Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria
| Company type | State-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Gas supply |
| Predecessor | Metropolitan Gas Company, Brighton Gas Company |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Defunct | June 1995 |
| Successor | VENCorp (market operator), gas distribution and retail companies, gas transmission company |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Household gas supply |
The Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria (G&FC) operated as a state-owned monopoly responsible for delivering household gas across Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1950, it unified two prominent Melbourne gas providers—the Metropolitan Gas Company and the Brighton Gas Company. In 1971, amid the shift to natural gas, it incorporated the Geelong Gas Company, one of Victoria’s remaining private gas enterprises. Around this period, the Ballarat Gas Company ceased operations. The G&FC was officially dissolved in June 1995.
Consolidation
One of the corporation’s initial major undertakings involved establishing a centralized brown coal gasification facility at Morwell. The Lurgi Gasification Plant commenced operations in 1956, employing the German-developed Lurgi process to generate gas that was then conveyed to Melbourne through a high-pressure pipeline. This advancement prompted the shutdown of multiple dispersed town gas plants in Melbourne by 1957, including the South Melbourne Gas plant, some of which were repurposed as storage locations.
In 1954, employees at the Morwell facility founded the Lurgi Social Club along with its soccer team, Lurgi Rangers SC, which began participating in local competitions by 1955.
During the 1950s, production of Syngas—the conversion of waste gases from oil refineries into usable energy—was initiated. By 1966, the corporation diversified its gas sources: approximately 30% came from residual oil, another 30% from refinery gas and LPG, 30% from Lurgi-produced gas, and under 10% from black coal carbonization.
The discovery of Natural gas in the Bass Strait by Esso and BHP in 1965 revolutionized the sector. The Longford gas plant functioned as the onshore reception facility for Bass Strait’s natural gas output. By 1969, infrastructure was in place to supply natural gas to consumers, followed by a conversion initiative that concluded in December 1970. This program involved modifying close to one million appliances and led to over 1,000 job losses. Consequently, all existing town gas plants and storage facilities were closed and sold off.
Privatisation and winding up
In July 1997, the Gas and Fuel Corporation was segmented into three separate organizations: companies handling gas distribution and retail, a firm responsible for gas transmission, and an independent market operator known as VENCorp. The Kennett Government later proceeded with the privatisation of these distribution, retail, and transmission entities alongside the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, which was Victoria’s main electricity provider. Although formally dissolved in June 1995, Gascor persisted as a wholesaler of gas, sourcing supplies from Esso/BHP and distributing to private retailers such as Origin Energy, AGL, and TXU.
The corporation’s headquarters—the Princes Gate Towers located on Flinders Street—built in 1967, were demolished in 1997 to make way for the construction of Federation Square.