14ft Alston
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Below are photos of the restoration in progress.

This is a photo of the hub and spreaders from an 14ft wheel  with the tower in the background.

Rolled  outside hoop has been fitted

7.5 mt  Heavy duty tower has been put together and is waiting to be painted

The Head or gearbox that will go on top of the tower

Working on the wheel

Some History

The earliest use of wind power in Australia was for water pumping. The early farmers and graziers and even town dwellers where there was no reticulated water supply relied on windmills to lift water from bores, wells, creeks and dams to elevated tanks to supply bathrooms, garden sprinklers and stock watering points so that rain water could be conserved for drinking and cooking. Wind power was important for the 19th century rural economy.

John Danks and Son Pty. Ltd. of Melbourne was one of the first manufacturers of windmills but though the firm was founded in 1858 there is no record of the first windmill. Certainly by 1880 there appear to have been several manufacturers. Griffiths Bros. and Co. ofToowoomba (now Southern Cross Corporation Ltd.) built their first windmill in 1876. Up to 1893 Griffiths mills were normally made to order and the design frequently was modified to suit a customer's particular requirements. The mills and towers were predominantly of wood, with the wheel operating behind the tower. After this date they introduced geared windmills, with the wheel on the windward side of the tower. In Melbourne Danks had been making their Canvas Sail windmill and around 1893 introduced 'Alston's Patent Iron Windmill' which had galvanized iron sails, a main body casting and angle iron frame.

August 5/2001

                 Blades ready to paint                                                            After painting.

Footings ready for concrete.

Blades  Going on..

(  More Later  )