A sample page from the 1987 catalogue
SALMON BEACH WINDFARM......First in Australia.
6 x 60 Kilowatt synchronous, induction turbines. Three phase.
Only babies......but the spiritual birthplace of an industry !
A tear sheet from Elders Weekly
"The Black Controller" !
Hand made by Chris Darker for Steve and Cheryl Bradley. Pink Lake, Esperance, Western Australia.
Steve and Cheryl Bradley. Pioneer's of the solar "Stone Age".12 Volt D.C system for halogen lighting, and small D.C fridge.
6 x Solarex 42 Watt poly-crystal panels.
4 x Trojan 6 V floor scrubber batteries.
Freon driven "Photon Collector".
The Bradley "Star Ship" is mildly radioactive,
due to it's heavy matter, granite hull !
Solar pioneer of the 20th Century...Francesca Costin.
Pink Lake,Esperance, Western Australia. My first customer,and lifelong friend, who helped me consolidate my vision of the coming Solar Reality.
3 x TIDELAND 33 watt Mono-Crystal panels. Tideland, manufactured panels for marine beacons in Brookvale, N.S.W. They were absorbed by B.P in 1985, and voila ! B.P Solar Australia !
4 x Besco 6 Volt, 220 Amp Hr floor scrubber batteries.
12 x CENTURY 300 Amp hour cells , a WINCO 200 Watt aerogenerator, and a SELECTRONIC 300 Watt modified square wave inverter.
System was used for 12 volt lighting, and Alpine car stereo.
Christopher Darker. Electronics engineer for the Salmon Beach Wind farm. 1st Wind farm in Australia.
Western Australia is known as the wild flower state. It also has wild winds ! The average wind speed at Salmon Beach is 7.5 Metres per second. Thats why the State Energy Commission installed the first Australian wind farm here.
The S.E.C's "Energy Research" division were a great crew, and I loved working with them. They were dedicated and knew their stuff. The work done here spawned wind farms all over OZ...
Sadly, the Energy Research division was disbanded by the fossil infested government of Premier Richard Court in 1988...I knew then that Baron Harkonnan had arrived, and was attempting to destroy the earths atmosphere, prior to a general invasion.
My Tardis was disguised as a Hi-Fi shop....All walls and ceilings were covered in egg cartons, and sprayed sky blue...My friends and clients spent many happy hours, gazing into infinity, and pondering the future. Francesca, my partner, declared she had visited a disused quarry in Wales where they were demonstrating wind machines and solar energy panels !!!
My Mum, standing in front of THE shop ! She always told me I was a bit odd...."Away with the fairy's". Well, maybe ! Hated the thought of growing up. Loved Peter Pan, Castles, Steam engines, sailing ships. I think I'd seen too much in past lives. If it wasn't for that cracked mercury vial, I'd have landed where I was supposed to, in the 21st century...Ah well...Got here in the end, but made a mess of the time / space continum around this place....LOL !
Tear sheet from the Esperance Express