General News
18 January, 2025
BEST OF 2024: Turbine up!
Gilgandra Museum had its iconic windmill restored.
First published June 27, 2024.
After a series of delays, the Gilgandra Museum’s icon iron turbine windmill has been finally restored on Friday, June 21.
A rare iron turbine, the windmill was made in the 1890s. Made in Springfield, Ohio in America, the mill is over 130-years-old.
Two years ago, the Gilgandra turbine was taken down for restorations. It was the first time in nearly 18 years that the mill received any significant work; the damage was substantial.
Thomas Glastonbury, windmill expert and restorer of the mill, commented on the state of the turbine when he received it. “It was still standing here at the museum, [but] the gears and the bearings were just all worn out. The iron on it is original – the old blades – so it had rusted through to the point where it was almost see-through in parts.”
To begin the restoration, Thomas had to strip back the iron and replace all the bushing and bearings of the original. Weld repairs were necessary for less rusted components to get the turbine ready for use again. “Hopefully, [it’ll last] another 50 years without significant attention. [I] put automatic lubricators on it so it should be fairly able to look after itself.” Thomas also re-installed a brake in the turbine, which was a piece of the original design that had “gone missing over the years.”
The restoration was not planned to take so long, it was just unfortunate timing. “It was at our workshop in Molong when the massive floods came through, the entire windmill had been pulled apart, it was at its maximum state of disassembly and the whole lot went underwater. So, we had to redo a whole bunch of things… we basically had to rebuild it twice.”
“But, you know, we got there. And luck permitting it’ll be good for another 50 years.” Iron turbines are exceedingly rare, having been scrapped as part of the American scrap drive during the world wars. Surprisingly, a fair number still exist around Australia, likely more than any other place in the world.
Thomas’ next project is another iron turbine, a project for the Taralga Historical Society. The Gilgandra Museum and members of the Gilgandra Historical Society are glad to see the turbine up and in place with the display of other rare windmills. They are also happy the grant-funded project is now complete.
