Highfields Pioneer Village MEG
Highfields Pioneer Village is situated about 15 minutes drive
from Toowoomba taking the Crow's Nest Road. Follow the signs
from Highfields to the VIllage at Wirraglen Road. Members
of the Society of Friends of Pioneer Village spend a great
deal of time and effort restoring farming equipment and other
machinery. The Annual Easter Vintage Day brings many people
to the area. Some of the members are willing to take part
in the MEG project and stories from members will appear regularly
on the MEGs page.
One of the large objects currently being restored by the
Friends is the Deutz engine, which was one of the generators
used in the Toowoomba ELectric Light and Power Company powerhouse.
It is a six-cylinder oil engine with an A.E.G. alternator
and it was imported from Germany in 1934. It was commissioned
at the powerhouse in Victoria Street, Toowoomba in November
1934 and continued to operate at the powerhouse for 22 years.
It was then transferred to the Roma Electric Authority Power
Station in 1956 and decommissioned in 1966. The redundant
engine was purchased by Highfields Pioneer Village in 1997
in order to restore it 'to its former glory'. Progress concerning
the renovation and memories from ex-employees of the Toowoomba
Electric Light and Power Company will appear regularly on
this page.
Another member of Highfields Pioneer Village, Mr. M., shared
his experiences of building wind-powered apparatus. The attached
photographs show the savonius type windmill that he constructed
on his property from oil drums. Mr. M. said that he has built
different types of windmills, some efficient and others not
so efficient. More stories later.
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