Gnomesville windmill missing

Windmill enthusiast Fritz Winkler is dismayed after a replica flour mill he built for Ferguson Valley tourist attraction Gnomesville went missing over the Christmas holidays.

Mr Winkler spent nearly three months constructing the windmill from scrap metal and ball bearings and left it at the popular spot on December 23.

Upon visiting Gnomesville last weekend, Mr Winkler was shocked to find that his windmill had disappeared.

“I feel sad, I built the windmill for the community to enjoy and now someone has taken it for themselves,” he said.

“It was clearly stolen because it was very heavy and anchored in to the ground by long metal rods, it couldn’t have just blown away.

Unofficial Gnomesville spokesperson, Wendy Perdon, said incidences of vandalism in the miniature town were rare but not unheard of.

“There was a gnome massacre a few years back where someone came through and trashed a number of them but generally most of the damage is weather related,” she said.

“I think the most likely explanation is a few of the gnomes have sold up and moved with their flour mill to greener pastures.”

“The windmill is probably sitting in someone’s backyard right now,” Mr Winkler agreed.