Gas, Power and People - Energy Supply in Hutt Mana 1880-2005

Published by Steele Roberts Aotearoa New Zealand, Wellington, 2005, 218 pages.

In the early 20th century the people who delivered heat, light and power to the Hutt Mana region knew that public supply of gas and electricity would improve the quality of everyday life. It would make routine tasks in factories, farms and homes easier, and open exciting opportunitues for leisure activities. As the region flourished, demand for energy - particularly electricity - grew rapidly. For over 100 years, through world wars, rationing and import restrictions, the 1970s oil shocks and the restructuring of the energy industry in the 1990s, the people of the Hutt Mana region have enjoyed consistent gas and electricity supply. Gas, Power and People tells the story of these people and their contribution to the prosperity of the region. Helen Reilly is a public historian, based in Wellington.