“Another Nambour establishment, in the shape of the Club Hotel, blossomed into great brilliancy one evening early this week. Mr North Brake, the licensee, decided to join the brighter number of Nambour's businessmen, and installed an engine and wiring system which has proved very satisfactory so far. More has yet to be done to complete the wiring of the whole building as planned, but the results so far are very promising.”  {27-10-1922, p.5}

By 1923 various townspeople again began to seriously canvass the idea of electric power for Nambour, but the idea was deferred when the great fire of 5^th January 1924 destroyed 17 shops in Currie Street. Rebuilding the town’s commercial heart occupied most influential people in the Nambour Chamber of Commerce and the Maroochy Shire Council for the next twelve months.  {11-1-1924, pages 2, 7 and 9}

 Local people gather dolefully at the site of the previous night’s fire in Currie Street, 6th January, 1924.The utility poles are for the small telephone network.
Photograph courtesy Sunshine Coast Libraries

In early May 1925, the Moreton Mill wrote to the Shire Council, stating its willingness to enter into a contract with the Council for the supply of electricity in bulk to the town. They required a minimum consumption of 40 000 units, and the contract would be for ten years. The Council felt that the cost being charged, eight pence ha'penny per unit was excessive, and that ten years was too long.  {22-5-1925, p.8}  {5-6-1925, pp.2 and 8}  {26-6-1925, p.2}

Eventually the Chamber of Commerce called a meeting on 29th May 1925 to gauge public opinion on the matter. On the one hand, householders, particularly women, were very impressed with the convenience electricity would provide in their homes, particularly with regard to lighting, sewing and ironing. On the other hand, the cost per unit of power caused concern, the term 'unit' being a cause of some confusion. By the close of the meeting, it was unanimously decided to support the Mill's proposal. {5-6-1925, p.2}

The fact that the Moreton Mill could only supply direct current electricity, whereas most towns elsewhere were choosing 240 volt alternating current electricity, was soon recognised to be a major problem with the Mill's proposition. The Shire Council therefore decided to reject it completely, and work towards generating and distributing electricity itself.

It was known that the State government would only loan funds to the Shire Council to build a powerhouse, if a guarantee were made that there would be at least 300 consumers. Alternatively, there was a smaller scheme available which required only 200 consumers. As the Council was unsure if it could reach either target, a poll was conducted in August 1925 of all Nambour householders and business people, asking them if they intended to be connected up to the electricity supply.  {21-8-1925, p.2}  

675 ballot papers were issued but by mid-September only 285 had been returned. Of these, 136 voted ‘yes’ and 131 voted ‘no’. The Shire Clerk Mr A. H. Brookes who organised the poll, stated that he felt that there would be no difficulty reaching the 200 target for the smaller power scheme, and so the Chamber of Commerce raised a sum of ₤40 from its members to pay for an Order-in-Council from the Government. This Order-in-Council gave the Shire Council permission to borrow sufficient money to fund the project, provided that the interest on the loan was not greater than 6 percent. {19-8-1932, p.4}

Applications for the loan were made to various Banks and insurance companies such as the Australian Mutual Providence Society (A.M.P.), but none would agree to such a low rate of interest. Finally, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia agreed to loan the Shire Council the money at the required rate, but only on the condition that the Council place all of their business with that Bank. This enabled the venture to go ahead, and it was named the 'Nambour Electrical Undertaking'. {18-9-1925, p.9} {19-8-1932, p.4}

Six months later, construction had still not started. William Whalley had built a new, brick two-storeyed Whalley Chambers adjoining his Universal Stores building on its southern side, and had installed an electricity generating plant there. He ran electric wires on poles down Currie Street, over the Petrie Creek bridge, and along Blackall Terrace to his spacious home 'Stoneleigh'  at No. 37, so that he could have an electrical supply there despite the Shire Council's inertia. To demonstrate to the local residents the benefits of electricity, he installed a couple of street lights along the route, at the bridge and near the Masonic Hall, two spots which were known to be hazardous at night. [Mr Whalley was a foundation member of the Rosslyn and Nambour Masonic Lodges. {5-12-1952, p.3}]

The Nambour Chronicle lauded this action, and used it to encourage the Council to get moving on its Electrical Undertaking:

"Nambour had its initiation into the benefits of street lighting by electricity the other week, as a result of a cabling from Mr W. Whalley's garage in Currie Street being continued to his residence. As it proceeds along a road much used, and which also takes in the line of the Petrie bridge, the approach to which from Nambour's main street is on a sharp and dangerous corner with a fairly deep-graded descent, a light installed near the bridge  was most acceptable to pedestrian and vehicular traffic alike. Luckily, and probably a feather in the caps of those who meet by car or other vehicle at either the northern or southern approaches of the bridge, no accident has yet occurred at these places, and only judgment and consideration on the part of the travelling community has averted this, more especially on dark and wet evenings, so that the light may well be appreciated by all. At the semi-circular turn of the Blackall Terrace road near the Masonic Hall is a similar installation of electricity, which proves as great a boon as its contemporary.

"This utility serves to illustrate what a distinct service a public supply of electricity would mean to the town and environs, where the now dark and uncertain corners on roads which a pedestrian without a torch at night may step only with a faith in Providence to pilot them safely through. The costly and inefficient lighting adopted years ago was never regarded as permanent, but more in the shape of an experiment. None of these can compare with the benefits and conveniences obtained by electric reticulation. The saving as against any other form of street lighting will more than compensate for the extra cost of installation involved.

"Ere long we should see a definite move in the desired direction of an electric supply for Nambour, the application for an Order-in-Council having been formally lodged with the Government some months or so ago. Once the required loan (and if the experience of the Hospital Committee is to be repeated, and prolonged delays hold up negotiations) is in sight, the Council would be in the position to take preliminary steps in the erection of a power house, and to move on with the reticulation of the streets within the lighting area. If deputations were not so unfruitful, one might urge that such a means be adopted to hasten matters.

"There is now no impediment, we understand, to the scheme coming to practicability, but for the much-needed wherewithal - money. The preliminary system of town lighting in existence [Whalley's two streetlights] should act as a spur to the people of Nambour, that a utility which abounds with unlimited facilities, eliminating danger, making for better and cleaner lighting facilities in home, business, factory and public buildings is soon established, and from it, we believe, will arise a new era of town progress not hitherto realised. {12-3-1926, p.4}"

A year later, the powerhouse had been built about half a mile from the town centre. It was located on the south side of the Moreton Central Sugar Mill, between that Mill and Mr H. E. Lowe's sawmill. It had access to Mitchell Street, and was served by a Queensland Railways spur which terminated at the sawmill. QR wagons and coal trucks were shunted onto this spur to provide oil fuel for the powerhouse and coal for the Mapleton Tramway which also crossed the site. Mill Lane was eventually put through to connect the western end of Mitchell Street with Arundell Avenue, and to provide better road access for both the powerhouse and the sawmill.

It had been suggested by some that the Shire Council convert the Mapleton Tramway's locomotive shed on the site (disused at the time) into a small powerhouse to save money, but the Council refused to do this, and a new powerhouse was built closer to the Mill. The site today is at the top end of Mill Lane, between that lane and the QR North Coast Line. {11-3-1927, p.6} 

When fully commissioned, the powerhouse would have three two-stroke engines, described in the press as 'semi-diesel', running on crude oil. Two engines were rated at 75 horsepower, and a smaller one was rated at 25 horsepower. Each was direct-coupled to a dynamo, the larger ones producing 65 kilowatts each. The dynamo attached to the smaller engine could produce 20 kilowatts, making 150 kilowatts in total. The total cost of the installation was ₤1364 / 12 / 9.

The switching-on ceremony for delivering electric light and power to Nambour for the first time took place on the evening of Monday, 12th September, 1927. The honour of pressing the first switch was given to Mrs Sarah Lowe, wife of the Maroochy Shire Chairman J. T. Lowe. She received a carriage clock in commemoration, the clock being mounted on a plinth that also housed a replica of the switch set with two push-buttons that she had used. This clock has since been donated to the Nambour Historical Museum by the Lowe family. As the power was turned on, the town and household lighting sprang into activity. 118 consumers illuminated their homes and business premises, many switching on all their lights to begin with, but then diminishing the number as they realised that their meters were silently registering the consumption. Observers noted that the electric light was softer and whiter, in contrast with the yellow glare of the usual kerosene pressure lamps. By the end of the week, 240 consumers were connected up. {16-9-1927, p.8}

In the beginning, one large generating engine provided enough electricity for the town during the day and evening. As the equipment could not be left unattended, it was shut down at midnight. Power would be made available again each day at 8 am. Before the first week was out, the second large generating set was commissioned. Within a month, the smaller unit was also brought on-line, this generator being sufficiently reliable to be left to run unattended during the night. This provided Nambour with light and power for the full 24 hours.  {7-10-1927, p.9}

The western side of Currie Street about 1929, from in front of the Town Hall, looking south. The Club and Royal George Hotels are at the Howard Street intersection in the middle distance. The new power poles have been installed on the western side (telephone poles and wires were on the opposite side of the street). The brick building at centre (the E.S.& A. Bank) was Nambour's first building not made of wood.
Photograph courtesy Sunshine Coast Libraries  

Looking down Currie Street from the Mitchell Street intersection about 1929, showing the new power poles.
Photograph courtesy Sunshine Coast Libraries

At a Dinner convened by Shire Chairman J. T. Lowe to celebrate the switching-on, the President of the Nambour Chamber of Commerce, Mr William Whalley, said that the provision of electricity would brighten up the town in more ways than one. Nambour had taken another practical step forward in its history, and had passed another milestone along the road to success. He warned that, like many new projects, trouble could be experienced. He had been in Sydney when the electricity supply failed, and the city was plunged into darkness. Mr Whalley said that if this happened in Nambour, he expected that such a 'black-out' would be of quite short duration, as the local generating plant was one of the most modern in the Commonwealth.  {16-9-1927, p.8}

Within four years, electricity consumption had soared to the point that the equipment installed in 1927 could not cope any more. People had discovered the convenience of appliances such as irons, toasters, grillers, stoves, ovens, heaters and electric kettles, all of which used considerable wattage, and businessmen had replaced many internal combustion engines powering their machines with electric motors.

Lubrication problems with the two-stroke engines caused them to overheat if run continually, so they needed be stopped after a few hours work. A roster was in use, each engine and its generator being brought on-line when the running engine needed to be rested. Things reached a critical stage in the hot summer of 1931-32, when one engine failed completely. To prevent the other engine from overheating and also breaking down, the engineer in charge of the powerhouse, Mr G. Fletcher, would shut it down in the hottest part of the day. This action caused widespread aggravation to people with refrigerators and cold rooms, and when they complained, he was less than helpful, saying that the main purpose of his electricity supply was for lighting, not power.

Having received no satisfaction from the engineer, a deputation of power consumers attended the Maroochy Shire Council meeting of Tuesday 15th March 1932, to voice their complaints. The Nambour Chronicle published a report on this meeting in their next issue:

"Consumers of industrial power from the Nambour Electrical Undertaking waited on the Council on Tuesday requesting a more efficient service. Those present on the deputation were Messrs. L. H. Collins, E. A. Sherrington, M. H. Gray, C. Joseph, and J. D. Grimes. [The electrical manager, Mr. G. Fletcher, was summoned by the Council to attend the meeting.]

"Mr Collins said that the deputation protested against the interrupted service. The plant was shut off during the hottest part of the day, and as a result a tremendous loss was caused to those who used the power. He had been informed by the manager of the power house that the plant was installed as a lighting plant only. This was absolutely ridiculous. Mr Collins asked the Chairman did he not think that a better supply than at present could be given, and had anything been done to the engines since the visit of an expert from Gympie.

"Mr Fletcher said that at the present time one engine was disabled, and if put in order would render only very infinitesimal assistance to the other engine. He had been compelled to reduce the output from 50 kilowatts to 40. If he ran the engines all day, they would not be available to run for night work, on account of overheating.