He explained when and how his original interests developed as a child, in the area of space and especially the Sputnik space mission in 1959 and he then began a career in electrical engineering as an apprentice in 1964. Graeme highlighted some of the major energy developments that occurred in Ballarat to support the goldmining industry with various inventions of machinery. He talked about Henry Sutton (a very famous and esteemed Ballarat person), who invented a telephone exchange in 1896, which helped with improved communication across the goldfields.

Graeme also explained several other significant energy related inventions including wireless communications and computer valve technology. He then discussed electricity in Australia; explaining many facets of this, including how electricity is interlinked across our country, the different types of power, including rooftop solar, black coal, wind, gas, grid solar, hydro, brown coal, battery storage and biomass. He talked about data centres, explaining that in the next 30-50 years data centres will be using approximately half of all the available power for them to function!

He discussed some of the businesses in and around Ballarat that are using energy in innovative ways. Those highlighted were Berrybank farm (Windermere), Triggs dairy farm (Bungaree) and David Sanders; all have created very clever innovations with energy that’s harnessed from animals. He also mentioned DW controls, a Ballarat family business that builds generators, with one of their customers being NASA! Graeme then talked about electric vehicles. Approximately 1% of all cars on our roads are electric. He concluded with information about his own work with developing coloured road signs that were used at the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Thank you Graeme for your amazing presentation.