The Substation |
The Substation (or more formerly, Hobsons Bay Community Arts Centre) is Melbourne's newest contemporary, community-based arts centre.
Housed in the historic Newport substation, The Substation is a not-for-profit organisation which presents the very best in contemporary arts, including music, theatre, dance, circus, hybrid and visual arts, as well as nurturing the arts in the local community through workshops, classes and public programs
ABOUT | Newport Power Station
Newport Substation was built in 1915 to supply electricity to the railways. It was closed in 1969 and fell into complete neglect and decay.
A dedicated group of locals took on the task of restoration in the 1990s, and after a 15-year project, the Substation was reopened as an arts centre.
Today, the SUBSTATION is a multi arts centre. One of Melbourne's newest arts venues, the building houses the biggest visual arts gallery in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne, a dance studio and a large-scale multi-purpose performance space.
The SUBSTATION is a one of a kind arts venue in Victoria in that its architecture and spaces invite artists to work across art form and scale. The SUBSTATION aims to engage with artists to introduce new audiences to new artists and artistic work. We invite artists to utilise our unique spaces in the development and staging of work that responds to ideas that are relevant to our place in Melbourne, Australia and the world.
Newport is one of the oldest substations in the metropolitan systems, and also one of the largest, comparable to the North Fitzroy substation and slightly smaller than the Newmarket substation. It displays an exceptionally high level of integrity not seen in any other extant examples of this substation design, and although much of the original equipment has been removed or vandalised, the building is highly demonstrative of early twentieth century power generating practices. The building has strong visual and functional associations with the nearby Newport railway workshops, established in 1882.
The building has strong associations with the inauguration of electric services, due to its construction during the first phase of the scheme. It is also important for its associations with the engineering firm Merz and MacLellan, who designed the electrification scheme as well as the early substations in association with the VR Way and Works Branch. Its construction by the Victorian Railways sets the building apart from contemporary Railways structures built under contract.
GETTING HERE
The SUBSTATION is located at 1 Market Street, Newport, Victoria 3015.
Our gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-5pm.
GALLERY: TUES-SAT, 11AM-5PM
OFFICE: TUES-FRI, 9AM-5PM
For information on public transport, head to PTV Journey Planner.
❊ Address ❊
⊜ 1 Market St Newport 3015 View Map
✆ Telephone: (03) 9391 1110
❊ Web Links ❊
➼ The Substation
➼ www.thesubstation.org.au
➼ www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Power_Station
Disclaimer: Check with the venue (web links) before making plans, travelling or buying tickets.
Accessibility: Contact the venue for accessibility information.
Update Page
