Southern Cross Windmill

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Toowoomba Foundry

c. 1910

Overview

This Southern Cross windmill was used to pump water at the Busselton property, Inlet Park

Although commonly known as “windmills”, in Australia and USA, the true name of this machinery is a “windpump”, as opposed to a “mill” which used wind power to grind grain.

Historical information

Windmills have been manufactured in Australia by the Toowoomba Foundry since 1876.

The Southern Cross windmill was designed in 1903 and over 200,000 were manufactured until they ceased production in 2003. Southern Cross windmills serve as a monument to Australia’s rural development, to the hardships and the ingenuity of the pioneers and not least of all to the establishment of “Southern Cross” as a brand of quality agricultural products.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2022.12

Item type

Machinery

Themes

Social History

Material

Steel

Contextual Information

This windmill frame was located at Inlet Park when the (then) Shire of Busselton were planning a road through the area that would require its demolition. The Busselton Historical Society approached the Shire who agreed that the Society members could remove the windmill and re-erect it in the Museum grounds. After erection the windmill was restored into working condition by Society member Gordon Cuthbert with parts sourced from and donated by the Morawa Museum.

Windmills were a ubiquitous part of Australian country and town landscapes for many years. They were used to supply wind power to pump water from the well to fill stock troughs and provide domestic supply. Often farmers would have wells in all major paddocks and near the house and each well would have its own windmill.

Keywords

Place made

Toowoomba
Qld
Australia

Year

c. 1910

Related Objects

Parent records

The Old Butter Factory Precinct