Biggest Family Album

Themes

Technology and invention

Light and power

A kerosene lamp helps these children to get their homework done.

How would this be different from having electric lights in your home today?

Download and enlarge the street light outside Cornish's shop.

Do you know what power this kind of lamp used? How are the street lights in your neighbourhood powered?

These four photographs show power poles being erected. How has this job been made easier? What are the advantages in the way it is done today?

DOWNLOAD ACTIVITY SHEET in Acrobat PDF format (66Kb)

FURTHER INFORMATION: Gas lamps were used in the City of Melbourne from 1857, but much later in other parts of Melbourne and Victoria. Gas lamps had to be lit every night. They were replaced by electric lights in the 1890's in the centre of Melbourne. Many suburbs and country towns did not get electric lights until many decades later. The country town of Tamworth in New South Wales was the first town in Australia in 1892 to light its streets using electricity.