Page:Municipal Handbook of Auckland 1922.djvu/177



The City Council first sanctioned an electric supply in the year 1903, in accordance with a report presented by Mr. W. G. T. Goodman.

It was decided to establish the works at Freeman's Bay, in order to take advantage of a certain amount of steam supplied by the Destructor.

The first proposal involved an expenditure of £21,000, and the Council applied for a loan of £25,000.

In 1907, Mr. A. Wyllie was appointed Electrical Engineer, and in February, 1908, the first supply was given from Freemans Bay.

It was soon manifest that the demand would exceed the first expectations, and it became necessary to raise a further loan of £50,000, in order to increase the area of reticulation and the capacity of the Power Station. It was also evident that the Destructor site was unsuitable for meeting the demand of the future, and that the Power Station at Freeman's Bay was altogether inadequate.

In 1909, Mr. Wyllie presented a report recommending the building of a new and much larger Power Station at King's Wharf. This scheme involved an expenditure of £225,000, and after careful consideration was adopted by the Council.