Addresses
Type of place
Substation
Period
World War II 1939-1945
Style
Art Deco
This is an image of the local heritage place known as Substation No. 58
Substation No. 58
Addresses
Type of place
Substation
Period
World War II 1939-1945
Style
Art Deco
This electrical substation was completed in 1940. It was built privately, on land owned by the adjacent Australian Glass Manufacturers’ (AGM) factory. Unlike most substations, this one makes extensive use of glass tile bricks. These would have been made at the AGM glass factory and incorporated into the Substation No.58 design as a means to advertise the company’s products. Although built privately, the substation was operated by the City Electric Light Company and now by ENERGEX. It is one of four industry-related structures built in the South Brisbane end of Montague Road during the 1930-40s, when that area completed its conversion from nineteenth century residential to twentieth century industrial precinct.
Lot plan
L2_RP65330; L10_RP73327; L2_SP223966
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Walls: Face brickCriterion for listing
(A) Historical; (B) Rarity; (E) Aesthetic; (H) Historical associationInteractive mapping
Lot plan
L2_RP65330; L10_RP73327; L2_SP223966
Key dates
Local Heritage Place Since —
Date of Citation —
Construction
Walls: Face brickCriterion for listing
(A) Historical; (B) Rarity; (E) Aesthetic; (H) Historical associationInteractive mapping
History
Substation No. 58 was first operation 31 October 1940.1 It was constructed by the Australian Glass Manufacturers Company on its property fronting Montague Road. The substation’s role was to house a bank of switches and transformers that serviced AGM’s specific electricity demands. Australian Glass Manufacturers may have been attempting to promote or utilise its products by incorporating glass tile bricks in the front façade of the building.
When it was first commissioned, the City Electric Light (CEL) Company, Brisbane’s first electricity supplier, ran the sub-station. In 1953, CEL was taken over by the Southern Electricity Authority (SEA). The SEA was rationalised in 1963 and the substation was brought under the authority of the Brisbane City Council. In 1977, the Queensland Government delegated the South East Queensland Electricity Board (SEQEB) with the authority over Brisbane’s electricity supply and the substation is became serviced by that body.1 SEQEB later became a part of ENERGEX. The site is now owned by Australian Consolidated Industries (ACI) Operations Pty Ltd.
Description
This single story brick building has clerestory lighting to the rear portion of the roof, with the front section concealed behind a flat rendered parapet. The parapet is capped with a simple mould and has a narrow cantilevered horizontal concrete window hood along its bottom edge.
The walls are mottled red face brick but have been painted on one elevation. Honeycomb brickwork panels and louvre windows provide ventilation. Natural light is admitted by two panels of glass bricks, on of which contains a vertical rendered panel with simple mouldings and vertical raised serif lettering ‘Substation No. 58’.
Statement of significance
Relevant assessment criteria
This is a place of local heritage significance and meets one or more of the local heritage criteria under the Heritage planning scheme policy of the Brisbane City Plan 2014. It is significant because:
References
-
SEQEB Files
Citation prepared by — Brisbane City Council (page revised June 2022)