Electricity Commission

The digitised images in this State Archives Collection series (NRS-20347) include black-and-white and colour negatives and transparencies produced by the Electricity Commission of NSW from 1950 to 1994. There are 9,000+ photos in this series.

The series was developed to document the organisation’s power generation and transmission assets, as well as the working conditions and social events of its employees. Each image belongs to a specific project or group and each assigned a unique numerical reference number.

Family and local history interest

Because the images often include employees, they may be of interest to the families of people who were employed by the Electricity Commission during the period. The series can also be useful for local history research, as the images often capture areas of towns that were not usually photographed for tourism purposes or as part of family occasions.

A selection from the collection

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Screenshot from the film Burrinjuck Dam

Burrinjuck Dam - A tourist's playground

A promotional film produced c.1950s/1960s by the Electricity Commission of New South Wales

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Photo collections

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Photos from Urban Affairs and Planning

This collection includes both colour and B&W photographs taken between 1945 and 1999, depicting Sydney, its surrounding areas, and regional NSW

'Lady Hopetoun' docked at Commissioners Steps in front of the Sydney Harbour Trust building

Maritime Services Board

A sample of the 4000+ digitised glass plate negatives from the Maritime Services Board

Naval cadets from N.S.S. 'Sobraon' receiving swimming instruction

Government Printing Office Glass Negatives

From the late 19th century into the 20th century, photography played a significant role at the Government Printing Office, leading to a rich and varied collection of images depicting life in New South Wales

Onlookers stand behind barriers watching the streets being cleaned with fire hoses. Policemen stand on the road in front of the crowds

Purging pestilence – plague!

The Bubonic Plague hit Sydney in January 1900. Spreading from the waterfront, the rats carried the plague throughout the city. Within eight months 303 cases were reported and 103 people were dead

A Sundowner, Riverina District, c.1908

Lantern slides shown at the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition

Part of this collection of lantern slides was shown at the Franco-British Exhibition in London, 1908. Many of the slides are of typical country scenes such as saw mills, dairy farms, mining, and timber felling and hauling

Sydney Harbour Bridge construction. Preparing iron bark track timbers, 4 Oct 1931

Sydney Harbour Bridge

This photo series captures the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, from turning the first sod to completion, including the official opening and its initial use by the public

Bourke Court House, no date

Public buildings in NSW

This album, dating from c1880 to c1940, was created by the Government Architect's office and includes a diverse array of important public and institutional structures

A beach scene at Wattamolla, Royal National Park, no date.

Royal National Park

Many of the photos in this series depict recreational activities around Audley, showcasing people boating, playing sports, bushwalking, picnicking, and taking part in ceremonies

Group of boys feeding calves at Scheyville Training Farm, c1926

Scheyville Training Farm

Scheyville was a training farm for young men selected from the Sydney area and those arriving under various British immigration schemes

Interior archway of concourse in Central Railway Station, 1906

Photos from the railways

With around 30,000 photos from various series, you can delve into a visual history of the railways, the workers, and the stunning landscapes of Sydney and New South Wales