Other Windmills that can be seen in Australia
Where to See an Historic Flour Watermill, Windmill or Steam Mill in Australia
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In the early decades of the European settlement of Australia, windmills dotted the high ridges around Sydney, as millers strived to grind the flour needed to feed the population.
Above, detail from an engraving, 'West view of Sydney, New South Wales' in about 1810 by Walter Akhurst & Co., showing three windmills along the high ridges. Image by National Library of Australia.
Three main types of flour-grinding windmills were constructed in Australia in the 1700s and 1800s:
-- Post Mills
The whole body of a Post Mill was mounted on a central vertical post. The mill could be rotated to bring the sails into the wind. The vertical post under the mill was sometimes enclosed in a building which was used for storage;
-- Smock Mills
The body of a Smock Mill had six or eight sides and was often made of weatherboard. The sails of the mill were mounted on a roof or cap that could be rotated to bring the sails into the wind;
and
-- Tower Mills
The body of a Tower Mill was usually cylindrical and constructed from brick or stone. The sails of the mill were mounted on a roof or cap that could be rotated to bring the sails into the wind.
Above, (a) a Post Mill at Old South Head Road, Sydney; (b) a Smock Mill in Adelaide; and (c) a Tower Mill in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Image (a), detail of a painting by Samuel Elyard in 1868, State Library of NSW. Image (b), detail of a drawing by FR Nixon in 1845, National Library of Australia. Image (c), detail of a painting by George Roberts in 1862, State Library of NSW.
Almost no trace remains of Australia's earliest windmills, that were made of wood.
However, intact remains of the later tower mills, that were made of stone or brick, can still be seen in special locations across Australia. A cap or roof is in place at the top of the tower in some mills, but none of the remaining windmills still have their original sails.
On our Best Historic Australian Mills webpage, SingletonMills presents stories of eight outstanding, rare, flour watermills, windmills and steam mills, where a visitor can still experience the craft of traditional flour milling in Australia.
On this page we list Other Historic Australian Windmills that do not, to our knowledge, present detailed information on flour milling. However, these mills are in public parks or other accessible locations, giving the visitor the chance to view these fascinating old buildings.
See also our pages describing Other Watermills, and Other Steam-Powered Mills.
OTHER WINDMILLS
Cooper's Mill, Cooleenup Island, Yunderup, Western Australia.
Location: Cooleenup Island, 80 km south of Perth
Key people: Joseph Cooper and his sons, Thomas and James, Dan Myerick, Josiah Stinton
Above, Cooper's Windmill, South Yunderup, WA. Image by Calistemon, Wikimedia Commons.
This limestone windmill was in use by 1850 and was later converted to steam-power. More information on Coopers Windmill.
The site of this mill is only accessible by boat. It was restored in 2001 with improvements to visitors' facilities.
Nixon's Mill, Hahndorf, South Australia.
Location: 6 Nixon Rd (off Mount Barker Road), Hahndorf, 25 km southeast of Adelaide.
Key people: Frederick Robert Nixon, Walter Paterson, and Johann Friedrich Wittwer.
Above, Nixon's Windmill, Hahndorf, SA.
Above left, a view of the mill in 1893, when the cap of the mill, a mechanism to rotate the cap, and part of the sails were still in place. Image by State Library of SA. Above right, in 2022, the mill tower could still be seen but the sails and the cap were missing. Image by Janos Veresbaramji.
Completed in 1842, this 9.05 m high, four level, windmill is stated to be the oldest surviving windmill structure in South Australia. More information on Nixons Windmill.
Restoration work in 2016 included a barn for artefacts and access steps for visitors to walk to base of tower.
The Old Mill, Nimmitabel, New South Wales.
Location: 34 Clarke Street, Nimmitabel, 430 km south of Sydney.
Key people: John Geldmacher
Above, The Old Mill at Nimmitabel, NSW. Image by Mattinbgn, Wikimedia Commons.
This windmill, also known as Geldmacher Mill, was completed in 1872. However, it was soon converted to a horse mill, as it was alleged that the shadows of the mill fans would frighten horses using a nearby road. More information on The Old Nimmitabel Windmill.
The mill building was restored in 1961 and, in 2024, the tower is a local tourist attraction.
The Old Mill, Port Lincoln, South Australia.
Location: Dorset Place, Port Lincoln, 650k from Adelaide, via Port Augusta.
Key people: Matthew Smith, John Bishop
Above, The Old Mil,Port Lincoln, SA. Image by Caroline Goessler.
This limestone windmill was built in 1846, but never actually used as a mill. Although built in 1846, it was never actually used for flour milling. More information about The Old Mill, Port Lincoln.
Now this old windmill is a lookout tower for the public in a park.
The Old Windmill, Brisbane, Queensland.
Location: Observatory Park, 226 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane.
Key people: Built by Convict labour.
Above, The Old Mill, Brisbane, QLD. Image by Kgbo, Wikimedia Commons.
This stone and brick windmill, with five floors inside, was built by convict labour in 1828 and is the oldest surviving building in Queensland. It also had a treadmill that was operated by convicts. It later became the Brisbane Observatory and then a communications tower. More information about the Old Windmill, Brisbane.
The tower is now a popular tourist attraction in a park setting.
See also the Old Mill, South Perth, Western Australia, and the Callington Mill, Tasmania, featured on our list of 'The Eight Best Historic Australian Mills'.
ANOTHER RARE MILL THAT IS WORTH A VISIT is a Horizontal Windmill that was used for pumping water:
Coonong Horizontal Windmill, Urana, New South Wales.
Location: Federation Way, near the Urana Aquatic Centre, 560 km southwest of Sydney.
Key people: Samuel McCaughey
Above, the restored Dexter Horizontal Windmill, that previously pumped water at Coonong Station, now on display at Urana, NSW.
This extremely rare Dexter Horizontal Wind Turbine was originally imported as a USA-designed Dexter kit in about 1885. It was erected on Coonong Station, west of Urana, and used to pump water. It is believed to be the only surviving example worldwide. The blades or wind vanes are mounted around a vertical shaft, making a drum turbine that is 3.7m tall and about 3m in diameter. More information on the Coonong Horizontal Windmill.
After standing on Coonong Station for over 100 years, it was restored by a team of enthusiasts and relocated to Urana.
In this set of webpages, we present a guide to the best places in Australia to see an historic flour mill:
SingletonMills Guide to Old Flour Mills in Australia-- Introduction to Australia's Old Mills -- The Eight Best Historic Australian Mills displaying our milling history. The following mills do not house milling displays, to our knowledge, but their buildings are intact and they can be readily viewed from the road or street. -- Other Windmills (this page) |
If you know of another historic Australian flour mill on public display that you would like us to add to these lists, please Contact Us.
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