Sydney Herald

2nd October 1837

Rev. Threlkeld's Windmill struck by Lightening

On Sunday the 24th September at noon during divine service, a sudden terrible explosion took place over the dwelling house of the Rev L E Threlkeld, living at Lake Macquarie. The electric fluid shivered the post of a small windmill erected but a few yards from the house, scattering the splinters to a considerable distance. A small iron pin in the vane attracted the lightening although the fans of the mill were much higher, the staff was broken and the fluid parted in its descent through the steel mill without doing it injury, but the post to which the mill was attached was rent from top to the bottom, nearly twenty feet. Providentially no personal injury was sustained. There was no storm of thunder or rain, either before or after the clap. Only very distant thunder was heard.