1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

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1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

#152358 10/06/04 02:44 PM

Joined: Oct 2000

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NY, USA

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This is a picture of the switchboard & meter panel that was recently removed from my sisters house in Adelaide, South Australia. It was installed in the mid-1950s'. This board was mounted in the laundry at the rear of the property.

The meter on the left was used for measuring the power used for the house (rated 10-40 amps) & the meter on the right is for the hot water service (5-20 amps).

I have no idea where the cable on the left goes to, it's a length of 2.5 mm2 TPS cable for a power circuit of some description.

Under the left meter is the main switch, two fuses (the one on left is power-15 amps & the right one is lights -10 amps). The little box is for the neutral link.

The fuse in the centre along with the round switch underneath is for the hot water service.

On the end is a switch which controls the 10 amp power outlet below it.

The whole assembly has been removed & replaced with a 17 position DIN rail switchboard with RCD protection at the front of the property with the meters.

Darren Carroll
Alice Springs, NT, Australia

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Re: 1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

#152359 10/07/04 10:24 AM

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 8,443

Likes: 3

SI,New Zealand

Trumpy

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Now there's the sort of Switch-board/Metering panel that I'm used to seeing.
Thanks for submitting the picture, Darren!.
Installing a switchboard in the Laundry is something that you don't see a lot of down in this part of the world these days.
Interesting to note that while the board has Porcelain Rewireable fuses on it, there is a plug-in type MCB sitting on the ledge in front of the board.
Bit of a rough job on installing that 2.5, it's not even covered with capping. [Linked Image]

Re: 1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

#152360 10/08/04 02:32 AM

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 202

Alice Springs, NT, Australia

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32VAC

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It must of been fairly common place ecspecially in Adelaide as a few other houses I have been to have the switchboard in the laundry. As for the piece of 2.5, that has all been removed along with all the equipment in the photo. I have since found out that this cable run to a double power outlet that was screwed onto the wall just out of the picture. Even a piece of flexible conduit would of been a good idea on this cable to prevent mechanical damage.

Re: 1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

#152361 10/13/04 06:05 AM

Joined: Aug 2001

Posts: 7,520

Norfolk, England

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pauluk

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I've always said about Ireland that things are similar enough to England to feel comfortably familiar, yet different enough that you know you're in another country.

I get the same sort of feeling looking at this panel. It's similar enough to some old British switchgear that it seems very familiar, yet not quite.... If you see what I mean. [Linked Image]

Re: 1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

#152362 10/13/04 06:16 AM

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 8,443

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SI,New Zealand

Trumpy

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It sort of makes me wonder how you work on a board that is installed like this.
I'm assuming that it has hinges on the right-hand side of the Phenolic panel.
But with that meter in the way, I doubt you'd be able to open the panel very far.

Re: 1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

#152363 10/16/04 04:13 AM

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 202

Alice Springs, NT, Australia

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32VAC

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The panel was secured by two screws (one either side of the lower part of the board). Some of these boards were made from a material called 'Zelemite' which was a fire retardant, asbestos based product. No idea if it was used outside of Australia.

Re: 1950s Australian Meters & Switchboard

#152364 11/25/04 09:48 AM

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 8,443

Likes: 3

SI,New Zealand

Trumpy

Member

Yes Darren,
We had Zelemite here for years, in fact I've heard that at one time it was actually manufactured here.
When I first started my time as a sparkie, we were warned not to breathe in the dust while drilling it for fuses and meters and the like. [Linked Image]

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