Who invented Stobie pole?
James Cyril Stobie
An engineering solution to the state’s lack of tall, termite-resistant hardwood for poles to carry power lines and telephone wires, the pole was designed by James Cyril Stobie, who joined the Adelaide Electric Supply Company in 1916 at the age of 21 years.
When was the Stobie pole invented?
1924
In 1924 Stobie invented the ‘Stobie pole’ to carry electricity cables and telegraph wires. It was constructed of two steel-I beams, held together by tie bolts; the space between them was filled with concrete.
Why are they called Stobie pole?
A Stobie pole is a power line pole made of two steel joists held apart by a slab of concrete. Stobie used readily available materials due to the shortage of suitably long, strong, straight and termite-resistant timber in South Australia.
What are Australian telegraph poles made from?
The majority of power poles are made from Australian hardwood timbers such as Spotted Gum, Ironbark, Blackbutt, Grey Box, Tallow Wood and Blood Wood.
When did Adelaide get electricity?
In 1900 Adelaide was supplied with electricity from a temporary facility in Tam O’Shanter Place and in November 1901 a new coal-fired powerhouse in Grenfell Street was opened, supplying North Adelaide by 1902.
What wood is used for power lines?
For Tree Farmers, utility poles have the potential to provide an excellent return on investment. Southern yellow pines and Douglas fir are the most popular trees due to their size, but Northeastern red pine, Western red cedar and other softwoods that grow tall and straight are also used.
What is the meaning of Stobie?
Scottish: habitational name from Stobo near Peebles in southern Scotland, so called from Old English stubb ‘tree stump’ + holh ‘hollow’ or halh ‘nook’, ‘recess’.
What kind of tree is a telephone pole?
Poles are typically made from three species: Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar and Southern Pine. Logs that have the potential to become wood poles are selected in the forest, often while the trees are still standing.
What tree is used for light pole?
Most poles are made from southern yellow pine, Douglas fir or western red cedar, though other conifers are also used. According to the North American Wood Poles Council, only 7 percent of the trees in a typical plantation will have the length, straightness, taper and other characteristics necessary for a utility pole.
Who owns the South Australian power grid?
Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Limited
SA Power Networks is 51% owned by Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Limited and Power Assets Holdings Limited, which form part of the Cheung Kong Group of companies. The remaining 49% is owned by Spark Infrastructure, which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Who built Liddell Power Station?
AGL will use technologies developed by Melbourne company RayGen to construct a renewable power plant on the site. A peak body representing 10 Hunter councils says the investment is both an economic and environmental benefit.
Can you burn telephone pole wood?
DO NOT BURN OLD POLES!! They are listed as Hazardous Material in the disposal department. Which ever type of preservative they used to make the pole, there are serious advisories against burning them.
How did the Stobie pole come to be?
This ingenious pole was built to suit the South Australian surroundings; few tall straight trees and an abundance of termites. James Stobie, an engineer and inventor came up with the design when wooden poles purchased from interstate at considerable expense deteriorated rapidly.
Where was the first electricity pole in Adelaide?
The first poles were erected in South Terrace, Adelaide in 1924, and were then used extensively in building the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure throughout the state. The Stobie pole was central to the speedy expansion of Adelaide Electricity Supply Company’s supply.
What kind of plants grow on Stobie poles?
Climbing plants, typically geraniums, are frequently trained up stobie poles in an attempt to offset their unsightliness, while in the suburb of Prospect and elsewhere they have been decorated both by professional artists and community groups.