The long closed White Bay Power Station was open this weekend, bringing every amateur photographer in Sydney out in droves. Previously I had photographed it from the outside, but the fence of barbed wire made it clear that the authorities weren't going to let us in to have a look around. In the 21st Century things considered dangerous such as a wall or a door are secured from all view, especially when the bureaucracy can't actually make up their mind what they want to do with it.

So it appears they have made up their mind about one thing, it's not to be demolished. As an icon of Sydney's history, it is nearly as attractive as Cockatoo Island (which is much bigger, more historic and scenic, and definitely worth the day trip if you have the chance) but it's location at the end of the Pyrmont Anzac Bridge just before Balmain makes it much more accessible. The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority which is in charge of the Power Station may well allow more tours in the future, and hopefully they will allow longer stays, and there might be more room than the presence of several hundred photographers allows.

The Power Station has several different areas you can look at - The Turbine Hall (and Pump House) which had restricted entry, the Boiler House, the Ash Handling Tower, the Coal Handling Shed, an Entertainment Hall off Victoria Road, and the Admin Building next to it.

The queue for the Turbine Hall stayed continuously long during the day, and they let us through in parties of about 30 for 15 minutes. This entailed a climb up some fairly insecure stairs to the top level, and we were able to look down on the machinery that was still in the hall, and the areas where it had been (now unfortunately empty since the Turbines had been sold for scrap).

The Pump House off to the right had some lovely shadows and machinery still intact, but as most of the machinery had been removed I found it less than satisfying, so at the end of the 15 minute tour went to the Boiler House which had a broader range of machinery, and less time pressures. I estimate there was at least one photographer per square metre. Clearly a pent-up demand was being met.

The outside of the Boiler Hall presented a lovely vista up to Victoria Road, and some of the wonderful chimneys which you can see whenever you drive past. The amount of coal smoke that must have come out of these and polluted Sydney and Balmain must have been immense. At its peak it was generating over 100 MW of electricity, and powering industry in the area as well as trams, trains and housing.

While I have tried to show some of the more scenic pictures, part of the fun of these old industrial places (Alcatraz being my other favourite) is photographing the rusting old machinery. My set of flickr slides shows some lovely abstract textures and another flickr contact also has some wonderful photos.

Hopefully this wonderful power station will be open again to us more often than once a decade.