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In 1876, the Griffiths family, led by George Washington Griffiths introduced The Southern Cross Windmill – the first windmill water pumps – to the Australian public. These water pumps were based on blueprints by American inventor Daniel Halladay.
These windmill water pumping systems helped greatly improve the way of life for rural Australians, and in 1903, the Griffiths family settled on the name Southern Cross to sell these windmill water pumps under.
Over a century later, many Australians still rely on these windmill water pumps to provide adequate water for livestock and crops, and ensure their way of life.
Southern Cross offers a range of sizes in both windwheels, and windmill towers, and can coordinate with you to find the suitable windmill for you.
Our ‘IZ’ Double Geared Windmills range from a 6′ windwheel to a 14′ windwheel, and we offer tower heights from 20′ up to 60′. The best windmill tower for you will be determined by your geographical location, and the size of your chosen windwheel.
The Southern Cross “FA” Series Windmill Towers are available in the following heights:
The minimum recommended tower height for each windwheel size, is as follows:
Wind power is the original renewable energy source. It has been employed to power our boats, mill our grain and pump our water for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Windmill water pumps have been a part of rural living in Australia for well over a century, and are a great renewable energy source, along with being an Australian icon.
Anywhere there is access to water, you can build a windmill, no matter if it’s a river, dam, bore or well, the windmill water pump is one of the greenest and most reliable water harvesting solutions.
Australia is a famously arid and tough country, and water has always been challenging to come by for rural Australians – so much so that 85% of Australia’s population lives within 50km of the coast.
The advent of the modern windmill water pump, thanks to George Washington Griffiths, was a game changer for pastoralists and graziers, allowing them to move further away from the coast for stock grazing, where land was more affordable and accessible.
Despite being mostly used to pump water from deep bores or wells linked to underground aquifers, windmills can also be used to pump from any body of water, such as dams or rivers.
As with any other sector, as technology improves, challengers will present themselves. The most recent challenger to the windmill water pump is the solar water pump.
Windmill water pumps are proven to have a long term success that remains to be seen with the more modern solar pumps, with many properties across Australia boasting wind pumps that are more than 50 years old and still operating perfectly.
Despite solar systems being advertised as a safer option, they may contain a potentially dangerous current, while the “dangerous” windmill accounts for less than 1% of all accidents on rural properties.
With a 30+ year design life, and over a century’s experience in providing windmills to Australian families, Southern Cross Windmills are a name you can depend on.
Our windmills are hot dip galvanised, and backed by more than 100 years of successful water pump design, and Australian innovation. Since 1903, we’ve built over 250 000 of our iconic windpumps.
Every Southern Cross Windmill includes our 3 year windmill warranty.
Southern Cross Windmills pride ourselves on the quality and integrity of our product. We specialise in the manufacture, installation and service of industry leading windmill water pumps throughout the country and across the globe.
All of our windmills are designed and engineered in-house, and are durable enough to thrive in the harshest of Australian climates, rain, hail or shine.
Genuine Southern Cross parts for all current range windmill water pumps are available, as well as other parts for A, J, R & Z Pattern Windmills”, “J” Series Windmill Pumps, Troughs, Check Valves, Pump Heads and Pump Jacks may still be available upon request.
From the very first Southern Cross windmill rolling off the Toowoomba Foundry line in 1903, nobody has experience like we do of handling rural Australia’s unique water harvesting needs.
The Griffiths family produced their first windmills in 1876, which were based on plans from American engineer Daniel Halladay, and improved upon for strength and performance
The introduction of windmills to the Australian outback enabled rural families and pastoralists to inhabit more arid areas of the country, causing towns and pastoral runs to begin growing across these areas.
Much like another Toowoomba icon – the lamington – Southern Cross windmills have become an Australian classic. However unlike the lamington, the Southern Cross Windmill originating in Toowoomba is not up for debate.
Operating out of Queensland to this day – in our Withcott factory – Southern Cross is an Australian owned and operated brand, servicing Australians from all across the country, from irrigators and graziers to rural families and households.
Now comfortably located at the Gilgandra Museum and Historical Society, this 7.3 m Southern Cross windwheel was built and transported to Mendooran in 1924.
Before being donated to the Gilgandra Museum and Historical Society by the Payne family, this antique gentle giant dependably pumped water in Mendooran for over 73 years.
Closing in on its 100th birthday, at the most recent service, all it needed was some oil so as to keep it in operating condition. This Mendooran windmill is a testament to the longevity and reliability of a Southern Cross Windmill.
Have you recently finalised the purchase of a new rural block? Maybe you’re looking lessen your reliance on mains or rainwater supply?
The Southern Cross Windmill Water Pump is can help you meet your specific water storage needs.
Call us today on (07) 4612 7202 for an obligation free quote.
