2002 – Ongoing

White Bay Power Station (WBPS) at Rozelle was built to supply electrical power to the Sydney railway and tramway system. It was operational between 1917-1983 and was the longest serving power station in metropolitan Sydney. The large industrial site includes a boiler house, turbine hall, switch house, coal handling shed, a rail line spur, two steel chimney stacks and various items of machinery. WBPS was the longest servicing power station in metropolitan Sydney and the only one of its type in Australia that retains its complete slice of electrical generating machinery from this era.

In 2002, Design 5 were engaged with a multi-disciplinary team to prepare the Conservation Management Plan for the Power Station and have since had a continuing role in its preservation and maintenance.

In recent years, the White Bay Power Station has been heralded as a strategic piece in the State Governments’ plan for the revitalisation Bays West comprising a 77 hectare precinct encompassing White Bay, Glebe Island, Rozelle Bay and Rozelle Rail Yards. New infrastructure construction including the Westconnex and Sydney Metro West is the first step in the largest transformation of the area in over a century. 

The 2022-23 works focused on remediation and conservation to make safe, stabilise and secure the building and its machinery contents. A second phase of the project was for modest changes and insertions so that parts of the building can be accessed and used by the public for cultural and community use; the first being the 24th Biennale of Sydney held from March to June 2024.

AWARDS

2024 National Trust of Australia (NSW) Heritage Award (Conservation Built Heritage)

2024 National Trust of Australia (NSW) Heritage Award (Judges’ Choice)

2004 National Trust of Australia (NSW) Heritage Award (Conservation Management Plan category)