40 ReNew Issue 73 October-December 2000 email: [email protected]WWW: http://www.ata.org.au/ Andrew Blair T he Association had its origins back in the 1970s. With some people concerned that we hu- mans were using up fossil fuels and pol- luting our planet, various groups formed in an attempt to provide an alternative to this consumer lifestyle. One of these groups was the Friends of the Earth which was particularly opposed to Nu- clear Power and the use of Uranium. A meeting was held in a church room in Carlton, an inner Melbourne suburb in Victoria. Steven Ingrouille, who called the meeting, remembers that he planned for 40 people but when 200 turned up they had to change the venue to the main hall. With such strong interest the Alter- native Technology Co-operative was born. For several years, Friends of the Earth provided it with a home. The interests of the members varied but the main theme was to make less impact on our planet by actually doing some- thing, and not just talking about it. Bicy- cles (and bike trailers) instead of using motor cars, mud bricks, solar, water, and wind power, energy from crops by the production of oils or alcohol, compost- ing toilets and methane gas digesters were all techniques for reducing the adverse impact of people on this earth. One of the outcomes of the forma- tion of the Alternative Technology Co- operative was the establishment of a trading place for the members, a place where they could sell their goods. Go- ing Solar was established at 375 Queen Street, in Melbourne by Stephen In- grouille and Tony Stevenson. Mudbrick moulds, the Dalrak mud- brick press, spinning wheels and bicycle trailers were some of the strange alterna- tives available from this interesting but off-beat shop. A ceiling fan powered by a photovoltaic solar panel hanging out the window was one of the unusual displays. With the main motivators of the co- operative now caught up with the run- ning of a retail business, the co-operative languished and some three years after the Going Solar shop was started a new or- ganisation was established, The Alterna- tive Technology Association. Mick Harris was the leading force in this new association. It was recognised that the good news of alternative tech- nology needed to be spread not just to those who lived in Melbourne but also those who lived in country areas and in other states of Australia. They were ex- citing times when Mick produced the first issue of Soft Technology magazine. Typed on an old typewriter and with pictures pasted in, it was photocopied and stapled together. Mick recalls that the first edition of Soft Technology, published in June 1980, had 18 pages and was sold for the princely sum of 85 cents. The first 100 copies sold out and another run of 100 copies was produced. Changes over the years The main aims of the association have remained unchanged, the promotion of sustainable technologies, a reduction in the use of fossil and nuclear fuels and a reduction in the use of all resources. The earth is a fragile ecosystem and we have an obligation to care for it. However, the technologies have changed considerably and it is the tech- nology that has been the focus of this association and its publications. In the early days the technologies that were being advocated and the equip- ment being sold in the alternative shops included equipment that was well know to country people, but was being redis- covered by city people, many of whom had never lived in the country. For country people the idea of gener- ating electricity or pumping water from the power of the wind was nothing new. Similarly they had been using firewood for cooking and the production of hot water since the first white settlers came to Australia. They understood about hy- draulic rams, hand pumps, motors, gen- erators and batteries for electric power. Added to these old technologies were newer technologies such as solar water A History of the ATA—20 years on The solar workshop was built by a band of dedicated volunteers, and is now the home of the ATA National Office.
The Association had its originsback in the 1970s. With somepeople concerned that we hu-
mans were using up fossil fuels and pol-luting our planet, various groups formedin an attempt to provide an alternativeto this consumer lifestyle. One of thesegroups was the Friends of the Earthwhich was particularly opposed to Nu-clear Power and the use of Uranium.
A meeting was held in a church roomin Carlton, an inner Melbourne suburbin Victoria. Steven Ingrouille, who calledthe meeting, remembers that he plannedfor 40 people but when 200 turned upthey had to change the venue to the mainhall. With such strong interest the Alter-native Technology Co-operative wasborn. For several years, Friends of theEarth provided it with a home.
The interests of the members varied butthe main theme was to make less impacton our planet by actually doing some-thing, and not just talking about it. Bicy-cles (and bike trailers) instead of usingmotor cars, mud bricks, solar, water, andwind power, energy from crops by theproduction of oils or alcohol, compost-ing toilets and methane gas digesters wereall techniques for reducing the adverseimpact of people on this earth.
One of the outcomes of the forma-tion of the Alternative Technology Co-operative was the establishment of atrading place for the members, a placewhere they could sell their goods. Go-ing Solar was established at 375 QueenStreet, in Melbourne by Stephen In-grouille and Tony Stevenson.
Mudbrick moulds, the Dalrak mud-brick press, spinning wheels and bicycletrailers were some of the strange alterna-tives available from this interesting butoff-beat shop. A ceiling fan powered by aphotovoltaic solar panel hanging out the
window was one of the unusual displays.With the main motivators of the co-
operative now caught up with the run-ning of a retail business, the co-operativelanguished and some three years after theGoing Solar shop was started a new or-ganisation was established, The Alterna-tive Technology Association.
Mick Harris was the leading force inthis new association. It was recognisedthat the good news of alternative tech-nology needed to be spread not just tothose who lived in Melbourne but alsothose who lived in country areas and inother states of Australia. They were ex-citing times when Mick produced thefirst issue of Soft Technology magazine.
Typed on an old typewriter and withpictures pasted in, it was photocopiedand stapled together. Mick recalls that thefirst edition of Soft Technology, publishedin June 1980, had 18 pages and was soldfor the princely sum of 85 cents. The first100 copies sold out and another run of100 copies was produced.
Changes over the yearsThe main aims of the association have
remained unchanged, the promotion ofsustainable technologies, a reduction inthe use of fossil and nuclear fuels and areduction in the use of all resources.The earth is a fragile ecosystem and wehave an obligation to care for it.
However, the technologies havechanged considerably and it is the tech-nology that has been the focus of thisassociation and its publications.
In the early days the technologies thatwere being advocated and the equip-ment being sold in the alternative shopsincluded equipment that was well knowto country people, but was being redis-covered by city people, many of whomhad never lived in the country.
For country people the idea of gener-ating electricity or pumping water fromthe power of the wind was nothing new.Similarly they had been using firewoodfor cooking and the production of hotwater since the first white settlers cameto Australia. They understood about hy-draulic rams, hand pumps, motors, gen-erators and batteries for electric power.
Added to these old technologies werenewer technologies such as solar water
A History of the ATA—20 years on
The solar workshop was built by a band of dedicated volunteers, and is now the
heating and solar electricity. These had notbeen seen before and provided excitingpossibilities for those who wanted to givethis self-sufficient lifestyle a try.
For those unaccustomed to the skillsof self-sufficiency the whole idea wasmind blowing and very exciting. Alter-native lifestyle books were full of storiesof people doing their own thing. Storiesof mud brick houses, combustion stoves,chooks and ducks, Daisy the cow andBugs the pet rabbit were as much a partof the family as the children.
People leaving life in the city to lead aself-sufficient life on a block of land inthe country felt like pioneers. Theywere breaking with their past. Theywere discovering new things in theirenvironment and in themselves. It wasso exciting that they wanted to tell theworld about it. Soft Technology was oneof a number of magazines that encour-aged them to tell their stories.
Throughout all of this period SoftTechnology magazine concentrated on theequipment and the ideas that its read-ers had tried and which they were keento share with each other.
Spreading the wordThe Alternative Technology Associationhas never been one to just sit round andtalk. It has been an action organisationand it still is. It is this ability to involveits members in doing something thatmakes it a very special organisation.
The Victorian Government throughits Energy Information Centre was ad-vocating the use of passive solar housedesign. Some of the members of theATA refurbished a normal suburbanhouse along these lines. Being in needof a place to make their project ideas be-come reality, they decided to build aworkshop based on the same principles.
Solar WorkshopThe Solar Workshop was built over along period of time by a small group of
dedicated ATA volunteers at CERES inEast Brunswick (CERES was original-ly established as a community park andgardens). The workshop featured wallsof basalt stone and a huge north facingwindow to capture the winter sun. Ithad its own wind generator, photovolta-ic array, batteries, inverter, lighting andsolar hot water system—all demonstrat-ing just what was possible.
The workshop was used for the run-ning of various education courses.Many school children visited CERESand the solar workshop was part of theirtour. The Association provided many ofthe displays that were part of the formerBrunswick Electricity Energy Park.More recently the workshop has be-come the National Office of the ATA.
Adult education coursesHands on practical courses were run inthe Solar Workshop; courses such aswind power, solar hot water, low volt-age appliances, home welding, alterna-tive building techniques, rural watersupply, and power away from the mains.All of these course involved both theo-retical, and hands-on practical compo-nents. The courses were directed by
people with significant experience, usu-ally ATA members.
Some of the courses were run throughthe Council of Adult Education andwere open to the public. Invariably thecourse concluded with a practical sessionin the Solar Workshop. These coursesare still being run at the CERES site.
Mobile displaysAs part of its on-going commitment toshow the world alternative technologyequipment, members took displays toschools and public functions. Using amember’s station wagon and a trailerfor transportation was difficult and timeconsuming. What could be transportedwas limited. There had to be a betterway of doing things.
The first Energy Display Trailer ap-peared in 1989. It allowed the displayitems to be properly packed away andstored. When a member wanted topresent a display, the trailer was hookedonto their car tow bar and away theywent.
Over the next few years the trailer wasused to present the message of alterna-tive technology at many schools andcommunity events. It was a huge break-
John Molenaar, the ATA’s education officer during the mid 90s, with participants in
the solar model boat and solar model car challenges.
though and very successful.A two wheeled car trailer however
was still too limiting and a semi trailerdisplay was planned. The result of thisplanning was the 10 tonne, 12 metrelong Energymobile. The interior had alarge array of equipment, displays andinformation. Photovoltaic panels andwind generators on the roof providedthe power for the displays, which weremade interactive so that they could beoperated by the visiting general public.
The Energymobile attracted great in-terest where ever it went and govern-ment funding was obtained to take iton tours all around Australia. It was abrightly coloured display, and alongwith enthusiastic members of the asso-ciation, it made a big impression.
It made the old energy trailer look verytired and rather old-fashioned by com-parison. Although the Energymobile wastaken to schools it was difficult or im-
possible to manoeuver in the restrictedspaces available at many of them. Often,schools could not even get a booking asthe Energymobile was occupied else-where. It became obvious that a newtrailer was required and the Solar Shut-tle was built in 1994. The Shuttle hadmany of the displays of the Energymo-bile but in a more compact format.
More recently the Recycle Factory,another trailer-based display, was set upto educate people, and school childrenin particular, about the technologies ofrecycling.
MediaFrom 1993 to 1996 the ATA did regularradio spots in Victoria and NSW. Mem-bers provided expert knowledge andopinion in energy discussions. Not onlydid this provide an interested publicwith information but continued to pro-vide the Association with exposure and
significant credibility.The Association still continues to do
occasional radio interviews on stationsincluding 3LO, Triple J, 3CN and ABCRegional Radio, and these always gen-erate considerable public interest.
In 1995 the ATA’s web site was estab-lished by a dedicated group of compu-ter-savvy volunteers. The site allowspeople from all over the world to ac-cess information about the ATA, its re-sources, and renewable energy ingeneral.
The site includes sections publications,including numerous articles from backissues of Soft Technology and ReNew, aswell as sections on the mobile education-al displays and other ATA projects.
ATA across the countryInterstate readers of Soft Technology re-alised that although they were gettinginformation from the magazine, they
For further details contact Brendon Eisner at Alternative Technology Association, PO Box 2001, Lygon Street North, East Brunswick VIC 3057ph:(03)9388 9311, fax:(03)9388 9322, [email protected], www.ata.org.au
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wanted to meet other members. ATAbranches were established in all statesof Australia, starting with Sydney, Can-berra and Brisbane in the early 90s.These were followed by branches inTasmania, Adelaide, Perth, AliceSprings, several in regional Queenslandand even one in Auckland (NZ).
PublicationsSoft Technology, and later ReNew, was sentto various individuals all over Australiaand in fact the world. The distributionthrough shops was handled by Gordonand Gotch and Soft Technology appearedin newsagents from 1992 onwards. Thisgreatly increased its circulation.
Alternative Technology Australia wasa book put together, using cut and pastemethod, based on the first 12 editionsof Soft Technology. Build Your Own GreenTechnology, a book containing the morepopular articles from Soft Technology soldits first print run of 3000 copies and wasjoined in 1994 by the Green TechnologyHouse and Garden Book.
A whole range of information leafletswere also produced around this time.These were available for sale on the En-ergymobile and at other communityevents. They covered such topics as so-lar fruit drying, low voltage appliances,planning a wind generator system, build-ing a solar cooker, water power, and re-cumbent cycles, and were designed toprovide answers to often asked ques-tions. In most cases they promoted ide-as rather than commercial products.
FinancesIn the early days of the Association theenthusiasm and the time of the fewmembers was what allowed the organ-isation to exist. There was a small an-nual subscription to help offset theexpenses, but like most voluntary or-ganisations it was the commitment ofthe members that kept it going. The firstissue of Soft Technology provided some
real income but was very little rewardfor the work that had gone into puttingit together.
When the Energy Display Trailer wastaken to schools this provided a mod-est income. The main operator formany years was Noel Jeffery and by tak-ing only his costs and no wage the trail-er provided income for the Association.
Work on the Solar Workshop washelped with a grant of $3000, whichprovided the concrete slab floor.
When the Energymobile was planneda grant towards it was obtained from theVictorian Government through Ener-gy Victoria. There was also federal fund-ing for the tours that were runthroughout Australia.
By the mid 1990s the Association hadexpanded considerably and incomefrom the sale of the magazines, adver-tising, publications and membership aswell as government funding meant thatthe Ross House office required regularpaid staff to be in attendance. The pay-ment of $100 a day was the same foreverybody, including the driver of theEnergymobile.
The Association was growing too fastand there was a significant cash crisis.The Energymobile, although support-ed by government funds, was in factbeing subsidised by funds from othersources. The Breamlea windgenerator,originally purchased from the defunctState Electricity Commission of Victo-ria was sold to member Michael Gunt-er, which provided some cash. Therewere too many office staff, and for awhile things looked grim. A commit-tee, including several people with finan-cial and business expertise, was electedin the mid 90s. Magazine sales andmemberships increased. The proposedsale of the Energymobile was avertedand the Association emerged intactfrom a rather rocky stage of its history.
Who made it all happen?There are many people who have contrib-uted to the ATA, most of who cannot beacknowledged in this short history. Manywere volunteers, working on the trailersor the Energymobile, on the workshop,in the office, on the committee, provid-ing articles, photos or drawings for the
Active volunteers produced many of the ATA’s displays. Here a small group are
magazines, and others as employees.Some stand out for their contribution.
The Association has a history that it canbe proud of, due to the persistence of acomparatively small group of active mem-bers through good times and bad. It is thispersistence that has made the Associationso significant and successful.
Tony Stevenson was one of the firstand most enthusiastic ATA members.He took part in radio programs talkingabout alternative technology. Alongwith Steve Ingrouille he established theGoing Solar shop in Melbourne. Hispassion for windpower made him oneof the best informed practical wind gen-
erator people in Australia.He established his own business, Sur-
vival Technology, in the outer Mel-bourne suburb of Croydon Northproviding his customers with wind andsolar systems. He was a major force be-hind the building of the Solar Work-shop. A founding member of theAlternative Technology Retailers’ Asso-ciation, Tony was busy, optimistic andenthusiastic about his and other peo-ple’s achievements. Tony knew so muchthat many people relied on him. Thisput under ever-increasing pressure, apressure that he could no longer standand in September 1995 took his own
life, having contributed enormously tothe technology which he saw as thehope for our polluted world.
Steve Ingrouille has provided a steadyinfluence on the Association through-out its existence. As the owner of theretail outlet, Going Solar, he was alwaysready to write an article and provide ad-vertising for the magazine. He has agood knowledge of products and hedoes not keep this information to him-self but has always been ready to shareit with others. Steve’s open and honestapproach to the industry is somethingthat has made his business in NorthMelbourne very successful and has hada significant influence on the ATA.
Mick Harris had very ambitious ideasfrom the outset. It has been his ambitionand hard work that has resulted in muchof what exists today. He used his skills toproduce the magazine and books, the salesof which have provided significant in-come enabling the ATA to survive. He haslobbied politicians, manufacturers, andadvertisers and planned the Energymo-bile tours. He acted as driver and chiefspeaker, selling the alternative technolo-gy concept to parliamentarians, those whovisited the displays, and those who lis-tened to him on the air waves, as well asthe members of the Association itself. Heran the office at the time when the staffnumbers were at their highest. Alwaysconvincing and enthusiastic, Mick
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worked incredibly long hours. He even-tually took a break in 1994 and he nowcontinues his contribution on a morecontrolled basis.
Alan Hutchison has been involvedsince the ATA’s inception and producedfrequent articles for Soft Technology. Theywere technical by nature but Alan madethem readable and provided all the de-tail required for people to make what-ever it was that the article was about, beit an anemometer or a solar regulator.Alan has his feet firmly planted on theground and he brought to the associa-tion a pragmatism that was lacking insome of the head-in-the-air enthusiasts.
Noel Jeffery almost single handedlydid school tours with the old EnergyDisplay Trailer between 1989 and 1991.With an old Volkswagon Kombi van andthe trailer he travelled all over the state.As a retired school teacher and princi-pal, Noel had a lot of contacts that heused to get his displays into schools. Noelloves to talk and this gave him the op-portunity to enthuse over the possibili-ties of alternative technology. He mademodels which demonstrated the princi-ples involved and this skill persists to thepresent day as he presents his Treasuresfrom Trash in ReNew magazine.
Bruce McKenzie was largely respon-sible for the creation of the Energymo-bile in its present form. He contributedmany ideas and articles based on hisown experience with alternative tech-nology. He conducted education cours-es and was a driver of the Energymobile.
Ross Horman was another Energy-mobile driver and has stories to tell ofthe problems that beset one of his tourswhen the motor was being run on die-sahol, a diesel/alcohol mixture. At onestage, while trying to stick to a very tightschedule, the truck just refused to go.Eventually it was discovered that the ex-perimental fuel had blocked the filters.
Libby Anthony has acted as GeneralManager for the association for four
years. Libby’s insightful understandingand attention to the details that matterhave seen the Association grow underher careful direction.
Imelda Evans and Claire Beaumontwere two people who were pivotal inbringing Soft Technology into the main-stream. They took what was basically atech-heads magazine and massaged itinto a product far more appealing to thegeneral public.
Lance Turner took over much of thework of ensuring that the magazine SoftTechnology and later ReNew continuedon the same high standard when hestarted in 1994, work he is still doing.
Michael Linke worked on Soft Technol-ogy and ReNew for over three years, andgreatly improved the format and layout.Under Michael’s direction, sales figuressteadily increased, and ReNew has becomea popular and diverse magazine.
Many peoplehave contributedto the Associationand the productionof the magazineand these includeAdrian Oakey, BobFuller, Adrian Braun,Nikki Brand, DieterGunter, Trevor Ro-botham, Herb Wildes,Gunter Wilke andChris Moss. Morerecent contribu-tors, both staff andvolunteers, includeSuelette Dreyfus, Eri-ka Maksem, AlexZafirellis, MichelleDouglas, Erica Cha-rola, Kris Lakusa,John Molenaar, Her-man Out, BrendanEisner, Alison Suth-erland, Simon Brink,Joanna Tierney andmany others.
The futureFor years Steve Ingrouille has said howtired he gets of people saying that solartechnology is the technology of the fu-ture. He says that it is here and availa-ble right now, and of course he is right.It is like buying a car. There will alwaysbe improvements in the next model butwhat is available now works well. If youwait for the improvements then thechances are that you will die waiting.
The Association is made of doers, notwaiters. The impressive thing is whatthese doers have done over the past 20years. They have changed an industryfrom being alternative to mainstream.The name Alternative Technology As-sociation may need to be changed, butone can be assured that whatever thename, the members will continue topush the boundaries of technology asthey actively seek a better world forthemselves and all people.
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