Tamworth Powerstation Museum
The Tamworth Powerstation Museum was opened by Peel Cunningham County Council on 9th November 1988 to commemorate the centenary of the first electric street lighting in Australia. The museum premises, consisting of a working re-creation of the 1888 power station and the adjacent Municipal Electric Showroom building, are located on the site of the original power station - a listed heritage site.
The role of the Powerstation Museum is to generate a public awareness of this nationally significant site and its role in the development of electrical power in Australia.
Tamworth Powerstation Museum consists of a working re-creation of the Tamworth Borough Council's 1888 power station on its original Peel Street site, together with the restored 1907 Tamworth Municipal Electric Showroom Building.
The museum houses an historically significant collection of domestic, commercial, industrial and trade electrical items dating back to the late 19th century. The museum also maintains an extensive archive comprising catalogues, documents and records relating to the development of the electrical industry both regionally and nationally.
On its original site, the re-built 1888 steam power station records Tamworth's history of being the first town in Australia to introduce electric lighting for its streets. It contains the only two working John Fowler cross-compound under-type steam engines in the world with working replicas of the original 1888 Crompton and Company No 15 dynamos.
The 1907 Tamworth Municipal Electric Showroom building displays a chronological story of the discovery, invention and development of electricity. Displays include a working replica of Faraday's first dynamo and a unique collection of old electric lamps, switches, plugs, light fittings, electrical appliances of all kinds and photographs.
A working Belliss and Morcom compound high speed steam engine, as installed in 1907, which supplied the first light and power to houses and shops in Tamworth.