30-03-2025, 10:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 31-03-2025, 12:26 AM by Tony Press.)
I can still remember going into Melbourne with my mother nearly 80 years ago and going up in a lift with a rope in the corner which when pulled caused the lift to magically rise.
From a paper which covered the origin and development of hydraulic power equipment and systems in Britain that led to the public utility manifestations in Hull, London and Liverpool in 1876-1885, the entrepreneurial formation of the Melbourne Hydraulic Power Company in 1888 and its early success as a public utility for motive power applications for the City of Melbourne. From enjoying an initial virtual monopoly as a motive power utility, the company faced increasing competition from the development of electricity distribution for both light and power from 1900, but continued to operate profitably. In 1925, in accordance with the original enabling legislation, the assets and business of the company reverted to the City Corporation. With some restructuring of the central plant, the Council continued to operate the hydraulic power service until 1967.
From a paper which covered the origin and development of hydraulic power equipment and systems in Britain that led to the public utility manifestations in Hull, London and Liverpool in 1876-1885, the entrepreneurial formation of the Melbourne Hydraulic Power Company in 1888 and its early success as a public utility for motive power applications for the City of Melbourne. From enjoying an initial virtual monopoly as a motive power utility, the company faced increasing competition from the development of electricity distribution for both light and power from 1900, but continued to operate profitably. In 1925, in accordance with the original enabling legislation, the assets and business of the company reverted to the City Corporation. With some restructuring of the central plant, the Council continued to operate the hydraulic power service until 1967.