TARAN
REGEN
THE URBAN AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT
The adaptive reuse of a polluting coal power plant into a centre of exchange and people power.
Before the British arrival in 1788, the area was occupied by the Cadigal band of the Eora Nation. The outbreak of smallpox and other diseases forced the Indigenous community to move out of their areas. With the spread of industry along the shoreline during the mid 19th century, there was pressure to subdivide the land for workers housing. As the population grew, the demand for power increased across the city and thus White Bay Power Station was established.
A signigicant part of Rozelle’s history is the shipyards that were established. The introduction of this attracted other industries therefore making the area predominantly industrial until the 1970s.
1917 onwards - The White Bay Power Station not only functioned as a energy production site through the means of buring coal. Coal travelled along the Goodsline and across the Pyrmont Bridge to the Power Station to be crushed, with 50% of the coal being distributed locally for energy production and the remaining 50% used for international trading. Coal was then crushed for a secondary time to be utilised at smaller scale powerstations including Balmain, to produce energy for Sydney’s growing population.
