Volunteers in the small South Australian town of Penong have created an eye-catching museum on the edge of the Nullarbor Plain by rescuing and restoring broken-down windmills.

The new tourist attraction, which officially opens next week, is the brainchild of locals Bob Oats and Tim Hardy.

They want to preserve an important part of the farming community's history at a time when windmills — which are used to extract underground water — are increasingly being replaced by solar pumps.

"Without windmills Penong and probably a lot of country areas wouldn't be around," Mr Oats said.

The windmill warriors, as they call themselves, have so far brought 20 battered wind pumps of all shapes and sizes back from the grave.

"Some look pretty ugly... rusty... broken," said Mr Hardy who takes care of a lot of the initial repairs in the workshop of his rural supplies business.

Another windmill arrives for restoration. ( ABC: Kerry Staight )

"Everything is salvageable.

"Tim does all the patient stuff and frees them all up without breaking," Mr Oats said.

"I tend to break things, so Tim's our man for that. He tinkers away for hours."

For Mr Hardy, who lost the use of his legs in a motorbike accident on his farm 27 years ago, the windmills provide the hands on work he loves at a time when there is less of it in his day-to-day job.

"In the last six years I suppose the farming around here... the machinery and that has changed," he said.

"It's gone from the old headers where I used to fix them up to where it's all too new... you just buy the new part.

"So at least I can still get my hands dirty. At least you've got something to get out of bed for in the morning."

The windmill museum honours an important part of Australia's farming history. ( ABC: Kerry Staight )

From a Southern Cross to a massive Comet

While it took the pair 16 years to get started with their idea of a windmill museum, there has been a steady stream of worn out blades and parts arriving on their doorstep since the first one went up.

Their wives are supportive if not quite as enthusiastic over the deliveries.

"Another bloody windmill, here we go again," Jill Oats said, describing their reaction.

"They love it but we just quite often shake our heads and curse and smile nicely."

Work begins on the recovery of the Comet windmill. ( Supplied: Jill Oats )

From an old timber William Riddle windmill to a 7-metre Southern Cross, the collection boasts some striking pieces.

The centrepiece is a massive Comet wind pump called Big Bruce, that was originally used by the railways to pump water to steam trains.

Mr Oats said only 15 of the 10-metre wind pumps were made.

To make Big Bruce stand out, the windmill warriors have shifted the blades out during the restoration.

"It's 35-foot plus," Mr Oats said.

"We're not telling anybody how much bigger it is, because we're claiming this is the biggest windmill in Australia."

Maintenance vs romanticism

Mr Hardy said the restoration of the giant windmill took about 2,000 man hours and a lot of refreshments.

"[For] the footings 113 bags of cement were hand mixed and the next morning we found 110 empty cans of beer there," Mr Hardy said.

"So nearly a can of beer for every bag of cement."

While he has invested hours in this hobby, windmills are not adding much to the bottom line of his rural supplies business.

Greg Warmington has replaced his windmills with a solar pump. ( ABC: Kerry Staight )

"I think I've sold about two new windmills and probably 60 or 80 solar pumps in the last few years."

His brother-in-law Greg Warmington is among those who have made the switch, spending $18,000 on a solar system a couple of years ago and shutting down his windmills.

"It got too hard, just the maintenance on them, the upkeep," Mr Warmington said.

"You're forever switching them on, shutting them off, fixing up leaky pumps."

He said he is not sorry to see the windmills go and does not see them in the same romantic light many do.

"I've got more time for romance at home now, because I'm not out fixing windmills," he said.

While Mr Warmington is not as attached to the whirling workhorses as some, he has donated several to the Penong museum.

"I still can't knock them for what they've done over the years," he said.

Putting Penong on the map

The windmill warriors toast to their new museum. ( ABC: Kerry Staight )

Mr Oats, Mr Hardy and the rest of the windmill warrior volunteers are now putting the finishing touches on the museum.

But even before the official opening, it is already prompting more pit stops than they predicted.

"The tourists are coming from far and wide," Mr Oats said.

"We even had a couple come out from New Zealand especially to go to the windmills at Penong, which I find unbelievable."

The site may be filling up fast, but with hundreds of other windmills still out there, Mr Hardy said there was always room for more.

"As long as Bob and I are alive I suppose it won't be finished," he said.

For now though it is time to take a breather and celebrate what a lot of hard work and community spirit can achieve.

"We're both very proud of what we've been able to achieve with all our friends and helpers," Mr Oats said.

"We've very proud to stand back and look at them... makes the beer taste nicer."

For more on this story watch Landline this Sunday at noon.