Power House Full Length

The powerhouse at Portland Cement Works was originally constructed as two separate buildings, built around 1902 as part of the Commonwealth Portland Cement Company's new plant under the direction of Dr August Scheidel. By 1910 the two structures had been joined into a single unit, with the southern end extended at the same time, forming the continuous span visible here. An overhead gantry crane ran the entire length of the building throughout its operational life. The iron girders used in the structure were imported from the same English manufacturer that supplied the Eveleigh Street Railway Yards in Sydney. Numerous internal modifications were carried out during the decades of operation. What the photograph records is the building in its current state: the overhead crane beam still tracking the full length of the ceiling, arched windows cut into the brick walls at regular intervals, a corrugated iron roof above, and a concrete floor below. A yellow steel mezzanine occupies the right side of the frame. The condition of the powerhouse is assessed as good relative to other structures on the site, and it is one of the buildings identified for future adaptive reuse as part of the site's redevelopment as a creative and hospitality precinct. The Portland Cement Works Precinct was listed on the NSW State Heritage Register in August 2012, meeting all seven significance criteria. At its peak in 1912, the works produced approximately 40% of all Portland cement manufactured in Australia. Cement production ceased in November 1991 after 89 years of continuous operation. The powerhouse now stands as one of the most intact structures remaining on the 5.9-hectare processing and administrative precinct at Williwa Street, Portland. Photographed in 2018.