Morawa District Historical Society Inc. > Records

Beacon Gas Generator

Beacon Generator Co. Pty. Ltd.
c. 1940 - 1950
Overview

Cast iron cylindrical shaped object. Top and bottom caps connected by 8 threaded metal rods with a nut on each end. The top cap has embossed inscriptions on it. There is a handle on the top cap with a square nut on top. The bottom cap is a cone shape and has 3 bolts to fasten it to a metal hopper (missing). there is a hole at the bottom of the cone and a metal rod protrudes from it for 1cm. On one side of the middle cylinder part there is a brass plug with a square head and underneath that is a round brass sight glass plug. The glass is broken. The entire object is rust coloured.

Historical information

The item was found on a pastoral station tip in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Nothing is known about its origins and use.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-196-2025.222
Item type
Tools
Themes
Agriculture
Material
Cast Iron
Width
25 cm
Height or length
55 cm
Weight
10 kg
Inscriptions and markings

On top casting, embossed. "BEACON", "Max Output per hr 46CF", "7LB pres per LB Carbide"

Contextual information

The item is an interesting piece of 1940's historical machinery. Little is known about the item and whether it was mass produced, and if there are many surviving examples in WA or Australia-wide. It is important to preserve it.

Keywords
Beacon Acetylene Carbide Generator Welding
Place made


The Beacon Generator Company was first registered in November 1939 as a manufacturer of acetylene generators. Its address was 2 Rich Street, Marrickville, NSW. The Proprietor of the company was Alfred G. Isaacs. In July 1947 Edward A. Isaacs joined the company. The company was dissolved in March 1977.
Year
c. 1940 - 1950
Primary significance criteria
Historic significance
Public location
Morawa Museum machinery shed
Last modified
Saturday, 11 October, 2025
Completeness
100
Morawa District Historical Society Inc.

Morawa District Historical Society Inc.

Side view of Beacon Gas Generator
The Beacon High Pressure Gas Generator was manufactured by the Beacon Generator Co. in NSW during the 1940's. A 1950 Western Australian advert in the Countryman described it as being used to convert carbide into acetylene gas, suitable for welding. The Westralian Farmers Co-operative Limited were the agents in WA. This example is incomplete, missing the bottom hopper.
Side view of Beacon Gas Generator showing brass plugs and sight glass
The Beacon High Pressure Gas Generator was manufactured by the Beacon Generator Co. in NSW during the 1940's. A 1950 Western Australian advert in the Countryman described it as being used to convert carbide into acetylene gas, suitable for welding. The Westralian Farmers Co-operative Limited were the agents in WA. This example is incomplete, missing the bottom hopper.
Top view of Beacon Gas Generator showing handle and embossed detail of name
The Beacon High Pressure Gas Generator was manufactured by the Beacon Generator Co. in NSW during the 1940's. A 1950 Western Australian advert in the Countryman described it as being used to convert carbide into acetylene gas, suitable for welding. The Westralian Farmers Co-operative Limited were the agents in WA. This example is incomplete, missing the bottom hopper.

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