About 1896 the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works sewage pumping station at Spotswood, was being built and fitted with large triple expansion steam engines built by Hathorn Davey & Co. of Leeds, UK. and Thompson & Co Worthington type triple-expansion engines installed at Spotswood between 1895 and 1897.
When the MMBW required additional pumping engines in 1909, Austral Otis were asked to prepare plans for four new engines.