Bright spark lights up Leycester

Josh Mulcahy of Leycester has built a Christmas light display that the local postman said is “better than anything at Trinity Drive”.

Leycester is about 20 kilometres west of Lismore and Josh’s house is on a dirt road, so he doesn’t get the high volume of sightseers that they do at Goonellabah, but his display is also a tribute to his own ingenuity.

“Everyone in the valley here enjoys it, and the next valley, and some people come out from town,” Josh said proudly.

Fifteen-year-old Josh, who has just finished Year 10 at Richmond River High School, started collecting bits and pieces of electrical material about five years ago and started tinkering. He has been building Christmas displays for three years and hopes to go on to study electrical engineering.

“I was just amazed by it and wanted to go down that path,” he said

This year all of his lights are low energy LEDs and are run off a combination of solar, battery and mains power. There are intricate looking controller boxes that Josh has built to regulate it all.

“Next year I’m hoping to run it all off solar and wind power,” he said.

He built his own solar panel from parts he ordered online this year and runs everything in his workshop from that.