Another example of ingenuity in Toowoomba found in north
IN 1985 musician Mark Knopfler, and his band Dire Straits released a song called Money for Nothing, and it was a ripper; fantastic music, peculiar lyrics including “We got to install microwave ovens, custom kitchen deliveries,” and so on.
Twenty years earlier, in Toowoomba, we weren’t installing too many microwave ovens but we were certainly manufacturing them, fair dinkum.
Every time I hear about long-gone Toowoomba and Australian inventions, Clive Berghofer AM comes to mind with his famous quote, “Now we can’t even build a wheelbarrow.”
Yes it is very sad, but if you dig deep enough you’ll come up with odd manufacturer like Moore Trailers at Yarranlea, Toowoomba Saddlery and Southern Cross Windmills.
But do you know Toowoomba was once a manufacturing hub for microwave ovens, seriously?
Let me take you way up north to Mena Creek, which is about 20 minutes from Innisfail, to a magical place called Paronella Park.
The park was the dream of Spanish migrant José Paronella who arrived here in 1913 and spent the next 11 years cutting sugar cane and subsequently buying and reselling cane farms.
In 1929 he purchased 13 acres of virgin scrub along Mena Creek and commenced work on his dream – a castle, pleasure gardens and reception centre for the enjoyment of the public.
And the public came and continues to come to tour, stay and celebrate this natural beauty.
And one member of the public, “Elizabeth,” from Toowoomba went on tour and found something quite surprising, a very old “Supaspede” microwave oven bearing the words, “Manufactured in Toowoomba Queensland by Gourmette Industries Pty Ltd.”
She contacted me. Accompanying the appliance was a flyer with lots of information including, “Gourmette Industries was José’s daughter-in-law Val also started by brothers George and Noel Williamson (manager) in the mid to late 1960s. It is widely believed to be the first company to manufacture microwaves in Australia.” noted on the flyer, “The microwave holds 18 Chinese takeaway-sized containers and is great for warming lots of food for coach tours.
“It draws lots of power and I only use it on a day when the waterfall is flowing strongly and the generator is making plenty of power, as if it draws too much power the lights dim and the appliance slows and whirrs!”
The Williamsons sold the business to Brisbane connections and continued with Downs Office Equipment which they had earlier established.
When they retired in 1990, they sold Downs Office Equipment to family interests, Graham and Karen Whyte, who continue to own and operate the business today – Karen is Noel’s daughter.
Sadly Noel passed away five years ago and George, now aged in his 90s, is still with us in Toowoomba.
Another amazing story of Toowoomba ingenuity.