Pics from the Past | Shepparton streets get historic glow-up

By Geoff Allemand

Nov 1, 2024

Electric Lighting advert, Shepparton Advertiser 1914. Photo by Contributed

Shepparton Electric Light

Shepparton Advertiser August 11, 1913

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Mr W Lascelles, representing the Provincial Electric Development Company, and Mr Christie, representing M'Carty & Co, consulting engineers, of Melbourne, met the Town ruling members (Crs J D Mitchell, W Sheil, and F W Fair), at the Shire Hall on Thursday afternoon, and discussed the question of the electric light, which it has been resolved to have in Shepparton. Mr Jas Nugent, shire secretary, and Mr H Tisdall, shire engineer, were also present.

It was decided to have 60 street lamps to begin with, eight suspension lamps at the following intersections: Wyndham and Nixon St, High and Wyndham St, High and Maude St, Maude and Fryers St, Fryers and Corio St, High and Corio St and High and North St (near the railway station).

For the suspension lamps, the price mentioned was £5 apiece, including suspension wires and the raising and lowering appliances.

A question of “responsibility” was raised — would the Shire Council take the risk of accident that might attach to a hanging lamp over the traffic? This question of responsibility, however, was stated to be unnecessary, as it had been overcome by an Order-in-Council.

The principal question to be debated that afternoon was as to where the poles should be placed — in the centre or along the sides of the streets.

The instance of Albury was mentioned, where the posts were in the centre of the streets, and which appeared to answer well enough, but Mr Lascelles counselled strongly against the adoption of such a system.

He pointed out the obstructions to traffic that must follow, and the great possibility of accidents, and mentioned that at Malvern they were now rooting out the poles from the centre of the streets and placing them on the sides.

These representations had effect with the councillors, who thereupon decided that the poles should be placed along the sides of the streets — on one side only, opposite to the side occupied by the telephone poles.

It was mentioned that at Yarrawonga, Numurkah, Euroa, Wangaratta and Benalla the poles were in the centre of the streets, but the effect was unsightly, not to speak of the possibilities of peril.

Mr Lascelles then intimated that everything would be ready to have Shepparton lighted by electricity in September, possibly by the end of that month, after which he hurried off to catch the train for Melbourne.

Shepparton Advertiser November 3, 1913

Shepparton Centenary Post Office at night in Wyndham St, 1938. Photo by Contributed

The Official Launch

A pair of scissors did the trick, and the streets of Shepparton immediately became illuminated by electricity on Friday, November 1 at 7.30pm.

At the power-house of the Provincial Development Electric Light Company, a broad ribbon of the good national colours of red, white and blue, served to keep the electric forces from exercising their magical strength.

It was lightly fastened to a mechanical device, and from the switch-board hung loosely, as the congested crowd in the room looked upon it as something talismanic.

The big engine was silent; the huge wheel, for the revolutions of which a portion of the floor had been methodically cut into, lay motionless, as did the massive belting that led to it from the engine.

In the adjoining apartments the crowd had gazed interestedly upon the many electric appliances for the cooking of meals, revolving fans for cooling the atmosphere, and quite a dozen other things intended to reduce manual labour to a minimum and advance human comfort to the possible maximum.

A nattily attired young woman, in acceptable costume as a cuisiniere, was showing how to deal electrically with matters gastronomical, and there were others to teach and direct, and to make everybody the wiser than he or she was before crossing the portal of the power-house.

The announcement went forth that the machinery was about to be started.

It came from Mr James Nugent, the shire secretary, who explained that Mrs Mitchell (wife of Cr J. D. Mitchell, ex-President of the Shire) was here to perform the ceremony.

Near her stood Mr C. J. Irving (chairman of directors, Provincial Electric Light Development Co.), Crs. J. D. Mitchell, W. Sheil, W. Phillips, and W. L. Thompson; Coms W. H. Gaze, W. Welshman, G. V. Furphy, and G. W. E. Ross, and Mr J. E. Byass, secretary (Shepparton Urban Waterworks Trust); Mr C. Christie; Mr McCormack, engineer; and a number of leading citizens.

At a given signal, Mr A. J. Scott stepped forward, and, opening a Morocco case, presented Mrs Mitchell with a pair of handsomely constructed gold-mounted scissors. Reaching the top where it formed a knot, Mrs Mitchell severed the ribbon, and the pent-up silence of the assemblage forthwith broke into lusty cheers.

Mr Lascelles announced, "The streets of Shepparton are now lighted by electricity!" And everybody turned around to see; and as they looked through the windows, it seemed to them as if some long streaks of silvery light were radiating across the heavens.

Many of those in the room cut off small portions of the coloured ribbon to retain as mementos of the occasion; and meanwhile the crowd again began to move on, to inspect the works — the switch-board with its two generator panels, two battery panels and one distributing panel; the Hornsby engine of 96 maximum brake horsepower; the generator with its three-wire 50-kilowatt machine; the two boosters directly connecting to the 30 horsepower motor, etc.