Bassendean's houses and network
An old river town
West Guildford was renamed Bassendean in 1922, and flooding in 1929 caused severe damage in the area. The Town's Heritage List includes Federation and inter-war houses, such as Holmehouse on Anstey Road, an early 1900s Federation Bungalow.
Bassendean North goes underground
Western Power selected Bassendean North for its Targeted Underground Power Program, and the Town has signed a co-funding agreement. Bassendean East and Bassendean West are listed as projects under development.
Next door, already done
Eden Hill, also in the Town of Bassendean, was Western Power's 100th underground power project, finished in December 2022 for more than 1,800 homes and businesses. Ashfield went underground in an earlier state round.
Mostly houses, a quarter rented
At the 2021 Census, 74.9% of occupied homes were separate houses and 19.0% townhouses or semi-detached. 27.2% were rented and the median age was 40.
Wiring in a house this old
In a Federation or inter-war house, the wiring may have been replaced once, replaced in parts, or barely touched, so an electrician's first job is usually finding out which. Signs worth mentioning when you book: fuses you rewire rather than switches, very few power points, light switches that feel warm, and lights that dim when something big starts up.
Black or dark brown switchboard backing made before 1987 can contain asbestos. In WA, cutting, drilling or sanding asbestos with power tools is banned, and any friable asbestos must be removed by a licensed removalist, so leave an old board closed and let the electrician plan around it.
If the house is on the Heritage List, check with the Town before any change on the outside, such as moving a meter box. Inside work is usually less visible, but ask anyway.
When underground power reaches your street
Western Power and the Town explain what's done at each property, so ask them first. Your own side of the meter is still yours, and an old meter box or fuse board is worth sorting before the trench crews arrive rather than after.
Once the work is finished, anything an electrician does for you comes with an Electrical Safety Certificate, which a licensed contractor must give you within 28 days.
If this were our Bassendean house
We'd get the wiring and switchboard assessed before any renovation or underground work, by an electrician who regularly works in old houses. A clear picture of what's original and what's been replaced makes every later job easier to quote and safer to do.
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.