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James Harrison Centre appeal
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James Harrison |
James Harrison was born in Scotland but moved to Geelong, Australia in 1838. In 1856 he invented commercial refrigeration and made the world’s first commercially viable ice making machine – paving the way for modern refrigeration. A committee of dedicated individuals has been working for a number of years to set up a museum commemorating the achievements of James Harrison at Rocky Point in Geelong, Victoria, site of Harrison's original experiments. The committee has made some great progress in recent years and a number of exhibits have been confirmed for the Centre when it is built and opened. |
A giant Linde ammonia compressor and flywheel is already in storage and will be a centrepiece of the museum. It was originally used in the Jackson Freezing Works in the early 1900’s, where it produced 150 tons of ice an hour working on the same principle as Harrison’s machines. The machine itself weighs 32 tons, and civil engineers are designing foundations for mounting it in the James Harrison Centre.
The centre has also been successful in securing a display model of one
of Harrison’s early refrigeration machines for display. Until recently,
the model was housed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, USA.
Jim Harrison, grandson of James Harrison, negotiated for the transfer
of the model, which will be cared for by the Melbourne Museum until the
James Harrison Centre is completed.
In addition to this, the centre has received an original Harrison steam
engine, complete with boiler and in working order, for display from Bob
Campbell of Heathcote, Victoria.
The committee is aiming to raise $2.5 million to finance building the Centre. AIRAH is a proud supporter of the James Harrison Centre appeal, and encourages you to participate as well.
Click
here to download the donation form.
Click here for a list of those who have pledged or donated already.
Architect's model of the proposed James Harrison Centre at Rocky Point in Geelong