Yallourn Power Station

I know these aren't trucks but they are quite interesting, these  photographs are of the Yallourn Power Station in Gippsland in Victoria. They were taken by my great uncle, Alf Weatherhead. The Yallourn Power Station was opened in 1924, operating in conjunction with the open cut brown coal mine.The whole Yallourn project was planned and constructed under Engineer, Sir John Monash. Monash also obtained the rank of General, having served in the Great War. Monash University and the Monash Freeway are named after him. Alf Weatherhead was very mechanically minded and  a keen photographer, you can find out more about Alf and his trucks and steam traction engines here. I am not sure when these photographs were taken, maybe the 1940s.

 This is the Power House.

Screening House.

Yallourn Open Cut.

Alf Weatherhead and his machines.

Alf Weatherhead (pictured above) was the youngest son and second youngest child of Horatio and Eleanor Weatherhead. He was born in September 1895 and died in May 1976. Alf came to Tynong North, from Lyonville, with his father and five older brothers in 1909 and they operated saw mills. The brothers worked with their father, then operated various saw mills on their own or in partnership with other brothers. Alf went to War in February 1915 and returned in March 1919. He was in the 23rd Battalion, Field Artillery Brigade. The boys all had a passion for steam, for engines and other mechanical devices inherited from their father. In fact, Horatio had received a Patent in August 1890 for for an improved mechanism for operating the throttle or cut off valves of engines from their governors.

Victorian Government Gazette August 15th, 1890 issue 66, page 3253.

Alf was close to his youngest sister, Eva Rouse (my Grandma) and often spent time with her family at Cora Lynn. Here are just a few of Alf's machines over the years, which he either owned or operated. The first three photographs are of Alf's 8hp Burrell Traction Engine, which he had at Yallourn.
Alf and his brother Frank were both keen photographers and his caption on this photograph was Crane on front of engine to pick up stumps and logs etc and stack them.
The original caption on the back of the photograph above was Back wheels down 1 foot. Front wheels deeper. Camera Zeiss Ikon 200 of second fastest speed.

This was taken from a slide and taken in the early 1960s. It show Alf with his sister Eva Rouse and niece Nancy Rouse. Photographer was his nephew, Jim Rouse.

Photograph labelled Second traction engine I drove. It is a Ransome Engine, 1913. Taken at Franklinford.

Photograph taken by Alf when working at the Board of Works Quarry at Yarra Glen.

Alf and a steam truck, location unknown.

Alf and a Whippet truck.

Alf and a Sentinel truck, Malmsbury.

Frank Rouse and Jim Rouse on Alf's Indian motor cycle, taken a about 1938.