Heritage listing for 'first of its kind' outback solar experiment

A solar power station in the remote town of White Cliffs, New South Wales, has become the first of its kind to be listed on the State Heritage Register. The White Cliffs Solar Power Station, established in 1981 by a team from the Australian National University with government funding, was an experiment that evolved into a commercial solar power station.

Its unique design, featuring 14 sun-tracking parabolic dishes and water pumps, concentrated the sun's rays to generate electricity, supplying power to local facilities and homes.

Local entrepreneur Graeme Hanigan first noticed the site's potential for preservation eight years ago, leading to the formation of the White Cliffs Solar Thermal Power Station Friends Inc. to safeguard the site's historical significance. The listing, which protects the station's distinctive 14 parabolic dishes, water tanks, and the original steam engine, building, and associated equipment, is expected to boost tourism in the outback town.

With temperatures reaching the mid-40s in summer, White Cliffs was an ideal location for a solar power station, benefiting from the highest daily average sunlight hours in New South Wales. The heritage listing highlights the station's importance in the global renewable energy landscape.