The Richmond Power Station was completed in 1891 by the New Australian Lighting and Traction Company. It was one of the first alternating current (AC) electricity generation plants in Victoria. The building was designed by Charles D'Ebro, one of Melbourne's premier architects of the time. Initially the station provided power to Melbourne and the suburbs of Richmond, Prahran and South Melbourne. The main competitor was A.U. Alcock's Electric Light and Motive Power Company. Early equipment was a 750 kW Elwell-Parker alternator. Power was supplied at 2 kV and 97 Hz. The set was driven by a Robey compound steam engine rated at . In 1899, the two companies were taken over by Brush Electrical and were combined to form the Electric Lighting and Traction Company of Australia. In 1901, two Brush-Universal 500 kW sets were added.