Our Brisbane History

Brisbane City Electric Light

Although electricity was to be the great transforming power of the twentieth century, its introduction to Brisbane was slow and complex. The first public supply of electricity was from the Barton and White generator in Edison Lane to the General Post Office in 1888. However, it was not until the late 1930s that the majority of Brisbane homes were connected to an electrical supply.

Electric power is now provided by a single public authority, but this was not the case in the early part of the century. Early development in this industry was really in the hands of enterprising private companies. The situation was confused by the fact that within the metropolitan area there were fourteen separate local authorities and numerous suppliers. Brisbane Municipal council was itself a supplier of electricity as was the Brisbane Tramways Company, the Fortitude Valley Electric Light and Power company, Trackson Brothers electrical engineers, Barton and White and the City Electric Light Company. The years between 1904 and 1925 saw a number of rationalizations which made the development of electric power more effective. In 1904 City Electric Light was floated as a public company and eventually it took over from its commercial competitors. The establishment I 1925 of the Brisbane City Council created a single public authority which could plan for the provision of electrical services throughout the entire city.

Initially, power was supplied to major public buildings such as Parliament House, the Government Printer and the Opera House. In 1917 electric street lighting commenced in Albert, Alice, Margaret, Mary and Charlotte Streets. The widespread domestic use of electric power took some time. By the late 1930s there were still many houses in Brisbane which did not have electric power connected. Initially consumers had to pay a meter rental and were liable for a minimum charge irrespective of usage. In the 192s Brisbane City Council promoted the domestic use of electricity. They used the slogan 'Every House a Wired home' and provided interest-free loans to cover the cost of electrical wiring.

There were a number of issues which contributed to the slow pace of the introduction of electricity. Initially it was debated whether electricity or gas would be cheaper for consumers. There was also a political debate about whether the control of electricity generation and supply should be in public or private hands. Without the centralized direction of a body such as the Electricity Commission, which was not set up until 1938, development was fragmented.