What even is that thing on Port Macquarie's Windmill Hill?

Port Macquarie locals and visitors to the area have probably been to Windmill Hill overlooking the ocean.

Perhaps they’ve wondered what that strange, spiky looking thing is sitting on the grass in the middle of the reserve.

I’ve heard people say – given the name of the hill – they think it’s a part of an old windmill left over from its heyday.

But it’s not a relic. It is in fact a sculpture representing the wooden shaft and stone grinding wheels of a windmill that once stood on the site.

A bit of history: Created in the early 2000s by Rick Reynolds, the sculpture is called “Folly” after the original name of the area, Gillman’s Folly, after Captain Henry Gillman, an early commandant.

The original windmill: Major Archibald Innes, an 1800s soldier and pastoralist, had a windmill built there in 1825 to grind wheat and corn for government contracts – according to Arts Mid North Coast – and so it became known as Windmill Hill.

• Innes gained the position of commandant of the penal settlement at Port Macquarie in 1826.

In 1830 Innes became police magistrate at Port Macquarie and was granted more than 1000 hectares and contracts to supply the convict population with food.

Innes was largely responsible for transforming Port Macquarie from a penal settlement to a flourishing town.

What happened to it: According to Port Macquarie Museum, the windmill eventually fell into disuse but remained a prominent feature in the Port Macquarie landscape for many years until destroyed by fire in January 1900.

@midnorthcoaster

Ever wondered what this is? #portmacquarie #midnorthcoast #localhistory #windmillhill #localtrivia 📷 photos supplied by Port Macquarie Museum

ℹ️ To visit the sculpture, head to Windmill Hill Reserve on Pacific Drive, Port Macquarie