Famous Foxton windmill now has a younger sibling in Whanganui

Billy Bishop (holding a picture of De Molen) took several trips to Foxton to gather data. Photo / Mike Tweed

Whanganui East resident Billy Bishop isn't one to shirk a challenge.

Last year he designed and built a printing press completely from scratch for local artist Esther Newrick, and in 2021 he turned his attention to something completely different.

The result? A replica of the famous Foxton De Molen.

Bishop said he always wanted to build one, but it wasn't until he spotted De Molen that he snapped into action.

"I thought that it was quite a long way to go to look at that beautiful windmill, so why not bring one up to Whanganui?"

He and his wife made several trips to Foxton to take photos and talk to the Windmill's operators before he began the project.

Bishop said it was "a bit of a mind boggler" to work out all the windmill's unique shapes.

"It took about 10 months in total," Bishop said.

"Being me, I built it about three times.

"Every piece had to be cut out and made by hand. I just used my old bench saw and worked out what the scale would be.

"A lot of the material was just bits and pieces I had lying around."

The windmill's sail was made from his brother-in-law's aluminium whitebait net.

The windmill took 10 months to complete. Photo / Mike Tweed

"He never used it, so I dismantled it and repurposed it," Bishop said.

"Then I found a motor that had been lying in the back of my shed for about 10 years. I pulled it out and it had the right reduction gear on it, so I plugged it in and off we went.

"Now here it is, in all its glory."

Bishop, a former United States Navy engineer, said his last task involved fashioning some of the outside with replica brickwork.

De Molen, itself a replica of a 17th Century Dutch windmill, is still fully operational and produces stone-ground flour.

"Those guys are fantastic engineers. They even took me upstairs and gave me a tour," Bishop said.

"All the gears are wood, and they're waxed by hand to stop the friction. It's just unbelievable."

The windmill will now welcome northern visitors to Whanganui from the Bishop's front lawn on Anzac Parade.

"His wife, Jan Bishop, said it would eventually be covered in lights.

"I said to Bill, 'God almighty, I hope people aren't going to be looking at it as they drive by and go over the bank or crash through our fence."

She said she'd already lined up Billy's next project.

"He'll be cleaning out the bloody shed.

"Maybe we can get the car back in it again."