Part Two – post 1920s - Newcastle City Council

Figure 28: image of the
ESD showroom adjoining
the Bennett and Wood
building in Hunter Street
In the mid-1930s, Council acquired land on the Auckland Street corner and decided to
build new headquarters for the ESD here. A blacksmith and wheelwright formerly
occupied a large shed on the corner site. The site adjoined the former Salvation Army
barracks and an Oddfellows Hall.
Sydney architect Emil Sodersteen designed and supervised the modern building in
association with Newcastle architects Pitt and Merewether. The building was
completed in 1939 and became known as the Newcastle Electricity Supply Council
Administration or Nesca.
Figure 29: Nesca
House. This image is
probably earlier than
Figure 27, as indicated
by the landscaping of
Christie Park
The Electricity Commission (State government) took over council’s role in 1957 and
the Shortland County Council (SCC), a regional organisation, replaced the ESD. The
Nesca building (which passed to the SCC) was enlarged in 1959 and 1970 and
extensively renovated in 1983 and 1984.
In the 1970s plans were made to move the undertaking, then known as ‘Shortland
Electricity’, to Wallsend. This move occurred in stages and was completed by 1990.
A new corporate structure was called ‘Orion Energy’ and following amalgamation
with other suppliers, ‘Energy Australia’.
Nesca House was available for other uses from the late 1980s and in 1991 Newcastle
City Council considered buying back the building for more office space but did not
proceed with the purchase. The vacated Nesca House was used as professional
offices, and part occupied by the Conservatorium of Music. The University of
Newcastle bought the building in 1992 for use by the Faculty of Law and the
Conservatorium of Music.
Newcastle Civic and Cultural Precinct History ~ Cynthia Hunter ~ January 2003 page 36