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The Windmill is a unique icon scattered all over the Australian Continent. Tireless Sentinels with the wind in their face, standing guard on precious water supplies, all in different stages of repair.... sadly their original use seems to have been forgotten.
Thats how one author describes the windmill. In a land where there are enormous grazing properties - some of 1,000 square kilometres and more - without a single permanent natural water point, the windmill has had a profound effect. Both the sheep and cattle industries would not have been able to exist in some areas without the humble water pumping windmill.
Situated miles from anywhere, miles from any source of electricity, in the the hot, dry inland plains there are windmills. Their ceaseless pumping provides the only water for the stock to drink, and they come from miles around. Thirsty animals, they would perish without the life-giving water pumped to the surface by the windmills.
The boundary riders serviced them. On horseback the job used to take days. Riding for miles through scrubby bush and spinifex plains, he would come to each of the station's windmills in turn and service them. Grease, oil, in the right spots. New leather valves. Perhaps replace a blade on the fan. Camp overnight, and then next morning move on to the next.
It was a dangerous job. No-one around to help if something went wrong. But these were men of the outback, and used to living in rugged conditions. They survived. They checked the fences, checked the 'mills, checked the stock. And then went home to the station homestead. Only to do it all again.
Of course, its all done by motorbike now. Or helicopter. Thats where the windmills are still working. Electric pumps, solar power ... are taking over. The windmills are left, holding their heads up to the sky ... as a rusting reminder of how it once once was. And yet ... they are still the cheapest and most reliable pumping machine man has invented.
The windmill became so familiar that it is now an icon of the Australian bush. Their sizes can range from 5ft wheels on 20ft towers to 35ft wheels on 70ft towers.
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