Wann and Gadi Countries of the Eora Nation
NSW
The White Bay Power Station, constructed in 1912-17, initially powered the City’s tram and rail network before undergoing upgrades to supply power to domestic consumers in the 1950s. Employing over 600 locals at its peak, it was decommissioned in 1983 and has remained dormant since.
In 2021, it was the focus of the Bays West Stage 1 Masterplan, part of a 77-hectare urban renewal precinct encompassing housing, commercial, and transport infrastructure. A catalyst for renewal, the project included stabilising and remediating the buildings, protecting its rare machinery, and upgrading it for safe and compliant public access.
Today, White Bay Power Station has been transformed into a dynamic cultural and community hub that accommodates cultural, artistic, and commercial activities. It remains a widely recognised harbourside landmark and a potent symbol of the area’s industrial and working-class identity. The building will play a key role in the urban renewal of Bays West.
White Bay Power Station, constructed 1912-1917, was the longest-serving coal-fired power station in metropolitan Sydney, initially supplying electricity to the tram and rail network and then for domestic use. At the peak of operation, it employed around 600 people; after closing in 1983, the buildings languished for decades. Although State heritage listed in 1999, the future of White Bay Power Station has been uncertain. It is now alive with the stories of its past. Conservation works backed by decades of careful research and a series of prudent architectural interventions have allowed the building to open up to a wide range of contemporary cultural uses and audiences. Most converted powerhouses worldwide retain the huge spaces but jettison the working parts. Critically at White Bay Power Station, the machinery and interiors remain, telling the story of the people who worked here and the industry that occurred in its vast, sublime halls.
The work at White Bay Power Station is an exemplar of the Burra Charter mantra to “do as much as necessary…but as little as possible,” ushering this mighty building not only into the present, but into its future as a public, cultural anchor for the regeneration of the Bays Precinct.
The vision for White Bay Power Station is to create a vibrant centre for the future Bays West precinct, drawing visitors from across Sydney and beyond.
At every stage, Placemaking NSW, architects, builders, and engineers collaborated closely to address daily issues and safeguard and promote the place’s State Significant industrial heritage.
White Bay Power Station is a dynamic cultural and community hub that has hosted a range of cultural, artistic, and commercial activities. It is set to play a crucial role in shaping the future of The Bays while honouring its industrial and maritime past.
Robert Gasparini, Project Architect
Alan Croker, Principal Director
Calista Novia, Graduate of Architecture
Andrea Butturini, Graduate of Architecture
CBRE, Project Manager
Mott MacDonald, Structural and Civil Engineer
Norman Disney Young, Services Consultant
Turf Design Studio, Landscape Consultant
Placemaking NSW, Planning and Heritage Direction
Rider Levett Bucknall, Quantity Surveyor
Trevor R Howse, Access Consultant and Certifier
JBS&G, HAZMAT
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
