Hydro-Electric Power Plant - Paronella Park - Mena Creek - QLD - Australia - Australian Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

1st Hydro Electric in North Queensland - 1933
Installed in 1933, the system worked using gravity Water fell 30-feet onto the turbine which was designed to work with falls up to 500 feet & was a system capable of generating far more than The 25 kva capacity of the alternator. The turbine was a sophisticated English model (Boving) with variable pitch inlet valves to control the flow. There was a 24" discharge pipe down to the creek to prevent the platform being eroded by the downward rush of water from the turbine. Running at 500rpm, the DC generator was directly coupled to it.
A governor controlled the speed of the turbine and consequently the frequency of the current and voltage. This was belt driven and changed the angle of the flow of water over the turbine blades to maintain a constant speed rotation. The system ran automatically.
The most difficult task of all was the construction. of the 12, steel reinforced concrete piers to support the foundation for the turbine house. These had to be set into rock at the base of the falls.
The turbine and alternator were set onto the concrete platform before 'the walls and roof were completed.
The turbine and alternator were lowered over the cliff, using a , - ,primitive crane system, called 'sheer legs'. The two timber legs were tied together, anchored to the ground and a hook and pulley were used to lower the heavy equipment over the side and into position.
The walls and roof were built around them.
The D/C power system generated electricity which could be used, but not stored. But Jose certainly had plenty of plans for using his new resource.


Out of Order for 40 years.
Times were tough. The highway was diverted in the late 1960's and the Park was no longer receiving the visitor numbers it needed, Paronella Park was sold in 1977 and, much of it was abandoned following a fire in 1979.
The Park's Hydro Electric System was seen as a_ luxury. Due to a lack of funds arid the availability of cheap electricity from the grid, it wasn't maintained. , •
Through the 1980's the system was restarted a few times, but it never ran permanently for very long. The system was eventually abandoned completely to deteriorate and was left that way for almost 30 years.
In the period 1993 — 2008 the turbine building was open for inspection to any guest who dared to descend the steep stairs. Many visiting engineers and electricians could see potential in the old system, some even offering to help work on bringing it back to life. In March 2006, disaster struck. in the form of Cyclone Larry. Much of the Park was devastated prompting many to suggest it would never open again. Following an extensive clean up, Paronella Park once again opened its doors. As visitor numbers began to increase, a renewed sense of enthusiasm and direction brought the Hydro Restoration Project to the top of the priority list.
In 2009 Paronella Park was voted the number 1 must-do In Queensland by over 150,000 people in the RACQ 150 Must-do's promotion. This • success, and the increase in business it created, put Paronella Park in a good position to begin restoration.
Owners Mark and Judy Evans contacted Ergon Energy who put them in touch with Heidemann Hydro a small but experienced German company which specialised in restoring old Hydro Electric

The Restauration 2008/09
Tilman Heidemann (Heidemann Hydro) arrives from Germany. With the help of Kevin Temple (park employee) the system is dismantled with great care. On 11 April 2008, a large crane being used on a nearby transmission line construction project was used to move the dismantled turbine and associated components onto trucks piece by piece, ready for transport to Germany. Powerlink Queensland, the government-owned corporation that owns, develops, and operates Queensland's high voltage electricity transmission network, provided the crane as in-kind support for the project. 18th July 2008: The turbine arrives in Germany and is prepared for grit blasting.
20th September 2008: After receiving the governing ring from the machining company, they assemble the turbine with both covers, enabling them to design all bolts, links, wicket gates and auxiliary parts inside the turbine in the definite dimensions.
16th April 2009: The Hydro parts are shipped from Germany, and arrive in Brisbane on the 28th May. • 6th June 2009: Concreting work has begun in the building to reinforce the walls, and Tiliman Heidemann returns to Australia. ' • 10th June 2009: The shipping container arrives in Innisfail by train and is trucked to Paronella Park. July 2009: The 20 ton crane arrives and, with difficulty, manoeuvres into place next to the castle in the top gardens.
Piece by piece the turbine and necessary pipes are carefully positioned and bolted/welded into place.
7th October 2009i Tilman Returns to Australia to complete the intake while the water level is low, building 2 new dams and a simple intake weir to filter the water.
Meanwhile Paronella Park is completely rewired ready to accommodate the .. new system and allowing us to feed excess power into the grid. 2010: The wet season arrives and the Turbine spin§ if 1000rpm,.generating 19Kw/h consistently, providing all of Paronella Park's needs. Total cost of the Project was $400,000. The majority of this cost was covered by Paronella Park via-admissions revenue.
The Queensland Government's Living Buildings & Places Heritage Grant Scheme provided $45,000 for Refurbishment-of the Turbine & manufacturing of the new Impeller. Donations were also received from the general public. A list of donors is displayed on the Paronella Park website (approx. $20,000). • Many organisations were approached but only a couple supported this project. We would like to thank the following for their assistance:



The Hydro Electric System Today
The turbine will run 11 months of the year, depending on rainfall. We are able to produce the 14Kw/h needed to run the park, with the excess being fed back into the grid. 0
Financially, there are some benefits to our hydro system. Ideally, we should be able to offset what we draw from the grid in dryer months with what we put back in through the rest of the year. That aside, the main positives lie in the environmental benefits, the historical value and the increased publicity . & interest generated for Paronella Park.
One of the major drawbacks to hydro power is the limited number of appropriate areas where its use is practical. Most large scale systems require substantial work (including alterations to waterway, damming etc.) to work effectively. This can be harmful to the environment. The weir created and used at Paronella Park to direct the water and ensure consistent flow does not alter the water flow in a substantial way. It is therefore not going to impact on the environment in a negative way. Hydroelectric power now supplies about 715,000 megawatts or 19% of world electricity.
The first hydroelectric plant in Australia was built in Launceston Tasmania in 1895. The first town in Queensland to use hydro electricity was Thargomindah in 1898. Thargomindah was the third town in the world to use electricity for its street lighting after London and Paris.
The Snowy Mountains hydroelectric power scheme is the largest hydro electric system in Australia, with a generating capacity of nearly 3,800 MW. It includes seven power stations, 145 km of tunnels and 316 dams. The largest dam, Lake Eucumbene, can hold nine times the water volume of Sydney Harbour.
Hydroelectricity has many Positive aspects:
• Hydroelectric energy is a renewable energy source.
• No carbon dioxide is emitted as a result of hydropower.
• Hydroelectric energy is non polluting. It does not cause chemical pollution of ground or water or the release of heat or noxious gases.
• Hydroelectric-energy has no fuel cost and has relatively low operating and maintenance costs. so it is a good investment in limes of inflation and can provide very low cost electricity.
• Hydroelectric stations have a long life. Many existing stations have been in operation for more than half a century and are still operating efficiently.
• Hydropower station efficiencies of over 90% are achieved, making it the most efficient of energy conversion technologies.
• Hydroelectric energy technology is a proven technology that offers reliable and flexible operation.

Age/Event Date: 1933 Type of Historic Marker: Building Related Website: [Web Link] Historic Resources.: http://www.paronellapark.com.au/history/page-1 Type of Historic Marker if other: Not listed

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