The Windmill Windfest - 2009

Following the success of the first Windmill Windfest, the site at Old Showgrounds in Toowoomba is to be added to. This time the project is to re-build an old Tustin Windmill at the site. Again the construction is being carried out by Russell Hall Architects and Graham Schelberg.

It is envisaged that there could be another gathering, and a timing for this has been suggested for early October 2009. If any are interested in attending please send and e-mail to Geoff Moore - geoff@wdmoore.com.au who will pass details on to the organisers.

The Windmill Windfest

The windmill contractors are just one part of the total windmill family. In May, in Toowoomba (Qld), there was the first ever gathering of the greater windmill community – Contractors, Manufacturers, Writers (yarn tellers), Historians, written and oral, Enthusiasts, Model builders, Museum curators, Collectors, and ex employees.  The hope coming out of the event is that it could become an annual gathering. 

The Windmill Windfest was arranged as a result of an arts grant to establish a working windmill display on a site adjacent to the Cobb & Co Museum. The seminar associated with the launch of the “Windmills on Display” provided a forum for all parties to discuss areas of interest. Ex employees of the old Toowoomba Foundry gave detailed insights into the way windmills were made, contractors shared their experiences (both humorous and worrying), and the special guest – T Lindsay Baker from Texas (the author of the monumental book A Field Guide to American Windmills)

gave a insight of the worth of old machines in collectors hands – can you believe it, rusty old iron is worth US $ 2,500.00?

The event has the potential to be a focal point for the windmill industry, and therefore of benefit to all in the industry. But like any opportunity it will not just happen by itself. The Windmill Windfest was hugely sponsored by the Queensland Government, It might be too much to expect them to be so generous again. Future funding could come from a tourism focused City Council, but the support of the greater windmill community will be critical.

Windmills in 2007 (from a talk given by Geoff Moore at the Windmill Windfest '07)

At the Windmill Windfest Seminar, in a talk given by Geoff Moore of W.D.Moore & Co, the future of windmills was discussed. The theme of the talk was the belief in the resurgence of the windmill industry. This resurgence, according to Geoff is based on firstly, the new youth to be found within the windmill manufacturers, secondly, environmental conditions unfolding in the economy, and finally on the emergence of the AWCA.

The aspect of the new youth is as much to do with a changing of the guard amongst the manufacturers. Bryan Windmill has new owners in Peter and Helen Morrissey, Comet has new owners in Darren and Melissa Fitzgerald. It is with sadness that Dean & McCabe has lost a great stalwart in Richard Dean, but they have gained dynamic new management in Robyn Hamp. W.D.Moore & Co is moving into its fifth generation in the family business, and Tyco are rebuilding after 15 years of devastation by past owners*.

Geoff also suggested part of the resurgence was due to the failure of solar to fulfill its promise. In this aspect many pastoralist had found out that solar was not the answer to their problems, but the cause of them – maintenance had become a costly item. The Windmill on the other hand was long lasting, and inexpensive to maintain. Because the windmill was so far the lowest cost way to pump water – even compared to a petrol powered gen-set and a submersible pump, there was a lot of room for contractors to move in getting their prices up. Geoff also mentioned the global trend of “Factor 10” which called for all products to become more efficient or to last longer. Here, again the windmill was showing the way forward. 

In no small way the AWCA has been a boost to the windmill industry. By tackling the issue of Occupational Health and Safety, the AWCA was doing more to eliminate the one area on which windmills had been challenged.  Many people in the farming community have thought that safety issues would bring and end to windmills. Geoff stated that O.H. & S was the best thing that had happened to the windmill industry in 30 years. By focusing on, and clarifying the benefits of windmills, and proving that they can solve working at heights issues, Contractors have become more valuable to the market. Contractors today are providing a professional service, and reducing the risks of their customers. They are also becoming promoters of the windmill – something that has been lacking for decades. 

The talk given by Geoff Moore seemed to re-focus attention of the Windmill Windfest, and it gave some who thought they were just collectors of artifacts, history, and rusty old iron, a real sense of belonging to an industry that is alive and well.
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* Since the talk was given, the Western Australian Company RGD Corporation has new owners. The old business owned by the Grant family has been taken over by Paul Mercer - this brings dynamic youthful management to this company, also.