A treasure trove of history at museum

This, in itself, is exciting as this artefact was manufactured in the mid 1920s by the Edison Electric Appliance Co. under their Hotpoint appliance brand.

No, we were not a forward-thinking community in the 1920s with a lady Mayor.

The Mayoress was the wife of the Mayor, H.E.Evatt.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported at the time that: “…..the installation has been effected by the Nyngan Municipal Council at a cost of about £5500.

“The plant is English made, and was admitted free of duty, thus saving £180.

“It comprises two sets each of twenty-five kilowatts, driven by crude oil engines.

“Advantage will be taken of this power to do the pumping for the town water supply, which has been worked by steam pump for thirty years.

“This will effect considerable saving in working expenses.

“The lighting charge will be one shilling per unit, and power fivepence.

“Fifty street lights have been fitted.

“The lighting ceremony was entirely successful.”

We are very fortunate to have possession of this historically significant item as, according to the tag attached to the coffee percolator:

“It has come back to Nyngan in 1996 per generous favour of Rivoli Howard Antiques of Sydney, who had acquired it in unusual circumstances and considered that it should be returned to the people of Nyngan”.

It is interesting to wonder where the coffee percolator spent its 70 years away from Nyngan and what were the “unusual circumstances” of its aquisition.

This column features items and artefacts on display at the Nyngan Museum.