Receptionists Desk

The receptionist's desk at White Bay Power Station sits in the administration foyer, a timber counter with a raised section across the front and a lower worktop on the staff side. The surface carries the marks of daily use: small dents in the timber, areas where the veneer has lifted at the corners, a telephone mounting bracket where the handset is no longer present. A section of the counter has a hinged section for access. Filing cabinet recesses are fitted behind the counter. The wallboard behind the desk position carries mounting points where noticeboards or directories once hung. The flooring in front of the desk is vinyl tile, worn along the approach path.

The administration block at White Bay Power Station housed the management, engineering, and administrative functions of the station across its operational life from 1917 to 1983. The receptionist's desk was the first contact point for visitors, contractors, and plant personnel arriving through the main entrance. The station employed several hundred workers at peak production periods, and the administration block handled payroll, engineering records, maintenance scheduling, and correspondence for the site. After the Christmas Day 1983 shutdown the administration block was left largely intact. The station was heritage listed in April 1999 and the administration building was included in the curtilage of the listing.