Camberwell's houses and network
Built along the railway and tram lines
The Hawthorn to Camberwell railway opened in 1882, and subdivisions followed the trams on Riversdale and Burke Roads, built in 1916. The first subdivision filled quickly with Victorian and Edwardian houses.
Precincts that shape what you can change
The Prospect Hill Road precinct (HO159) is a largely intact group of late Victorian and Federation houses, and the former Tara Estate dates from 1890. Boroondara grades each heritage place, and the grade affects how it assesses permits.
Big family houses
At the 2021 Census, 60.1% of Camberwell's homes were separate houses and 38.9% had four or more bedrooms. 25.4% were rented.
CitiPower supplies the area
CitiPower's 2023 planning report says its Riversdale zone substation supplies the Camberwell area, and CitiPower runs a kerbside EV charger on Hunter Road. Outages go to CitiPower on 13 12 80.
Two kinds of job on the same street
In the older houses, the switchboard is the usual starting point. A board from decades ago may still have rewireable fuses and no safety switches, and its backing could contain asbestos: WorkSafe Victoria lists switchboards among the usual places to find it. Rewiring tends to follow, often one floor or one circuit group at a time.
In the new builds, the work is about supply. Large blocks here are often redeveloped into a modern two-storey dual occupancy. On CitiPower's network, changing an existing supply, such as moving from single to three phase or upgrading a meter panel, can only be applied for by a registered electrical contractor through CitiPower's eConnect portal, and every piece of that work needs a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
In both, solar and EV charging come up. Big roofs and driveways suit them, but each one adds load the switchboard and supply have to carry.
What to ask a Camberwell electrician before you say yes
- Have you worked on houses this age, and how do you handle an old fuse board?
- Will you lodge the supply application with CitiPower, and who follows it up?
- Is any of this prescribed work that needs an inspector before it's switched on?
- When will I get the Certificate of Electrical Safety?
Our take for Camberwell
If you're renovating an older house rather than knocking it down, we'd bring the electrician in when the builder starts, while walls and floors are open. For a new build, we'd get the supply application moving early, because it often sets the pace for everything after it.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.