Plant Storage
Mechanical and electrical plant systems are currently stored on the ground floor (basement) of the Boiler House Extension.
Some of this equipment has been salvaged from decommissioned power stations, including Bunbury, South Fremantle, and (in progress) Muja.
It’s a welcome sight, particularly if these items are eventually refurbished and preserved, rather than scrapped, as has often been the case in the decades following World War II.
Station Transformers
Old station transformers at the power station
Station transformers are a type of power transformer used within power stations or substations. Their main role is to provide electricity for the station’s own equipment (like pumps, motors, lighting, control systems, and ventilation), so that the facility can operate independently of the main grid when required.
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They step down high-voltage electricity (i.e. 66 kV) to lower voltages (i.e. 415 V) for use by internal systems, including lighting, motor control centres, emergency equipment and cooling fans.
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They keep essential services running even when the generator is offline or disconnected from the grid.
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In some cases, they can also feed power back into the station from the grid during maintenance or start-up.
Contamination and Fire Risks
Most station transformers use mineral-based oil for insulation and cooling. This type of transformer oil is made from refined petroleum. It comes with certain environmental and safety risks:
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The oil is highly flammable with a flash point of around 140 °C. If a leak occurs near an ignition source, it can lead to a serious fire.
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Leaking oil can contaminate soil, groundwater, and concrete, especially in older transformers.
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Units manufactured before the 1980s often contained PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls, a group of toxic, cancer-causing chemicals that were widely banned but still exist in some aging equipment.
Wilson Electric Station Transformers
Old Wilson station transformers at the power station
The transformer shown here was built by Wilson Electric Transformer Co Pty Ltd, a company established in Port Melbourne, Victoria in 1933. Wilson remains one of Australia’s leading transformer manufacturers, supplying distribution, power, and station service transformers nationwide. This particular unit features:
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A three-phase configuration, standard in power stations and industrial settings
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A high-voltage input of 22 kV and a low-voltage output of 3 kV, large enough to power internal auxiliary systems or feed a nearby substation
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Oil Natural (ON) cooling, which uses the passive flow of mineral oil (without no fans or pumps) to keep the transformer cool during operation.
The vertical cooling fins (or radiator panels) help dissipate heat during operation, typical of outdoor, oil-cooled transformers of the era.
It is believed to have been installed sometime between the 1950s and 1970s, most likely to step down power from the switchyard to voltages between 415 V and 6.6 kV for the station’s internal systems.
This transformer likely came from the now-decommissioned 66 kV switchyard, which was dismantled by Western Power in 2024 as part of site remediation works for the redevelopment of the East Perth Power Station precinct, led by DevelopmentWA.
Metropolitan Vickers Station Transformers
The Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company Ltd, better known as Metrovick, was a leading British engineering firm based in Trafford Park, Manchester. Originally founded in 1899 as the British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, it was officially renamed Metropolitan-Vickers in 1922.
Metrovick became one of the most respected names in industrial engineering, supplying equipment across the British Empire and beyond. Their products included:
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Power generation and electrical machinery
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Transformers, switchgear, and turbines
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Rail electrification systems and early electronics
Large amounts of Metrovick equipment were installed at both East Perth and South Fremantle Power Stations, where they helped support Western Australia’s expanding electricity network throughout the 20th century.
Station Transformer
This Metropolitan-Vickers transformer is a heavy-duty example of early 20th-century industrial engineering. It was built to power critical internal systems at East Perth Power Station and its key features include:
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A three-phase configuration, standard in power stations and industrial settings
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A high-voltage input of 22 kV and a low-voltage output of 3 kV, large enough to power internal auxiliary systems or feed a nearby substation
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Oil Natural (ON) cooling, which uses the passive flow of mineral oil (without no fans or pumps) to keep the transformer cool during operation.
This transformer was most likely used to step down electricity from 22 kV to 3 kV for use within the power station itself, rather than for public distribution. It would have powered vital systems such as:
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Motor control centres
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Soot blowers
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Pumps and ventilation fans
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Lighting circuits and control panels
In this role, it functioned as a station service transformer, ensuring the plant’s internal operations continued to run reliably, even when the main generators were offline.
This transformer likely came from the now-decommissioned 66 kV switchyard, which was dismantled by Western Power in 2024 as part of site remediation works for the redevelopment of the East Perth Power Station precinct, led by DevelopmentWA.
Speedomax Recorder
Manufactured by the American company Leeds & Northrup, the Speedomax Recorder was an analogue industrial chart recorder used to monitor and record critical operational parameters. It measured variables such as temperature, pressure, voltage, and current, translating them into pen traces on moving paper charts. These charts provided a visual record of system performance, helping SECWA operators track trends, identify anomalies and maintain stable operating conditions.
Although it’s difficult to identify the exact model without further photos of the nameplate or additional markings, this unit appears to be from the Speedomax Model S 60000 Series (Type G), first introduced around 1958.
It’s highly likely that this recorder was customised for SECWA, as this particular Speedomax Recorder features a high vertical chart scale and kV (kilovolt) units, which are not present on standard models seen in historical documentation and reference photos.
