Brisbane City Council Substation No. 211

The design for the substation was completed by the prominent Brisbane City Architect A.H. Foster. Foster was appointed City Architect following the formation of the Greater Brisbane City Council in 1925 and served in this position until his death in 1932.12 He was responsible for such civic buildings as Kurilpa Library (1927) and Victoria Park gold clubhouse (1931). Foster also designed other substations including Gregory Terrace (1928), Lang Park (1928, demolished), Moorooka (1929), Hamilton (1929, demolished), and Coorparoo (1930). Foster was renowned for his distinctive brick buildings.3

In the Electricity Department Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1935 it was announced that “Main Control Sub-stations are constructed of brick, and designed to harmonise with the class of buildings in the residential areas.”4

The Cairns St Substation played an important initial role in the supply of electric energy to the southern suburbs of Brisbane. These suburbs included Balmoral, Coorparoo, Stephens, Sherwood, and Yeerongpilly. It was also intended that electricity from this substation would also supply “Taringa and tie-feed to the north suburbs via Toowong.”5

By 1932 the need for duplicate cables across the river became apparent. It was reported that, “(T)this cable (between Merthyr Road and Cairns Street) has on two occasions been picked up by ships’ anchors and in the event of failure due to the stresses caused by interference the supply to the areas mentioned would be cut off.”6 To remedy this problem it was proposed to ultimately lay cables “between New Farm Power House and Goff Street (Norman Park).”6

Further cable laying, upgrading and replacement of electrical wiring and components occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1988 the roof was replaced and in c.1995 the substation, having now been made obsolete, was decommissioned.7

Originally clad in tiles the roof is now clad in ribbed metal sheeting. The building is otherwise unaltered from it’s original form which was designed to be in sympathy with surrounding residential development. Today it is somewhat stranded at the bottom of a dead end street next to high-rise development.

1. Reports and Proceedings of the Municipal Council of the City of Brisbane During the Year 1928. 1st January to 31st December. (Brisbane; Shaw Printing Co Ltd, 1929). December p.259

2. “Brisbane City Council Electricity Supply Department,” Third Annual report 1928. P.9. in Ibid

3. Ibid

4. Donald Watson & Judith Mckay. Queensland Architects of the 19th Century; A Biographical Dictionary. (Brisbane: Queensland Museum, 1944). P.69

5. Thom Blake, Gerard Murtagh & BCC Heritage Unit. West End Library – Conservation Plan. A Report for the Department of Recreation and Health, Brisbane City Council. (Brisbane: BCC Pub, 1993). Pp. 13-14

6. Thom Blake, West End Library Conservation Plan. Pp. 13-14

7. Cited in Christopher William Osford-Fordan. A Study of the Architectural History of Brisbane Electricity Substations Before 1953. (Unpub Thesis, Bachelor of Architecture, University of Queensland, 1984)

8. Reports and Proceedings of the Brisbane City Council, During the Period 1st, July 1932 – 30th, June 1933. P.53

9. Ibid

10. Ibid

11. Conversation with Ray Brown of the SEQEB Museum. 1-2/10/96 by C.R. Robertson. Constant reference was made to SEQEB files