Pipes & Tunnels
The Hidden Network Beneath East Perth Power Station
Behind the imposing brick walls and towering chimneys of East Perth Power Station was a vast and complex network of pipes — an essential but often overlooked part of how the power station operated. These pipes carried everything from fuel, steam, air, ash slurry, water, and waste.
Compressed Air Lines
Power stations needed more than just coal, oil, or gas to operate. Compressed air was a vital utility, powering equipment that kept boilers clean and machinery running reliably. Small to medium-sized pipes crisscrossed the site, delivering air from the compressor house to the boilers and turbines. This air was used for blowing soot off boiler tubes, powering pneumatic controls and operating various mechanical systems.
Fuel Supply Pipes
When the furnaces were converted from coal to fuel oil, new pipes were installed to carry oil from large storage tanks directly to the boiler burners. Some of these pipes were insulated to keep the thick fuel warm and flowing. Without this system, the station’s shift to oil in the 1940s and late-1960s wouldn’t have been possible.
Drainage and Overflow
Not everything that flowed through the station was useful. Wastewater, bilge water from equipment, overflow from tanks and discharge from the condenser ponds all had to go somewhere. Small to medium pipes directed this waste either into the sewer system or, in some cases, straight into the Swan River — a common but environmentally harmful practice at the time.
Vent and Relief Pipes
Tall vent pipes, often seen rising high above the rooftops, had a crucial job: keeping the station safe. They allowed steam and pressure to be safely released from boilers, tanks, and steam systems if it ever built up too high, preventing dangerous accidents.
Dust Suppression Pipes
Coal dust was more than just a nuisance — it was a fire hazard. A network of dust suppression pipes ran alongside the Rotary Wagon Tippler (which unloaded coal from trains) and the conveyor belts that carried coal into the station. These pipes sprayed water to dampen the dust and keep it from becoming airborne.
Cooling Water Pipes
Giant cooling water pipes, some as wide as 36 inches (almost a metre), drew in river water from pumps at Jetty No. 1 and Jetty No. 2. These pipes pumped river water into the station’s cooling wells, playing a critical role in controlling temperatures and ensuring that the turbines didn’t overheat. It cooled the steam used in the turbines, turning it back into liquid so it could be reused. One of the biggest challenges in running a power station is getting rid of waste heat. After absorbing the heat, the water was discharged back into the Swan River.
Ash Slurry Pipeline
Burning coal created mountains of ash and the station had a clever solution: mix the ash with water into a slurry and pipe it away. A dedicated pipeline carried this mixture across the Bunbury Bridge (which later became the Windan Bridge) to large disposal ponds — right where Optus Stadium stands today.
Pipes That Served the City
East Perth didn’t just supply electricity — it also provided steam to nearby facilities.
• Royal Perth Hospital had a direct pipeline running from the station’s “C” Station turbine hall, supplying steam for heating, laundry, and backup power generation.
• The Perth Gas Works, located on the other side of the Bunbury Bridge, also received steam from the power station, helping to run their gas production equipment.
A City Powered by Pipes
Though most people walking past the station today never saw them, these networks of pipes were the arteries of East Perth Power Station. They carried life into the station and carried waste out. They kept the power on for the city, heated the hospital and even helped the gasworks run.
Today, while the power station stands silent, the story of those pipes reminds us that behind every light switch are hidden systems that kept our cities running.
