Nederlands Deutsch 
This site was updated on 25 August 2008
Nederlands Deutsch
This site was updated on 25 August 2008
For a 3 minute
VIDEO
about the Bert Bolle Barometer on YouTube, click here.
26 March 2008
The Bert Bolle Barometer listed among the Top Hundred Australian ‘must see’ topics!
Australian Traveller magazine once again celebrates the splendour and diversity of
Australia in its special issue, revealing the list of 100 Things You Can Only Do In Australia.
This list was decided by more than 750 nominations from readers, the travel industry and Australian Traveller’s trusted stable of experienced travel writers.
The page about the Bert Bolle Barometer:
www.australiantraveller.com/index.cfm?page_id=2384
This web page was made for anybody interested in the backgrounds of the Guinness Book of Records Water Barometer, donated by Bert and Ethne Bolle to the community of Denmark WA. Please scroll through this page to read the whole story, or jump to the section you like by clicking on one of the following subjects.
Introduction
The oldest barometers
The first steps in 1985
Bert Bolle’s ‘shopping list’
How the water barometer operated
The Guinness Book of Records Certificate
The Barometer Museum in the Netherlands
From the Netherlands to Australia
The building process
Mission Accomplished
Donations and Support
The importance for Denmark
Contact
Large photos for Press
Wikipedia article about Denmark in Western Australia
The water barometer, standing in the hall of the Barometer Museum in the Netherlands, about 1990.
Bert and Ethne Bolle retired in 1999, left the Netherlands and migrated to Western Australia, where they found their beautiful spot in the pristine environment of Denmark. Bert is a writer and Ethne an artist painter.
Ethne and Bert Bolle in 2005
During the last 12 years before their migration, they ran the Barometer Museum in their 18th century country house at Maartensdijk in the centre part of the Netherlands. The main attraction in their museum was a giant water barometer in the main hall. The 12 metres high instrument was awarded the largest barometer in the world by The International Guinness Book of Records.
Bert, who had designed and built the instrument himself, didn’t want to part with his creation, and so the barometer made the journey to Down Under. It will come back to life in the Barometer Tower of the new Denmark Visitor Centre.
The exact date of discovery of the barometer and the name of the inventor are both subjects for debate. The reason for this is that, in its original form, the barometer was not invented as a weather forecasting instrument. Initially it was developed as a scientific instrument just to prove the existence of a vacuum, and at a later stage for following changes in the weight of the air. In other words, it was not invented with a predetermined, single aim in mind in the way that radio and television were deliberately developed to receive electronic signals.
In the 17th century people began to question the long-accepted ideas that a vacuum or air free space was impossible. The all-powerful church had dictated that idea for centuries. Just why was this so - was it indeed so? As is often the case where important discoveries are made, a simple event from the daily goings on of the time gave the clue to a breakthrough. Round about 1635 an elaborate series of fountains was being installed in the palace gardens at Florence in Italy. Water had to be pumped up from a very deep well. A suction pump was installed, but to everybody’s consternation it was found that the water rose no further than about eighteen Florentine yards - about thirty-three feet or ten metres. Although they did not realize it at the time, a vacuum had been created and no matter how hard they pumped, the water stayed in the well. The famous scientist Galileo Galilei, who had already attracted a lot of adverse criticism because of his new-fangled ideas, was approached for advice.
Galileo’s way of thinking was too strongly influenced by the old teachings of Aristotle for him to hit upon an explanation involving a vacuum. The dogmatic teachings were so firmly ingrained into his way of thinking that it never occurred to him that the water in the pipe was simply ‘held’ there by the force of the air pressing down on the water outside the pipe. He did go so far as to state that air had mass, but he did not make further deductions. All the same he did let other researchers know of the problem, like Gaspar Berti in Rome, and in 1639 serious experiments were carried out using an appliance about 35 feet (11 metres) high filled with water to try to create a vacuum.
Galileo’s successor to the post of court scientist to the Duke of Tuscany was Evangelista Torricelli who having found the notes of his predecessor and teacher went on to conduct further experiments. It seems that his initial trials involved water and that his aim was not only to create a vacuum but to prove that air pressure was responsible for supporting the water column. Torricelli was the first to try to “construct an instrument which showed changes in the air, sometimes heavier and coarser, at other times lighter and finer”. In 1644 Torricelli discovered that he could carry out his experiments more conveniently with mercury rather than with water, although water was still used by other scientists for some decades. Blaise Pascal erected a water barometer in Rouen in France in 1646 and Otto von Guericke, the mayor of Magdeburg in Germany installed one alongside his house round about 1654. In England scientists like Robert Hooke and Robert Boyle experimented with similar instruments in the sixties of the 17th century.
After 1670 the complicated water barometer had given way to the mercury tube. There were a few water barometers made by scientists during the next centuries, but these instruments were rare. About 1880 there was a water barometer in London, but since then the instrument seemed to have become extinct, until in 1985 Bert Bolle decided to design and build one for the Barometer Museum he intended to found with his wife Ethne.
Left: Berti’s vacuum experiment from 1639 in Rome.
Middle: Blaise Pascal’s barometer from 1646 in Rouen, France.
Right: von Guericke’s water barometer from circa 1654 in Magdeburg.
In 1978 Bert Bolle had written a book titled ‘Barometers’, which was translated into German and English in 1980. Three years later he wrote a scientific sequel to his first book and invented some modifications in mercury barometer systems. In 1984 Bert’s wife Ethne talked about starting something like a barometer museum in their 18th century country house. Bert gave it some time to think about, and the next year he thought the time was ripe to give the idea a go. His aim was to create a collection based on loans of barometers from private collectors and museums in the Netherlands. To obtain these loans, a massive publicity campaign should be the best remedy. Knowing that the press would not be very impressed by just a castle in the air, Bert decided to launch something spectacular first, an appliance that would be impressive and definitive, as the centre point of the Barometer Museum to be. When writing his barometer books, he had become impressed and inspired by the 17th century pioneers with their huge instruments. He would love to create his own water barometer! The old country house had three stories, with ample height, and above the centre of the main hall was the highest spot of the building: a leaded glass cupola of which the top part was over 12 metres from the hall floor. A perfect environment for such an enormous instrument.
Although there was no literature available about how to make your own water barometer, Bert knew in detail what had been built in the former centuries. He also had the advantage of the 20th century technology, which e.g. enabled him to abandon the lead pipes that had been used in the old days. Schott Ruhrglas in Germany made beautiful strong glass pipes in any size, and could supply a huge glass cistern too. Instead of filling the barometer from the top, a modern rotary vane vacuum pump could be used. Timer relays would make the pump alternately let the water go down in the pipe, or rise and so forth. There was a calibrated digital barometer of extremely high accuracy on the market to check the readings from the water barometer register plate. Those modern blessings challenged Bert to go on with his idea.
After a long period of investigation, Bert could start designing the barometer. Initially he made sketches and drawings by hand, later he used his Apple Macintosh computer. It is amazing how sophisticated the graphical Mac-programs already were in 1985.
Sketches, ideas, drawings, plans.
Meanwhile the Barometer Museum Foundation was set up and a Committee of Recommendation was established, consisting of curators from the Netherlands and abroad, scientists in the barometer world, and last but not least former prime minister Piet de Jong of the Netherlands. It had become time to make a ‘shopping list’ for the water barometer.
Bert Bolle chose a 90 mm glass pipe, consisting of four sections. Those pipes would be fitted to a huge oak plank of 9 metres height. The top 3 metres would be made in Perspex. A glass cistern of 60 cm diameter would hold 150 litres of water, enough to make the barometer work. Finding the wood for such an enormous plank was the first problem. Fortunately Bert knew a wood dealer who had just supplied a Dutch ship builder with extremely long sheets of French oak. The wood dealer managed to buy two sheets back, and offered to make the plank according to the design. Schott Ruhrglas in Germany came with generous quotations for the pipes and the cistern. Finally Bert had his ‘shopping list’ ready:
One French oak plank being about 9 M long, 40 cm wide, 40 mm thick, and 1 M wide at the base.
One steel top cover for the plank mentioned above.
One Pyrex glass cistern manufactured by Schott, Germany, 60 cm diameter.
One Pyrex glass cover of 12 mm thick, in two parts, for the glass cistern.
One rubber seal for the cistern cover.
One analogue and one digital thermometer for the glass cistern.
One aluminium stand for the glass cistern.
One circular collar with oak finish in two halves to fit around the stand of the glass cistern.
Four Pyrex glass pipes being 9 cm in diameter, three of them being 3 M long, one of them 2.50 M long.
One Pyrex glass cap for the top pipe.
Four aluminium fitting sets with rings for the flanges of the glass pipes.
One steel bracket to hold the pipe system.
Various small stainless steel parts, e.g. bolts, nuts, washers and rings.
One transparent Perspex plate of 3 M long, about 40 cm wide and 25 mm thick.
Two Perspex brackets, 25 mm thick.
One 6 mm thick white Perspex register plate, same size as the Perspex plate above.
One rotary vane vacuum pump, manufactured by Leybold Heraeus, Germany.
One Secuvac safety valve, manufactured by Leybold Heraeus, Germany.
One water detecting safety device.
One computerized multi-channel timer.
One camera plus monitor.
One relay cabinet.
Various cables.
A lot of money was saved, as Bert did a lot himself, and there were some good friends with helping hands. In total over 600 hours were involved to get the barometer completely installed and working. Fortunately the companies who supplied the materials, tried to help the Barometer Museum Foundation with discounts, but nevertheless over 10,000 Dutch guilders needed to be spent. Nowadays, if the barometer should be totally rebuilt, all materials would cost between 15,000 and 20,000 Australian dollars, not counting the hours and the fact that the German glass factory will stop producing their special industrial Pyrex glass pipes and cisterns within a couple of years time.
From mid 1985 all materials were acquired and prepared for their final use. In November of the same year, the barometer was erected and made its first test run.
Working on a scaffold, 10 metres above the ground.
How the Water Barometer operated
A microprocessor regulated the vacuum pump, which was connected to the top end of the water barometer by a copper pipe. At ten minutes intervals, the vacuum pump was switched on, and evacuated the air from the 11.5 metre long glass pipe, causing the more than 12 metre tall instrument to fill with 55 litres of water within two minutes. Readings could then be taken at the second storey level of the museum. After five minutes, air was admitted in the pipe, such that water returned to the cistern in three minutes. A vacuum was then drawn again, etc. etc.
The pipe passed the balustrade on the first floor before it reached the leaded glass cupola.
Visitors who wanted to take a reading, needed to climb ten metres of stairs first. Finally they reached a platform in the attic, just above the leaded glass cupola. Near the platform, the wooden plank was continued by a Perspex plate. There was a board on which the Vacuum Pump Cycle was explained, and the water temperature in the cistern was shown on a display.
Where the oak plank met the Perspex plate.
The white Perspex register plate had two scales; centimetres above the water surface in the cistern and millibars or hectopascals. On the explanation board, a rule of thumb was given to make a correction for temperature. Water vapour pressure depresses the actual reading and this ‘error’ increases with temperature.
The platform above the leaded glass cupola.
Every ten minutes, visitors could witness an interesting physical phenomenon, when they made the climb to the cupola area. At the moment the water reached its highest possible point in the pipe, the air pressure above the water had been lowered so dramatically, that the water started to boil spontaneously, although its temperature was just about 20 degrees! This ‘cold boiling’ was reinforced a bit by air bubbles that were formed in the water column. As soon as the pump stopped evacuating the pipe, the water level became calm within a couple of seconds, thus enabling the visitors to take a proper reading.
The Guinness Book of Records Certificate
With the giant barometer installed, press releases could be sent out to the media to announce the museum plans and the request to obtain antique barometers on loan. Within just a few months, there were enough barometers offered on loan to arrange the displays and the walls. Meanwhile Bert Bolle claimed to have built the largest barometer in the world, and when the International Guinness Book of Records recognized the claim, it was big news again.
This certificate was proudly hanging two metres above the cistern.
In May 1987 the Barometer Museum opened its doors. Mrs Neelie Smit, Minister for Transport was invited as a representative of the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute to open the Barometer Museum. She poured a symbolic last bucket of water in the cistern, together with Bert and Ethne Bolle’s daughter Puck. Nearly 200 guests witnessed the glorious ascending of the 55 litres of water.
Left: Minister Neelie Smit and Puck Bolle opening the Barometer Museum in May 1987.
Right: Former prime minister of the Netherlands Piet de Jong with Bert Bolle and minister Neelie Smit.
The opening was broadcast on Dutch national television in prime time on the News and in a tourist program. The museum, most especially the water barometer, would appear tens of times on national television in the next twelve years of its existence.
Left: Dutch National News, just before the official opening of the museum.
Middle: Japanese TV filming the representative of the International Guinness Book of Records, handing the certificate to Bert Bolle.
Right: American TV for an interview in the museum.
Since the Barometer Museum was only 10 Km from the Dutch national radio and television studios, it was a wanted spot for the makers of weather programs. All well-known weathermen of the Dutch TV were regular guests in the Barometer Museum. Bert was happy with all that publicity, as it would bring more visitors in. He never said no to the media and didn’t take much persuading if he was asked to participate in a lighthearted promotion, even if many hours of hard work would only yield a few minutes of TV. When the museum closed down, Bert and Ethne had over 90 square metres of newspaper and magazine articles in their archive!
Left: Weatherman Peter Timofeeff in the calibration room of the museum.
Middle: Bert pouring water over an actress in a running gag of a weather program.
Right: Very well known weather man Erwin Kroll explains on Dutch TV how the water barometer works.
There were hundreds of barometers, thermometers, hygrometers and weather houses to be seen. Most of the barometers were mercury instruments, mainly English, Dutch and French, dating from the 18th and 19th century. A modest entrance fee was asked, and there was a museum shop. Main attraction of course was the water barometer. Children used to trip the stairs up and down to follow the rising and falling water column. Some guests came especially to see the 18th century building. They had seen the old country house so often when they made an outing in that scenic part of the Netherlands, and now they had a chance to have a look inside.
Every single item in the museum had a description, and there were guides in several languages. There were many ‘extras’, e.g. an Apple Macintosh computer, connected to the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute, showing the rain radar in the Netherlands, which was a unique item in the late eighties. The museum had purchased an extremely accurate digital barometer made by Vaisala in Finland. The barometer had two displays: one in the museum, the other one in the calibration room of the workshop where antique barometers were restored and new ones were made. The Bolle family employed over ten craftsmen to do all the specialist jobs.
Bert and Ethne regularly organized an exhibition on a theme, e.g. on Paulus Wast, a famous Dutch barometer maker. The most expensive mercury barometer ever sold in the world was made by Wast and was the centrepiece of the exhibition. A couple of years later, a weather house exhibition was held. The museum shop had 50 different models for sale, so there was a chance for every visitor to strike lucky. Bert had written a small book on weather houses. Over 2,000 people attended that exhibition.
The exhibition on antique weather houses in 1993 drew a lot of visitors.
When the big parking area was full, even the lawn was used.
In 1997 the Ministry for the Environment came with a new law to ban all mercury out of newly manufactured barometers. From 1999 onwards, it would be forbidden to make or even to sell new mercury barometers. That was a serious threat for Bert and his craftsmen who used almost 10% of the all the industrial mercury in the Netherlands. If the law would be adopted, the workshop and the museum were condemned to close. There was no compensation for the Bolle family and their glassblowers. Bert of course appealed to the law and fought like mad. He searched the publicity and approached most of the members of parliament, but the new law seemed to be inevitable. For Bert and Ethne, who already had serious intentions to migrate to another country, the bizarre plans of the Ministry for the Environment were the straw that broke the camel’s back. They went to a migration agent to enquire about living in Australia, and set the first steps to eventually lodge an application for a permanent visa.
In April 1998, when the chances to prevent the anti mercury law had become minimal, Bert and Ethne had a very important guest: Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. She had an elaborate look around in the museum, and finally had a cup of coffee. The queen intended to buy a mercury barometer, but Bert told her about the anti mercury law that was coming up soon. Queen Beatrix was shocked, especially because she was about to buy a mercury barometer, being unaware that she would be asked as the queen to put her signature under a law that would prohibit people from buying mercury barometers! She made Bert and Ethne clear in diplomatic words that she thought that law was a bit over the top, but she couldn’t promise anything of course. Anyhow, she obviously must have pulled the wires at a very high level, since only one month later the anti mercury law was suddenly suspended, in spite of the rather negative outlooks. So eventually Bert had won, but for him and Ethne it all came too late. They had already made up their minds, and had decided to leave the Netherlands indefinitely. They put their country house on the market, and sold it within a week.
The Barometer Museum closed down in October that year. In the 12 years of its existence more than 150,000 guests had visited it, which is quite a lot for a small private museum that always wanted to work without grants. The last pages in the guest book were bubbling over with emotional comments from the visitors about the loss of that small museum they had loved so much, that house with such a lot of history and a royal touch, with all those beautiful floral arrangements made by Ethne. An enthusiastic visitor took some photos, wrote an article about the closing museum and put it on his website. Language: DUTCH. www.nicospilt.com/barometermuseum.htm
Left:Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands amidst Bert, Ethne and daughter Puck. Right: Ethne made this floral arrangement for the royal visit.
It was a heart-warming grand finale of a wonderful time Bert and Ethne had experienced in their museum, with Queen Beatrix as their last important client.
From the Netherlands to Australia
Having lived and worked in a country house, Bert and Ethne had a lot of things to pack. There was one extremely big item that needed a special 40-foot seatainer: the water barometer. It had been carefully dismantled before the removalist came to pick it up. The four glass pipes were packed in long wooden crates, and also the cistern was carefully packed in a special crate.
In December 1999 Bert and Ethne left the Netherlands. They stayed with one of Bert’s cousins in Bunbury, and rented a house. From there the first trip to Denmark was made in January 2000. Ethne had been in Denmark before. She had seen that beautiful town in 1997, and never had stopped talking about it. Bert and Ethne found their spot already the first day of their arrival in Denmark, and two months later the removalist stood at their doorstep.
Unfortunately there was no room to store the long barometer plank; so all barometer parts were kept on hold in Fremantle. Meanwhile Bert went to Denmark’s CEO to talk about the idea of making the barometer useful to the community. Pascoe Durtanovich saw the photos of the Barometer Museum and was enthusiastic about the monumental instrument from the first moment. The only problem was that Denmark didn’t have a public building high enough to house the 12 metres high barometer. Bert and Ethne didn’t mind to wait until an opportunity would turn up. By the end of 2000 some alterations had been made on their house, and from that moment on the long plank, the pipes etc. could be stored. In 2001 the removalist came down with the extraordinary load. The trailer was so big, that it could not reach the house. A truck was needed to let the plank travel its last 850 metres.
All care was taken to keep the vulnerable plank undamaged.
The ceiling of the garage was left open to give the plank and the long crates access to the attic above the house. When the ceiling was placed, a huge manhole was made to get the enormous plank down at a later stage.
A slippery cardboard pack of about 140 kilo is quite a burden when it has to go upstairs, especially on a warm day.
Later on, Bert discovered that one pipe had been damaged during transport. A blemish of the Dutch removalist who had ignored Bert’s exact instructions for how to pack the vulnerable gear. Even worse, the vacuum pump and a box full of vacuum hoses had grown legs and were missing. Unfortunately it had become too late to claim the damage. Moreover, the Denmark Shire was not interested at that stage, so Bert took the situation reluctantly for granted, and concentrated on other things.
It was in 2004 when Pascoe Durtanovich contacted Bert to see if he was still interested to part with his brainchild. There were plans for a new multi-functional Visitor Centre in which a tower could be built especially for the water barometer. At the first stage, Bert had been thinking of a permanent loan, but after some consideration he felt that it would be better to donate the instrument to the Shire of Denmark. One of the conditions is that the barometer should be considered as a monument, carrying the name of The Bert Bolle Barometer. Furthermore the tower should be dedicated to the water barometer and the history of weather instruments in general and access should be free for everybody.
In the middle of the tower, which measures 4 x 4 meters, a solid pedestal 50 cm high was planned to be the base of the water barometer. Bert had promised to take up the task of installing the barometer and guided the craftsmen where needed. He assisted the electrician in designing and setting up the relay cabinet that will make the vacuum pump remove the air out of the top of the pipe every six minutes.
After the Denmark Council had adopted the plans for the new Visitor Centre, Bert Bolle checked all parts of the water barometer. He started to negotiate with the removalist in the Netherlands about a new pipe, and how to get it transported to Down Under. Bert found the manufacturer in Germany prepared to get one 3 metre pipe specially made, and purchased it. The removalist, feeling guilty about the damage during former transport, took care for free transport to Western Australia. Bert picked the huge 10 Kg glass pipe up in Perth. His car was just big enough to hold the long pipe. Meanwhile Bert had bought a present for Ethne, a fiberglass sheep, which hardly fitted in the car too and caused some hilarious moments! Eventually the vulnerable pipe arrived undamaged in Denmark.
The glas pipe made a long and eventful trip from Germany to Denmark.
The pump that had been stolen during the removal, was another major problem. But Bert still knew his sources in the Netherlands, and soon the Dutch branch of the worldwide operating German pump manufacturer Busch proved to be so generous to donate a reconditioned rotary vane vacuum pump. Bert sent the money for packing and postage of the 25 Kg machine which soon arrived in Denmark. Final hiccup was the top part of the pipe, i.e. the hood with a barb where a vacuum hose is connected to the barometer. Bert had a Pyrex glass hood left from the installation job in 1985. He sent the hood to his former glass blower in the Netherlands, who blew a barb on it for vacuum hose connection. Meanwhile Bert ordered a safety device for the vacuum system to prevent water from reaching the vulnerable pump. It was Bert’s wish to donate a complete working instrument.
The tower plan.
Preparing the building site. 23 April 2006.
Creating the stunning rammed earth walls. 23 August 2006.
The Visitor Centre gets its shape (29 August 2006).
On 14 September 2006 it looked like this.
Situation on 25 October 2006.
Situation on 8 November 2006.
On 13 November 2006 at 9.30 AM, a huge crane positioned the 9 metres long massive oak plank into the Barometer Tower.
The event had been announced in the previous Saturday edition of the West Australian, and became a news item on GWN TV.
Half an hour after the plank, the Reading House was put on top of the tower.
The scaffolds removed! Situation on 19 November 2006.
8 February 2007. Some progress in the Barometer Tower. The oak plank finally unpacked.
13 February 2007. Preparation of the parking area.
16 February 2007. Denmark CEO Pascoe Durtanovich and Bert Bolle signing the documents for the donation of the Water Barometer.
18 February 2007. Bert fitting the perspex parts.
3 March 2007. Bert positioning the glass cistern with a friend.
3 March 2007. Connecting the glass pipes.
Bert installing the electronic apparatus in the Air Pressure Cabinet on 18 March 2007.
Local artist painter and friend Anthony Jones in our studio on 25 March, finishing one of the five huge 4 x 6 foot paintings for the inside walls of the Barometer Tower.
Local cabinet makers Gerard and Trish Nice (Nice Cabinets) fitting the barometer showcases on 12 April.
Ethne Bolle finishing her water colours of Torricelli and Galileo for the Reading Room on 15 April.
The carpenters fitting the five paintings to the tower wall on 19 April.
Bert installing his Atmosphere Simulator on 20 April.
The Vacuum Bell Jar finished on 27 April.
Ethne Bolle and Anthony Jones being photographed for the Denmark Bulletin on 27 April.
Bert makes his final corrections while positioning the glass Water Barometer cistern on 28 April.
Just before the Centre opens its doors, Bert puts antique items in the two showcases on 13 May.
Mission accomplished!
Everything works. The visitors may come!
On 15 May the first visitors came to inspect the Barometer Tower.
A Denmark lady admires the Galileo & Torricelli exhibits on 16 May.
Enthusiastic comments in our Guest Book.
The Barometer Tower is ready to welcome its guests!
So much to see! The reactions in the Guest Book are overwhelming. This is how the Tower looked early August 2007. Entrance to The Baromter Tower is free. Just come and enjoy!
Fascinating from any angle. You have to come to Denmark to see the size of the instrument with your own eyes!
The Denmark Probus Club members, being Bert Bolle’s special guests inspected the Barometer Tower on 27 June 2007.
The Denmark Probus ladies admire the rare antique weather houses. You can read everything about them in the Barometer Tower.
In the Reading Room atop the Tower is a large print of a 17th century engraving, depicting the famous experiment with the Magdeburg Hemispheres.
The Hon Sheila McHale MLA, Minister for Tourism in Western Australia ‘inaugurates’ the Bert Bolle Barometer on 10 August 2007.
Bert with Minister Sheila McHale in the Reading Room atop the Barometer Tower. In the background the watercolours of Torricelli and Galileo, painted by Ethne Bolle.
Bert presents a replica Dutch ‘Donderglas’ to Minister Sheila McHale.
Eventually, on 4 April 2008, the Barometer Tower got its signage. A great and fitting welcome to all visitors!
GWN TV News interviewing Bert Bolle on 14 April 2008 because the barometer was listed in the Australia Top Hundred attractions in Australian Traveller magazine.
On the 17th of July 2008 the Visitor Centre and the Barometer Tower welcomed their 100,000th visitor.
John Gill and Marguerite Ennett from Perth had especially gone to Denmark to see the barometer.
The lucky couple went home with a basket full of locally produced goods.
(For more photos on the building site, click HERE.)
During its first year, almost 100,000 visitors came to the Denmark Visitor Centre to see the barometer. The average turnover in Denmark’s tourist industrie had more than doubled and the first three Guest Books in the Barometer Tower are full. Lots of visitors left their positive notes and some of them were people from the Netherlands, who had seen the barometer in the Dutsch Barometer Museum. They were surprised to see the instrument back on the other side of the world. Meanwhile the Dutch press paid extensive attention to the new Denmark drawcard, which proves that the water barometer is still well-known in Europe, although the Barometer Museum in Holland was closed ten years ago.
The Bert Bolle Barometer is a lively instrument, constantly ‘on the move’. A microprocessor regulates a vacuum pump, which is connected to the top end of the water barometer. At six minute intervals, the pump evacuates the air from the glass pipe, causing the more than 12 metre tall instrument to fill with 55 litres of water within one minute. Visitors are invited to climb the stairs and follow the water to the top, where it starts to boil spontaneously, although its temperature is only about 20 degrees! After a reading period of two minutes, air is admitted to the top area of the pipe. Within another two minutes all the water will be back in the cistern downstairs, after which the six minute pump cycle of The Bert Bolle Barometer will start again.
Bert and Ethne have enough items left from their Dutch museum to equip the whole Barometer Tower. These items have been given on loan. A collection of antique barometers covers the tower walls, and there are huge 4 x 6 foot paintings showing the old instruments and their inventors. There are also two showcases with fine antique weather instruments and old weather houses. These showcases have been put in the hall of the Visitor Centre, near the entrance of the tower. There are captions in big letters, which proved to be a success in the Barometer Museum in the Netherlands. Especially older eyes cannot cope with small sized text boards. No squinting for the guests in the Barometer Tower.
In the Barometer Tower several interesting physical experiments are on display, e.g. the Atmosphere Simulator in which highs and lows are created artificially. There is also a Bell Jar with vacuum experiments. Alongside the right wall are five showcases with various mercury barometers and thermometers.
When entering the tower, there is a so-called calibration cabinet on show on the left hand side. This 2.2 Metres tall steel cabinet is a unique item. It was built in 1905 for the department of the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute near the harbour of Rotterdam, and was used to calibrate the barometers used on board ship.
The antique Dutch calibration cabinet, over two metres tall.
In the same left front corner on the floor of the tower is a showcase to house the extremely accurate Vaisala digital barometer, one of the showpieces of the former Barometer Museum in Holland. It was acquired by Bert and Ethne Bolle in the early nineties. The instrument has been re-calibrated in the Vaisala headquarters in Finland, thanks to generous intervention of Vaisala Pty Ltd in Hawthorn Victoria. The instrument passed the severe accuracy tests with flying colours. It can be considered as one of the most accurate barometers in Western Australia. The Vaisala barometer will enable visitors to compare its reading with e.g. their own domestic aneroid barometer. Directions for adjustment will be given. The separate display for the barometric pressure was donated by Amalgamated Instrument Co Pty Ltd (AIC) Australia.
The Vaisala Barocap PTB 220 Digital Barometer.
On the right tower wall, a so-called Dutch ‘Donderglas’ (‘thunder glass’) can be seen. This glass instrument is the size of a hand, and is filled with water and air. During the first half of the 17th century they were the only available weather forecasting instruments, as the first mercury barometers came on the market around 1660. The ‘donderglas’ was also used on board ship, as they were small and easy to use. Skippers were more dependent on the weather than anybody else, and it is not unlikely that skipper Francois Thijssen and commander Pieter Nuyts had a ‘donderglas’ on their ship ‘Het Gulden Zeepaerdt’ (The Golden Seahorse), when they were the first ones to map the coast line between Cape Leeuwin and Ceduna in 1627.
A Dutch ‘thunder glass’
In the Reading Room atop the Tower is a large print of a 17th century engraving, depicting the famous experiment with the Magdeburg Hemispheres. Otto von Guericke (1602-1686), mayor of Magdeburg in Germany, had invented a vacuum pump in 1650. Guericke chose a really dramatic way to demonstrate the force of air pressure. He had a pair of large copper hemispheres made, precisely constructed so that their rims fitted tightly together. When the rims were sealed with grease and the air was pumped out, the resulting sphere contained the world’s first artificial vacuum. The hemispheres were held firmly together by the air pressure of the surrounding atmosphere with an enormous force. Guericke had arranged two teams of eight horses harnessed together to separate the two hemispheres, but no matter how hard they pulled, the horses could not pull them apart, until the vacuum finally was released by opening a valve. All that had been holding the hemispheres together was the pressure of the air surrounding them. The vacuum inside the globe meant there was no opposing pressure to balance this great outer force.
The experiment with the Magdeburg Hemispheres in 1657.
A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
The Shire of Denmark and Mr Bert Bolle express their appreciation to the
following people and organizations for their donations and support in the
establishment of this Barometer Tower and Meteorological Instruments Exhibition.
JAVAC Pty Ltd, Knoxfield VIC Australia (http://www.javac.com.au).
Donation of a JAVAC DD-40 double stage high vacuum pump for the Vacuum Bell Jar.
BUSCH B.V., Woerden, Netherlands (http://www.buschpump.com).
Donation of a BUSCH RB 0021 B rotary vane vacuum pump for the Water Barometer.
AVT SERVICES, Seven Hills NSW Australia (http://www.avt.net.au).
Donation of a JEOL RP-100G rotary vane vacuum pump for mercury barometer tube filling.
VAISALA Pty Ltd, Hawthorn, VIC Australia (http://www.vaisala.com).
All-in free calibration in Finland of our PTB 200A digital precision barometer.
AMALGAMATED INSTRUMENT CO Pty Ltd, Hornsby, NSW Australia (http://www.aicpl.com.au).
Donation of a 6 digit AIC LCD PM4-RS-DC-6C digital display for the barometric pressure.
SWANN Communications Pty. Ltd., Richmond, VIC Australia (http://www.swann.com.au).
Donation of a SWANN C480 LCD video camera for the Water Barometer reading.
DIGIFRAME AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd, Summer Park, QLD Australia (http://www.digiframe.com.au).
Donation of a 10.4 inch ‘SOVEREIGN’ TFT LCD Digital Photo Frame and Video Screen.
D-LINK AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd, North Ryde NSWAustralia (http://www.dlink.com.au/).
Donation of two D-LINK DCS-5300W Wireless Internet Security Cameras.
BARIGO Barometerfabrik GmbH, Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany (http://www.barigo.de).
Donation of two aneroid barometers with twin diaphragm for our Atmosphere Simulator. .
CUTTER ELECTRONICS, Rowville VIC Australia (http://www.cutter.com.au/index.php).
Donation of a reel with 5 metres of 12V LED Ribbon for our Atmosphere Simulator.
PROCON TECHNOLOGY, Mount Waverley, Melbourne VIC Australia (http://www.procontechnology.com.au).
Donation of a XC0198 digital display set for our Atmosphere Simulator.
COASTAL STAINLESS, Albany WA Australia.
Donation of a steel frame plus stainless steel drip tray for our vacuum pumps.
ALBANY ENGINEERING Co., Albany WA Australia.
Donation of the steel parts for the Atmosphere Simulator and the Vacuum Bell Jar.
ALBANY BUSINESS TELEPHONE, Albany, WA Australia.
Donation of video cable and installation of two security cameras at no cost.
DENMARK SURVEY & MAPPING DSM, Denmark WA Australia.
Bringing in a level for a fixed calibration point at no cost into the Barometer Tower.
NICE CABINETS, (Mr and Mrs Gerard and Trish Nice), Denmark WA Australia.
Donation of sixshowcases and a table for the Atmosphere Simulator and the Vacuum Bell Jar.
SOMERSET HILL WA Pty Ltd, (Mr Roger Seeney), Denmark WA Australia.
Installation of the relay cabinet for the Water Barometer at half price and for assistance
NULLAKI LASER ART, (Mr Brian Humphries), Denmark, Western Australia.
Making laser cut texts and signage at no cost.
OTTO-VON-GUERICKE MUSEUM in der Lukasklause, Magdeburg, Germany.
Donation of reprints of 17th century engravings for the large display in the Reading Room.
Prof John SHARPHAM, Denmark Tourist Inc Chair.
Mr Ian OSBORNE, Manager Denmark Visitor Centre.
Valuable advice and organisational help in setting up The Barometer Tower.
Mr Bernie MALATZKY, builder, Denmark, Western Australia.
Mr Hermann FEHR, architect, Denmark, Western Australia.
Mr Trevor PARK, foreman, Denmark, Western Australia.
Voluntary labour contribution for the Tower and the Pump House and valuable advice.
Mr Leor KARP, Highgate, Western Australia.
Programming the PLC for the Water Barometer at no cost.
Mr Anthony JONES, Denmark, Western Australia.
Painting five 4 x 6 foot ‘framed murals’ for the walls of the Barometer Tower at no cost.
Mrs Ethne BOLLE, Denmark, Western Australia.
Painting two watercolours depicting Galileo and Torricelli for the Reading Room.
Mr John SAMPSON, Denmark, Western Australia.
Assistance in setting up the water barometer.
Mr Theo MULDER, Harmelen, Netherlands.
Assistance in acquiring a vacuum pump and valuable advice on vacuum technology.
Mr and Mrs Martin & Meintje SMITT-SMID, Westbroek, Netherlands.
Donation of a pre-war glass container for the Atmosphere Simulator.
Mr and Mrs Bert & Nel MELISSEN-DIJKSTRA, Maartensdijk, Netherlands.
Donation of items for the Vacuum Bell Jar.
Last but not least, Mr Bert Bolle’s personal acknowledgement:
Mr Pascoe DURTANOVICH, Chief Executive Officer, Denmark, Western Australia.
Unflagging, visionary, practical and moral support; the undisputed champion of this project.
Bert and Ethne Bolle are feeling blessed and grateful to live in the pristine area of Denmark, and they are happy to donate the water barometer to the Denmark community. The instrument brought them a lot of luck in the sense of massive publicity and many, many visitors in the 12 years they ran their barometer Museum in the Netherlands. School children and adults came to admire the water barometer they had heard about. In other words, that barometer had proved to be a lucky shot. Considering the experience from the past, Bert realizes that his brainchild will be good for Denmark too. The barometer will be a landmark in the Great Southern, and eventually might become a Western Australian icon. It will attract people from miles away, and it will make people stop, people who perhaps otherwise might just have passed the town on their way to Albany or to the Tree Top Walk. Now they will notice the barometer tower, inspect the Visitor Centre, and eventually they might pay a visit to the local shops, galleries, restaurants and the many other things that Denmark has to offer. Some of them will decide to stay longer and book accommodation. Those new tourists will bring business and employment into town, and will enable many hard working local business people to bridge the slow winter period. Besides all that, the water barometer is a non-religious and non-political item, as the weather is on its own independent level. The instrument is just beautiful, it is the largest glass artwork in Denmark and shows in a glorious way what can be done with wood and glass. It will remind the visitors how important the weather was for the old Denmark pioneers, whose lives were inextricably entwined with the weather, and how important it still is for people like farmers, wine growers, surfers and so forth.
Wood - Wine - Weather. Three important Ws for Denmark. Let’s go for it!
Bert prefers a quiet lifestyle, so if you have a question, please don’t use the phone if you can, but write to Bert Bolle Denmark WA 6333, or send a message to
For the Denmark Visitor Centre website, please click HERE.
