Powerhouse Museum

The Powerhouse Museum has existed in various guises for over 125 years, since 1988 it has been housed in the converted Ultimo power station on the edge of Sydney's central business district. The museum takes its name from this electric tram power station that dates back to 1899 when it was built to power Sydney's electric tram system (the tram system ceased operation in 1961). The old tram depot that is adjacent to the power station has been turned into offices, workshops, laboratories and storage for the museum. The museum contains a variety of different collections all focusing on technology in its various forms.

In the entrance hall is Locomotive No. 1, built by Robert Stephenson and Company, that hauled the first passenger train in New South Wales. In 1846 the Sydney Railway Company was formed with the objective of building a railway line between Sydney and Parramatta. Locomotive No. 1 was one of four locomotives that arrived by sea from the manufacturer in January 1855. The first passenger train hauled by No. 1 was a special service from Sydney Station on 24 May 1855, Queen Victoria's birthday.




	Attached to the train are a number of carriages to demonstrate the different classes of travel. As can be seen from the photographs First Class (top right) was significantly more comfortable, they actually had windows! Third Class was rather basic but a bit better than travelling in an open cattle truck.


	For reasons that are not clear they have a Ford Anglia hanging in the entrance area,

For over a century the Strasbourg Clock model has been one of the most popular exhibits in the Museum. The young Sydney clockmaker, Richard Bartholomew Smith built this model of a famous clock in Strasbourg, France between 1887 and 1889. In 1890 the NSW Government purchased the model for £700 and put it on display at the Technological Museum, (an earlier name for the Powerhouse Museum).

Smith had never actually seen the original when he built it but worked from a booklet describing its timekeeping and astronomical functions.


	These next photographs are some general views of the main hall, the first shows some of the aircraft and the second the Space and the Railway Timetable board.






	One aviation exhibit is the amazing Crop Dusting Transavia PL-12 Airtruk.


	Also on display is the Catalina Frigate Bird II VH-ASA which famous Australian pilot P.G. Taylor pioneered an air route by island hopping across the Pacific from Sydney to Valparaiso, Chile - a distance of over 13,000 kilometres.




	Also suspended from the roof is this 1927 deHaviland D. H. 60 Cirrus Moth representing Australia’s light aviation.


	Railways feature extensively in the museum and exhibits include this large signal box and various engines and carriages.




	Road transport exhibits include this Bugatti (with solar powered car visible to the rear) and this early motorcycle and sidecar.


	There are a number of ship models on display including the one shown below.


	There is a display of musical instruments including this early electronic piano (note control box at lower right). There are also displays relating to various local recording artists including “The Cockroaches”.


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