Old Windmill

The oldest surviving building in Queensland, and the oldest existing windmill in Australia, Old Windmill is a heritage-listed building based in Brisbane’s Wickham Park. Built in 1828, the windmill was originally used to grind wheat and maize for the nearby penal colony, but the tower saw many terrible moments in its early life, from the crushing daily life for the convicts who built it, to the hangings of two aboriginal men, convicted for the murders of members of a surveying party near Mount Lindesay in 1840, from a beam in its upper section.

Since then, the Old Windmill has had many lives, being used as both a signal tower and fire lookout. From the 1860s to 1920s, its 1pm gun was even used by locals as a way of making sure they had the right time. The Old Windmill’s wind-powered sails may be long gone, but the tower is still impressive to look at. Used as a weather observatory today, the interior of the Old Windmill is closed to the public. One of the best views of the historic building is from Jacob’s Ladder in King Edward Park.