Loading Rice in Rverina

Zuffen wrote:

The Dorrigo Hydro was producing 150HP or 68.2KW.  Shared by 60 farmers.

They must have taken turns to use the power as each could only use 1KW and they would be out of power.

Not much happens on 1KW!

It did back in the 1930s. Coming out of a non-electric era happened gradually.
Initially most likely just a few lights in the house and milking shed and perhaps a single small motor for a vacuum milking machine (and 1 kw was pretty big for a non-industrial motor back then.) Electric cooking, refrigeration, water heating, electric heating would all come much later, and if your new network couldn't provide that power then you didn't buy those appliances, you stuck with what you had.

Never heard of the Dorrigo hydro. There is still one at Nymboida futher north which stopped generating about a decade ago due the race being damaged by floods and Essential Energy not bothered to invest in repairing it.

Yep, electrickery was slow in developing. Early houses (like my Grandmothers) had one power point in the kitchen and one in the  living room.

Speaking about my Grandma, she was scared of "The electric" ever since she thought the power point was blocked and tried to clear it with a steel handled knife. She insisted it threw her across the room. She was born in 1888 and was scared that a car would "bolt" as you were getting in or out.

An International 'AR 160-series' in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, with bins containing rice. Photo: Courtesy Department of Education, N.S.W.

 

Paul