Turning the lights on - a history of EPT, migration and modernising Australia with Matthew Quomi

My Warm Table ... with Sonia

In this episode we stop a moment to think about how we are so connected to electricity.
We’re going to honour the courageous and skillful men who climbed heights without fear to assemble and construct those tall steel structures which look like mini Eiffel Towers across our Australian landscape.
We’re going to step back in time to 1951 when the Australian branch of an Italian company set up in Australia to connect our vast, remote country to a reliable electricity source which enables a future of possibility and prosperity.
Electric Power Transmission Pty Ltd or EPT - was that company.
EPT holds an important chapter in Australia’s story. The story of migrants making their way in a new land. The story of connecting Australia across a remarkable and unforgiving landscape. The story of powering Australia into prosperity – signalling the start of industry, new jobs and new economic opportunities.
The EPT story brought the 1956 Olympics to our TV screens, it linked Carnarvon to the NASA space program and it was a pioneer of WA’s industrial future underpinning Alcoa, BP, Hamersley Iron and even the North West Shelf.
EPT turned on the lights for Australia, so it’s only fair that we should shine a little light on it today. To help tell this story, I’m joined by Matthew Quomi around the warm table. Matthew’s father worked for EPT and this paternal legacy inspired Matthew, an architect and passionate historian, to research and write a book about EPT and its communities.
Matthew has spent the last few years sharing warm tables across Australia piecing together the history of EPT with the pioneers of Australia’s energy legacy – migrant men now aged in their 70s and 80s.
Warm thanks to:
Sponsor: Females Over Forty-five Fitness in Victoria Park
Sound Engineering: Damon Sutton
Music: William A Spence
... and all our generous and inspiring guests around the warm table this season!
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My Warm Table, translated into Italian is Tavola Calda. These were the words my Papa used to describe a table of good friends, good food and good conversation. I always aim to create a tavola calda in my life and I hope this podcast encourages you to do so too!