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in Australia
The building process
Mission Accomplished
Donations and Support
The importance for Denmark
Contact
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, which makes 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.
On 9 September 2008 the Ambassador of the USA in Australia Robert D McCallum and his wife Mimi
and the Consul General of the USA in Western Australia Dr Kenneth S Chern visited the Barometer Tower.
Robert McCallum and his wife Mimi in the Reading Room of the Barometer Tower.
The Ambassador's personal note in the Guest Book.
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!
To contact Bert Bolle, click HERE.
For the Denmark Visitor Centre website, please click HERE.
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