Description of the attraction
The Old Windmill, the oldest building in Queensland, is located in Wickham Park in Brisbane. The mill was built by exiled convicts in 1824 to grind grain - wheat and corn. In December 1828, she got wind power wings. After the murder of two members of the geological party near Mount Lindsay in May 1840, three local Aborigines were charged with the crime. In July 1841, two of them were hanged from the crossbar of the mill's upper window.
In January 1862, the Old Windmill became the first home for the Queensland Museum. It was later used as a signal tower, and today it serves as a weather observation station.
At the end of the 19th century, the mill building was encased in cement plaster to protect the brick and masonry from heavy rains. The current plaster was applied to the building in 1988, imitating the stone blocks from which the mill was built.
From 1922 to 1926, the mill was a meeting place for members of the Institute of Radio Engineers, where they conducted their experiments, in particular, tested the transmission of the medium-wave range of AM radio broadcasting. The building was ideal for this purpose, as it offered a panoramic view from Moreton Bay in the east to the Darling Downs in the west. A 45-meter mast was installed next to the mill and a 24-meter antenna between the mill and the mast, which was the most impressive structure in Queensland at the time. In the 1930s and 40s, the building was used to broadcast the first television programs.
