They eventually found a great place for a windmill - a place with the right aspects, not too many trees (wind obstruction), close to the coast (for more wind) and with spectacular views of the Stirlings Ranges.  This land was previously owned by Rob and Maree Hitsert (yes, Hitsert with a s). Rob, a distant relative of Pleun, migrated to Australia in 1953 as a young boy with his family.

While Hennie was working in the Albany Hospital (Albany is a city on the south coast of Western Australia) Pleun was researching windmills, roaming the countryside for suitable building materials and traveling to Holland to work with millers and millwrights, to study the subject in depth. Pleun eventually began building the windmill in 1991 and built the windmill virtually single handedly between 1991 and 1997.

The Lily Windmill turned her sails for the first time in June 1997. For Hennie and Pleun (see picture below) the dream came nearer to realization.  

In 1994, three years before the cap and sails were in place, the Windmill Restaurant was opened in the windmill. This restaurant was operational till July 2003 in the same building.

During that time a winery was built and fitted out on the property.  The 1999 vintage was The Lily's first wine made at the new winery.

The property also features two 16th Century Dutch style houses both available for accommodation.  Additional holiday accommodation has been established in the Winery Quarters, Milling Quarters and the Dakota.

In July 2003 we moved our Windmill Restaurant into the original relocated and reconstructed 1924 Gnowangerup Railway Station, adjacent to the windmill.

In August 2003 we finished the windmill. Since then we producing wholemeal stone-ground Spelt flour for our own restaurant, IGA stores, health shops, commercial bakers and home users around Australia.

After 50 years of being the cook of our family and the our restaurant Hennie decided to retire from cooking all together as from the first of January 2017.