Clauses 417 and 418 a)" (PDF). austlii.edu.au. 22 December 1919. p. 543.
  17. ^ "Local Government Act, No.41, 1919, Clause 521" (PDF). austlii.edu.au. 22 December 1919. pp. 591–593.
  18. ^ a b "Ashamed of It". The Propeller. 26 December 1919. p. 2.
  19. ^ "Wasteful Growth of Sydney's Power". The Sun (Sydney). 14 November 1938. p. 4.
  20. ^ a b "Sydney's Electric Trams". Australian Star. 1899-07-05. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  21. ^ "Oatley Honored". The Sun (Sydney). 1926-10-01. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  22. ^ "The Ultimo Power House". Evening News (Sydney). 1899-08-21. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  23. ^ "White Bay Power-House". The Sun (Sydney). 1913-11-03. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  24. ^ "The Railways & Tramways". Australian Town and Country Journal. 1918-08-14. p. 23. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  25. ^ "Electricity for Illawarra". The Propeller. 23 January 1920. p. 2.
  26. ^ "Hurstville Railway Substation". www.hms.heritage.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  27. ^ "Sutherland' Electricity". The Propeller. 19 May 1922. p. 1.
  28. ^ "Shire of Sutherland, Special Electricity Loan, Forty-two Thousand Pounds (£42,000)". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales . 20 March 1925. p. 1500.
  29. ^ "Electric Progress for Whole Shire". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 5 May 1927. p. 15.
  30. ^ "Council Buys Cronulla Electric Plant". The Sun (Sydney). 3 December 1925. p. 8.
  31. ^ "SUTHERLAND SHIRE". Propeller. 1953-12-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  32. ^ "Praise for Commissioners, St George Electricity Scheme". The Sun (Sydney). 12 June 1921. p. 4.
  33. ^ "Electricity for St George, A Big Undertaking". The Propeller. 20 May 1921. p. 5.
  34. ^ "Scarborough Ward Lights". The Propeller. 9 November 1923. p. 4.
  35. ^ fabianamuso (2021-06-29), St George County Council Ad 1965 the leader 24, retrieved 2024-09-12
  36. ^ "Council Trading Activities". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1937. p. 12.
  37. ^ Dixon 2005, pp. 12–13
  38. ^ R v Trade Practices Tribunal; Ex parte St George County Council [1974] HCA 7, (1974) 130 CLR 533 (4 March 1974), High Court
  39. ^ brianjones678 (2007-01-28), St. George County Council Substation No 1 Arncliffe NSW 28012007, retrieved 2024-09-12{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ brianjones678 (2008-10-04), St. George County Council Substation No 2 Banksia, retrieved 2024-09-12{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ Wayne, Michael (2012-05-28). "St. George County Council". Past/Lives of the Near Future. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  42. ^ "Electricity supply undertaking : twelve years of progress, 1920-1932 - Catalogue | National Library of Australia". catalogue.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  43. ^ "The first fifty years, 1920-1970 : electricity supply undertaking - Catalogue | National Library of Australia". catalogue.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
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