As I pedalled into Penong, South Australia, the first town after 1,100km across the Nullarbor on my #eBike4Australia adventure, I couldn't help but chuckle. Here I was, in a tiny and remote outback town that appeared to have more wind turbines than people. What would Peter Dutton and Barnaby Joyce say?! These two blokes are doing their best to have us all believe that wind turbines are some sort of woke, radical plot to destroy the Aussie landscape and plunge us into darkness. But the good people of Penong have gone so far as to set up a museum celebrating the very thing Peter Dutton and Barnaby Joyce despise.
The Penong Windmill Museum is a quirky celebration of windmills that have powered rural Australia for well over a century. It was a windy day yesterday. I was surrounded by dozens of spinning windmills, each with its own story. Some were small and rusted, while others were towering giants, including the biggest old-school windmill in Australia. Information boards explained that windmills are more than just machines; they’ve been lifelines for farmers and graziers who have relied on them to pump water from deep underground. Without these windmills, much of Australia’s interior would have remained uninhabitable. They’ve been, quite literally, engines of agricultural revolution and opening-up of the outback.
So, what’s changed? Well, the technology has, for one. We’ve gone from creaky windmills to sleek, modern wind turbines that can power entire towns. And here’s the kicker: just like their predecessors, Australia’s new wind turbines are transforming and empowering rural communities. They’re not just about clean energy; they’re about economic opportunities. Wind turbines on farms provide off-farm income, helping to sustain rural communities that often do it tough. They’re the next stage in Australia’s wind revolution - one that started with those old windmills back in the 1800s and is now helping secure Australia’s energy future.
So, when you hear the likes of Peter Dutton and Barnaby Joyce railing against wind turbines, remember Penong. Remember the thousands of windmills that have stood for well over a century across Australia, quietly doing their jobs. Farmers have always been open-minded about wind turbines. They see their benefits. And remember that, just like the old windmills that opened up Australia’s outback, modern wind turbines are here to help. Whether the climate denialists and politicians like it or not.
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