East Perth Power Station

​These circuit breaker units, which were for the No.7 generating unit, are encased in heavy cast iron from the time they were originally installed. They enabled the No.7 generating unit to be connected to the system grid, which included the direct line to the Royal Perth Hospital.

This was something I had heard about some time ago, particularly as it was spoken in context of the tunnel that was built from Royal Perth Hospital to the East Perth Power Station. Photos held at the State Library show the tunnel being constructed under Wellington Square. Though very little information can be found on it (which is nothing unusual when it comes to history and its selective tendencies with recording or documenting), the story was that it was to give the hospital priority access to electricity during wartime and quite likely when the electricity system was overloaded and partially shut down.