Grenfell Street Power Station & East Terrace Converter Stations
An Act of the South Australian Parliament created the South Australian Electric Company to provide public street lighting in 1882 but the company never generated electricity.
The South Australian Electric Light and Motive Power Company was created in 1895 to provide power throughout the Colony of South Australia. It initially generated power from a site in Nile Street in Port Adelaide.
In 1900 the City of Adelaide signed a contract with the company to provide power for King William Street lighting and to private customers.
Frederick Wheadon was appointed as an engineer to the company in 1899 and created plans for a coal fired power station in Grenfell Street. The site consists of three main buildings.
The Grenfell Street Power Station supplied electricity to the city and made a significant contribution to the economic development of the state.
The AESCo Convertor Station provided a small back-up capacity until the last of the DC was removed from the city in 1967.
Metropolitan Tramways Trust (MTT) No. 1 Convertor Station provided power to the electric tram system from 1909 to 1956.
The South Australian Electric Light and Motive Power Company was succeeded by Adelaide Electric Supply Company and then The Electricity Trust of South Australia.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Heritage Engineering Marker (HEM) |
| Award Date | 6 April 1995 |
| Heritage Significance | |
| Nomination Document | Available here. |
| Ceremony Booklet Ceremony Report |
Available here. |
| Plaque/Interpretation Panel Image | Not Available |
