Local History, Published 15 January 2026
Whilst strolling along Redcliffe Parade in Queensland, we stumbled upon one of the strangest contraptions imaginable - a gleaming, steampunk‑style machine that looks like it drifted in from another…
Whilst strolling along Redcliffe Parade in Queensland, we stumbled upon one of the strangest contraptions imaginable - a gleaming, steampunk‑style machine that looks like it drifted in from another century! To our surprise, it turned out to be Russell Anderson’s Apparatus for Non‑Destructive Transmission of Biological Visualisation! - a wonderfully bizarre creation that’s every bit as mysterious and delightful as its name suggests.
Give the handle a crank and the whole thing comes to life, as if you’re powering up some forgotten explorer’s device. According to its fictional backstory, it once held the “essence” of a sea creature recovered from a shipwreck, and now it lets curious passers‑by “see” that creature again. It’s part sculpture, part science fiction, part playful engineering experiment - and totally irresistible.
It’s the kind of artwork that makes you stop, laugh, and wonder who dreamt this up. Anderson’s knack for blending storytelling with mechanical magic turns a simple walk by the water into a tiny adventure. If you’re ever in Redcliffe, this quirky machine is absolutely worth a spin.
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