After a 22 month closure, the Casula Powerhouse reopened in 2008 with new facilities.
The centre now houses an international standard exhibition space, and a 326 seat theatre. The centre also boasts a multi-purpose theatre/performance space, artists' studios and artists'.
Effuzi International ‘Recital’ theatre chairs were selected for Casula Powerhouse because of their aesthetic design, comfort and acoustic values.
The Casula Powerhouse (then known as the Liverpool Powerhouse), built in 1951 by the NSW Electricity Commission, was one of a series of identical buildings erected to supplement electricity production during winter and power shortages.
In 1955, the 250 foot stack was erected, replacing four shorter chimneys. Residents had complained that the smoke from the powerhouse dirtied their washing.
The Powerhouse was closed in 1976, and bought by Liverpool Council in 1978 for $75,000. The building became derelict over the following decade, and in 1985 the residents of Liverpool decided by plebiscite that the building should become an arts centre.
By 1987 Council had appointed two staff members to oversee the first capital works program. Electricity was installed, building reviews carried out and an office space was furnished.
In 1993, while Mark Latham was Mayor of Liverpool, Casula Powerhouse, as it had then become known, was allocated funding in council budgets for the first time. An ambitious development took place, and the centre opened its doors in 1994.
This capital project has been a partnership between the NSW Government, ArtsNSW, Liverpool City Council and its communities.
