Electrical Undertakings in Australia.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 7, 1 May 1906, Page 171

Electrical Undertakings in Australia.

A branch of industry open to development in Australia is that of electrical undertakings. Already electric tramways and lighting are established in several important centres. Some months ago a concession for the establishment of electric tramways m Perth was granted to a German firm. Various tramway projects have been conceived for the suburbs of Melbourne, and the Government of Victoria is now considering a scheme for electrify ng the whoie of the suburban railway system. The scheme emanates from an English syndicate, which has offered to provide an unlimited electricity supply at one penny per unit, and proposes to utilise for the purpose the important lignite mines situated at Newport, where the generating station would be established. The population of Melbourne (44^,000 inhabitants) is scattered over numerous suburbs, some of which are ten miles from the centre of the city. The suburban railway traffic is considerable, and, by reason of the numerous stops, the adoption of electric traction would be advantageous. The network of tramways in Melbourne is very extensive, the cable system is adopted, and the cost per mile run is, it appears, practically the same as for electric traction ; it is not probable, therefore, that a change will be made. However, the Btillehn Commercial (Brussels) considers that it would be worth while to send to Australia an engineer capable of making a thorough study of the chances of success in tramway, lighting, or other electrical enterprise in the great mining and manufacturing centres of that country.