What makes Yarraville different
Workers' cottages
Housing boomed from the 1880s as industry grew, and Victorian Places notes that many sales between 1987 and 1996 were four-roomed cottages.
A protected streetscape
The Footscray Conservation Study identified Yarraville as a unique surviving late-Victorian and Edwardian precinct, and planning strategies encourage keeping historic features.
Yarraville West and Yarraville Gardens
William Angliss developed Yarraville West in the 1920s and it boomed after the war. The former Bradmill site is becoming Yarraville Gardens, planned for about 1500 houses.
Mostly houses
71.7% of occupied homes were separate houses in 2021, and 33.2% were rented.
Jemena's local substation
Jemena runs a Yarraville zone substation and expects demand growth around Footscray East and Yarraville. Faults go to Jemena on 131 626.
Cottage or new build: what the electrician deals with
| Victorian or Edwardian cottage | New home at Yarraville Gardens | |
|---|---|---|
| Switchboard | Often small and old, sometimes still with fuses | Modern, with circuit breakers and safety switches |
| Common job | Board upgrade, then new circuits for the kitchen and heating | EV charger, solar, extra outdoor power |
| Watch for | Old cable in the roof, and a backing board that may contain asbestos | Solar export limits and inverter rules on Jemena's network |
| Paperwork | A Certificate of Electrical Safety for each job | The same, plus Jemena's approval for solar |
Going electric in a small cottage
Swapping gas cooking for induction or adding a heat pump can be the moment an old cottage board runs out of room. A bigger load may also need a bigger supply. On Jemena's network, moving from single to three phase supply of up to 100 amps counts as a basic connection alteration, and your electrician requests it through Jemena's portal.
Plenty of cottages manage fine on single phase. An electrician who does these conversions can work out the load and tell you honestly which you need.
What we'd do
In a cottage, we'd plan the board, the supply and the kitchen together, before the cabinetmaker is booked. In a new home, we'd sort out the solar and charger plans with one electrician so they share the board sensibly.
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.