With the EPT conversation occurring across several social media platforms, including the facebook group, the sharing of stories is also more networked. Today, via facebook, I heard from Ginetta Morato, daughter of Luigi Morato. She writes:
My father, Luigi Morato also
worked for SAE Bologna before being sent to Australia in 1956. He was
employed by EPT for all of his working years in this land, and held the
role of Testing Station Manager, Marayong until the company’s closure.
Sadly, he passed away just on 2 years ago. Please know that he would
have taken great pride and delight in viewing your posts. My mother on
the other hand was instrumental, together with Padre Silvio, in
commencing the Saturday Italian language courses for children of EPT
workers, in which she taught from 1968 until the 1980’s. These programs
played an important part in bringing together a community and providing
an opportunity for the preservation and maintenance of Italian language
and culture in second and subsequent generations.
19 January 2012
18 January 2012
EPT Facebook Group
Matthew Quomi has set up a facebook group as a meeting place for former E.P.T. employees and their descendants to share their memories. Some of the content from Transmission Lines, particularly photographs, will be shared with the facebook group. For those not connected to facebook, I am happy to accept comments or emails and pass them on.
EPT in Queensland
Ian Moller has consulted with his colleague Brian Becconsall to compile these notes about EPT work in Queensland. Brian says, "I believe the first steel lines were all built by E.P.T. throughout the 1960’s. I think the only competitor was ASCOM who got 50% of the Gladstone to Brisbane 275kV interconnectors to ensure they were all done on time by 1973 (associated with the establishment of Gladstone Power Station)."
1957- Commissioning of Tully Falls Hydro power station, with 132kV double circuit steel tower lines to Cairns
1958- Interconnection Cairns to Townsville via 132kV double circuit steel tower line
The start of the steel tower system in SE Qld was in the 1960’s
April 1962- the original Rocklea substation established as a switching station (cut in to existing 110kV wood pole Abermain (Ipswich) feeders)
Jan 1963- Stafford substation commissioned with a new 110kV double circuit steel tower line from South Pine substation to Bunyaville substation (Everton Hills) connecting to 2 x 110kV underground cables to Stafford substation
July 1963- West Darra substation commissioned
June 1964 - South Pine substation to Image Flat substation (near Nambour) and northward via a 132 kV double circuit steel tower line, connecting to the Wide Bay Burnett Electricity Board 132 kV network (wood pole lines mostly). (Ian's comment - from memory I believe the SEQ 110kV network interfaced with the WBBEB 132kV network via stepup transformers at Image Flat)
Sept 1964 - South Pine substation (Brendale) to Hays Inlet substation (Rothwell)
Apr 1966 - Swanbank A power station energised, requiring 110kV links to West Darra substation
EPT built all the steel 110kV around the SE Qld, and the first 275kV lines out of Swanbank as follows;
Apr 1970 - Swanbank B commissioned- first 275kV lines to South Pine substation
Feb 1971 - Swanbank B to Belmont substation 275kV double circuit steel tower
Dec 1972 - Swanbank B to Mudgeeraba 2x 275KV single circuit steel tower lines energised at 110kV initially
Then the construction of first major 275kV lines from Brisbane to Gladstone was shared - I think EPT did the southern half, ASCOM the northern half (subject to confirmation)
Nov 1972 - South Pine substation to Gladstone Power Station - 2 x 275kV single circuit steel tower lines energised via new substations at Woolooga and Gin Gin
1957- Commissioning of Tully Falls Hydro power station, with 132kV double circuit steel tower lines to Cairns
1958- Interconnection Cairns to Townsville via 132kV double circuit steel tower line
The start of the steel tower system in SE Qld was in the 1960’s
April 1962- the original Rocklea substation established as a switching station (cut in to existing 110kV wood pole Abermain (Ipswich) feeders)
Jan 1963- Stafford substation commissioned with a new 110kV double circuit steel tower line from South Pine substation to Bunyaville substation (Everton Hills) connecting to 2 x 110kV underground cables to Stafford substation
July 1963- West Darra substation commissioned
June 1964 - South Pine substation to Image Flat substation (near Nambour) and northward via a 132 kV double circuit steel tower line, connecting to the Wide Bay Burnett Electricity Board 132 kV network (wood pole lines mostly). (Ian's comment - from memory I believe the SEQ 110kV network interfaced with the WBBEB 132kV network via stepup transformers at Image Flat)
Sept 1964 - South Pine substation (Brendale) to Hays Inlet substation (Rothwell)
Apr 1966 - Swanbank A power station energised, requiring 110kV links to West Darra substation
EPT built all the steel 110kV around the SE Qld, and the first 275kV lines out of Swanbank as follows;
Apr 1970 - Swanbank B commissioned- first 275kV lines to South Pine substation
Feb 1971 - Swanbank B to Belmont substation 275kV double circuit steel tower
Dec 1972 - Swanbank B to Mudgeeraba 2x 275KV single circuit steel tower lines energised at 110kV initially
Then the construction of first major 275kV lines from Brisbane to Gladstone was shared - I think EPT did the southern half, ASCOM the northern half (subject to confirmation)
Nov 1972 - South Pine substation to Gladstone Power Station - 2 x 275kV single circuit steel tower lines energised via new substations at Woolooga and Gin Gin
17 January 2012
St Anthony's EPT Marayong
In earlier correspondence, Giovanni Venturi wrote that his father had a church built in the 1950s for EPT workers and their families. He sent some early footage of the church, camp and community at Marayong.
Television Tower
Giovanni Venturi has sent some film footage shot in the 1950s. EPT workers constructed several television towers across Australia. This
video, the first of several, shows the construction of TCN Channel 9 Tower at Gore Hill.
11 January 2012
Pandora to archive Transmission Lines
PANDORA is Australia’s Web Archive based at the National Library of Australia. They have been in touch requesting inclusion of Transmission lines 1955-1974 in the PANDORA Archive. This means the Library retains the project in the Archive and provides public access to it in perpetuity. It will be re-archived periodically to record significant additions and changes.
The Library will take the necessary preservation action to keep Transmission Lines accessible as hardware and software changes over time. The Library will catalogue it and add the records to the National Bibliographic Database (a database of catalogue records shared by over 5,200 Australian libraries), as well as to our own online catalogue. This will increase awareness of Transmission Lines among researchers using libraries. It also means these fragments of the story of EPT will be more readily found as part of Australia's history.
The Library will take the necessary preservation action to keep Transmission Lines accessible as hardware and software changes over time. The Library will catalogue it and add the records to the National Bibliographic Database (a database of catalogue records shared by over 5,200 Australian libraries), as well as to our own online catalogue. This will increase awareness of Transmission Lines among researchers using libraries. It also means these fragments of the story of EPT will be more readily found as part of Australia's history.
08 January 2012
Ian Moller
I received an email recently from Ian Moller who worked in the electricity industry in Queensland for 40 years (as an
electrical engineer - mainly in transmission) before retiring in 2007. He wrote:
I recall EPT doing a lot of transmission line construction in Qld but I would be hard pressed to identify which lines were built by EPT. But I think some of the early 275kV lines built for SEAQ and NEAQ were done by EPT amongst many others. I have some old NEAQ house magazines so it is possible they mention EPT. (late 60's into the 70's)
The reason I'm contacting you is that I have just accidently stumbled across a metal EPT identification plate. It measures roughly 150 mm wide by 90mm high. It has two towers with the letters "EPT" between them. The towers and letters are kind of cast into the plate, so it is very readable.
Some years ago, my Church purchased a secondhand shipping container which we use as a mower shed etc. It was only very recently, I noticed the EPT plate rivited to the bottom beam of the container and thought this was historically significant.
Ian is a member of the Queensland Electricity Museum and will be donating the plate to the Museum. He has kindly provided images of the plate, which he retrieved and repainted:
I recall EPT doing a lot of transmission line construction in Qld but I would be hard pressed to identify which lines were built by EPT. But I think some of the early 275kV lines built for SEAQ and NEAQ were done by EPT amongst many others. I have some old NEAQ house magazines so it is possible they mention EPT. (late 60's into the 70's)
The reason I'm contacting you is that I have just accidently stumbled across a metal EPT identification plate. It measures roughly 150 mm wide by 90mm high. It has two towers with the letters "EPT" between them. The towers and letters are kind of cast into the plate, so it is very readable.
Some years ago, my Church purchased a secondhand shipping container which we use as a mower shed etc. It was only very recently, I noticed the EPT plate rivited to the bottom beam of the container and thought this was historically significant.
Ian is a member of the Queensland Electricity Museum and will be donating the plate to the Museum. He has kindly provided images of the plate, which he retrieved and repainted:
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