HORSEMILLS /
HUMAN POWERED MILLS /
TIDEMILLS /
WATERMILLS - BATTERIES
WATERMILLS - FLOUR /
WATERMILLS - SAWMILLS /
WATERMILLS - OTHER
WINDMILLS - FLOUR /
WINDMILLS - OTHER
New South Wales /
Norfolk Island /
Queensland /
South Australia
Tasmania /
Victoria /
Western Australia
In 1825 the erection of a new flourmill in Aberdeen, NSW began. The first of its kind in Australia, the horse driven mill was built by convict labour. It was completed and commenced working in 1827. The main building was constructed of rough random coursed stone, cut by convict labour. In 1840 a single cylinder steam engine was introduced along with a brick chimney and bakery. The plant is still equipped with much of the original machinery.
A six horse power mill was completed at Blackdown Estate in 1834 and prices for work done were advertised in the 'Sydney Herald' newspaper on the 25th of December that year. The mill was attached to a brick barn and used French Burr wheels. It was also equipped with a dressing machine and it appears that the horse works could be adapted to drive a threshing machine. There was also a wind powered flourmill on the same estate.
In 1833 three "horse mills" had evidently operated on the estate. The estate was established by 1822 on the northern bank of the Shoalhaven River on the NSW south coast, by Scottish born surgeon, merchant and explorer Alexander BERRY and his business partner Edward WOLLSTONECRAFT [ - 1832]. A township developed there which was originally known as Broughton Creek, but later as Berry. A postmill also operated on the "Coolangatta" estate by the late 1830's and is probably the windmill listed in the Shoalhaven district in December 1838. A water powered sawmill was also connected with this estate from the early 1830's. See also water-powered sawmills and windmills - flour
Robert FUTTER and his wife came to Australia as free settlers in 1824, Robert apparently having been a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. This is evidently the same Robert FUTTER whose roughly 3,200 hectare property 'Lumley' was advertised for sale in November 1838. It included an eight room cottage, with detached wings of two rooms each. Behind it were several other stone buildings, and in addition there was a four-horse flour Mill, capable of grinding wheat for the whole consumption of the district.
Captain CHRISTMAS advertised a four horse threshing machine, with grinding mill and harness complete for sale there in August 1846.
The partnership of NEWNHAM & TOOTH was operating a horse mill, along with their windmill in 1841. There is some possibility that this is the same horse mill that John COGHILL was operating at Kirkham during 1833 for threshing and grinding, and that the locality may have been the same. These sorts of machines were however relatively portable so more information is required.
Andrew GIBSON of "Tirranna" on the Goulburn to Braidwood Road, had a horse powered mill on his property by 1836.
Probably the earliest mill in the Goulburn area was that of William P. FAITHFULL, of "Springfield", who had a horse mill in operation there around 1832. His mill also appears in the 1836 'Mills and Manufacturers' statistics.
James MACFARLANE of "Inverallochy" (or "Invallochy") had a horse powered mill on his property in the Goulburn area by 1836.
Duncan MacKELLAR ? of "New Township" (apparently the then newly developing part of Goulburn), had a horse powered mill installed by 1836. MacKELLAR appears at some stage to have had some connection with Braidwood. [This mill appeared to be listed in 1836 under DUNCAN & MacKELLAR but this has, for the moment, been taken to be Duncan MacKELLAR]
Stephen NUTTER's Queanbeyan horse powered mill was purchased by J. J. WISHART and moved to Gundaroo in 1852.
A horse-driven merry-go-round was in operation for the opening day of Mitchell Bros sawmill at Millbank in 1912. view image
A four horse power mill known as Thwaites Mill was advertised to let in June 1837 by the proprietor George GRAHAM. The premises included a dwelling and bakehouse with every appurtenance for baking , grinding, dressing and smutting, with scales and weights, a good supply of pure water and a six stall stable. It was situated in Bigge Street, Liverpool, opposite the Square. At the time there was no operational mill within seven miles of the town.
This horse mill was owned and operated by John HORSELY in the 1830's and was sited on a .55 of a hectare block with frontage to Moore, Northumberland and Bathurst Streets, not far from THWAITES mill. After the death of HORSLEY the cottage was occupied by W. F. SCALFE, but by the time it was offered for auction by the estate's trustees in October 1838, the mill appears to have been in some disrepair, having not operated since before at least June the previous year. There was a substantial three storey brick building for grain storage with a Counting housey?, smutting machine, dressing machine and two pairs of millstones. Power was provided by four horses who operated in a large covered stone horse walk.
The small cottage on the grounds was then in reasonable condition, but the large slab building also on the grounds which was used for the stable and for storage of hay and corn etc was in some disrepair. Water was available from a well on the property. At the time the land was held under a Crown Lease which hadn't been converted. The selling agents seemed ambiguous in their marketing and also offered the land for housing development.
A bullock powered flour mill was built in 1834 by a person named Mr PORTUS, about twelve miles from Maitland on the road to Patrick's Plains. The mill used the principle of the inclined plane and was propelled by two bullocks without harness or driver. A horse-mill of the same power would require four horses to operate it.
William MANNIX built a commercial horse powered flour mill known as the 'Minto Flour Mill' on his property Spring Hill farm, five kilometres from Campbelltown near Narellan in 1824. (Another source says after the 1825/6 harvest). It was still being operated in 1830, selling flour at Sydney prices and settlers paid the equivalent of 15 cents for milling.
In 1865 German immigrant John GELDMACHER commenced stockpiling building materials and over the next seven years, almost single-handedly built a stone tower windmill there, which was completed in 1872. However, he evidently had not consulted the regulations concerning windmills and he'd inadvertently built his mill too close to the road, with the result that, although it was initially constructed with sails, they were deemed to be too adjacent to the road where they would frighten horses. GELDMACHER evidently then used horses to work the mill, but this was apparently not very successful. He later used the mill [evidently the horse mill] for timber milling, but by 1885 the mill was out of use. The tower was restored by Monaro Shire Council in 1961 to serve as a tourist attraction, it being one of only three such towers surviving in eastern Australia, and is found in Clarke Street, west of the Highway. GELDMACHER also operated as a merchant and today Geldmacher House serves as the Nimmitabel Heritage Centre.
The Jindyandy Mill was built circa 1830 by assigned convict labour, at "Upper Numbaa," it reputedly being the first brick building to be constructed on the southern side of the Shoalhaven River. The threshing/grinding machinery was driven by a team of 8 bullocks, turning a large overhead wheel situated on the western side of the building. Grain that was threshed, ground and stored in the mill, was then transported by ship to Sydney. The mill's brickwork is 56 centimetres thick, the bricks having been made on the property. The foundations are of stone. The internal first floor hardwood beams and hand-forged door hinges are all original. An example of the original cedar doors can be seen in the mill museum. The Jindyandy Mill can be visited at 719 Greenwell Point Road, Pyree. website
"Narrambla / Nyrambla" was purchased in 1847 from Simeon LORD for James Arthur TEMPLER. The property, which was situated in Frederick's Valley about 35 miles from Bathurst on the Wellington Road, had been advertised for sale in January 1847 as the residence of George LORD, and included on the property were a four horse power thrashing machine, and a mill for grinding and dressing flour upon it.
Having purchased the property, in early July 1847 TEMPLER advertised a horse flour mill for sale. Of English manufacture, it was adapted to four horses or eight bullocks, and consisted of iron gear, a pair of excellent French Burrs 3ft 8 ins in diameter, a dressing machine, sack tackle and mill gear. Attached was an iron thrashing machine capable of threshing 200 bushels per day. TEMPLER's departure from milling may have been due to the success of RAINE & Co.'s Phoenix Steam Mills which had been established some three years earlier on the Wellington Road, eight miles closer to Bathurst.
In late July 1847, TEMPLER advertised that he had established a boiling down works on "Nyrambla". The large brick flourmill built by TEMPLER on the property stood for about 116 years before being demolished in the 1970's. It was apparently still operational in 1863.
Thomas HOWARD built a crane mill operated by a horse or a bullock in 1820. This was sited in MacQuarrie Street and was capable of grinding 3 or 4 bushels of grain an hour.
George HALL built a mill at "Percy Place" in 1820. In 1831 it was recorded that he had erected a horse mill on his farm below Pitt Town. This was used by local farmers. It was quoted as having a wheel of 28 feet.(also noted as having a similar mill within 40 rods of this).
This mill was established by Stephen NUTTER in February, 1850, behind his store in Monaro Street, where J.B. YOUNG's store stands today (1980). It was a horse-powered mill and had a short life. In 1852, it was purchased and moved to Gundaroo by J.J. WISHART.
'Hambledon' near Rouse Hill was the estate of John PALMER (1760 - 1833). The English born PALMER had arrived with the First Fleet and was made the colony of New South Wales first Commissary-General. This name also appears in notes on various windmills in the Sydney -Domain and Darlinghurst area, but at present, although likely, a specific connection is not established with all these sites. He was however, the John PALMER of the Sydney Domain windmill in that name. The year following his death at Parramatta, a flour mill was erected on 'Hambledon' by a Mr PALMER with a Mr HART of Parramatta involved in the construction. The Mr PALMER who had the mill installed may have been a close relative, or it may be that the mill was mostly completed by the time of PALMER's death on the 27th of September 1833, and he kept the credit. The mill was worked by oxen and the wheel machinery was all made from cast iron.
In 1841, the Mills and Manufactories reports, show a four horse mill at "Glenco", Rolland Plains, either owned or operated by W.H. GEARY.
In 1824, Daniel Dering MATHEW established a horse mill, (the Cowan Saw Mill), on his 800 acre estate, which he had been granted in 1823 and named Rosedale. At that time, the locality of MATHEW's estate was simply referred to as Lane Cove, but the property was located adjacent to Robert PYMBLE's Estate (modern day 2005 Pymble), and to the south of Thomas HYNDES' "Big Island" Estate (Turramurra), "east of the high road to Pennant Hills" (now the Pacific Highway), much of it in what today is regarded as East Pymble.
PYMBLE and HYNDES formed a partnership that was also heavily involved in timber getting on their properties. The Cowan Saw Mill was established at the corner of Mona Vale Road (then Stony Creek Road), and Cowan Road, adjacent to the headwaters of a tributary of Cowan Creek, which flows to the north to the Hawkesbury River/Broken Bay. MATHEW formed Stony Creek Road to facilitate the egress of his timber for fowarding to the insatiable Sydney market.
His horse mill featured a main wheel 25 feet in diameter, with the power supplied by either eight horses or eight pairs of oxen. The mill was adverised for sale in mid-1843 and although it was set up as a sawmill, it was claimed that the mill could be converted into a flour mill, capable of working 3ft 6in French Burr millstones and a dressing machine at trifling expense. The Rosedale Estate itself was, at the instruction of MATHEW, offered up for auction in mid-1848, and in late 1848, the Cowan Saw Mill was again adverised for sale. It was then claimed that the mill was the first erected in the colony which could rip off from 500 to 800 feet of timber per hour.
Prior to working his Rosedale Estate, MATHEW had in 1819 been granted 400 acres at modern day Roseville/Lindfield, which he named the Clanville Estate. That same year he briefly returned to England to purchase saw-milling machinery. The Clanville Estate was bounded by the modern day Pacific Highway, Boundary Street, Archbold and Tryon Roads. MATHEW apparently first obtained timber from this Clanville Estate, but in about 1830, he sold the property to Richard ARCHBOLD and focussed his attentions on the Rosedale Estate.
Lessee of the the punt at Wiseman's Ferry, David CROSS, had by early February 1842, puchased and was about to commence erecting, "a horse mill on the McDonald [River], of sufficient power to accomodate the wants of our river and the surrounding neighbourhood." By mid-May "Mr. CROSS's horse flour-mill" had commenced operations. Mr CROSS's timing appears to have been impeccable, as only two months previously, residents of the district had learnt that they were to shortly lose the services of one of the two water mills on the Lower Haweskebury (ie either the watermill at Gunderman or that near Wiseman's Ferry), as it had been purchased by the Sydney based milling firm of Hughes and Hoskins, which intended to devote the watermill to its own requirements. The two watermills had been jointly advertised for auction in September 1841.
Laurence MAY advised in March 1815 that his Windsor Horse Mill was complete and at work. The mill was situated in George Street, Windsor, and MAY had five horses to work his mill. Grain transported to the mill by water, was assisted with Horses and Carts to and from the Mill and Wharf (apparently at no additional cost).
As the result of a court action between TERRY and MAY, the horse mill with stones and machinery, along with freehold land, and five horses and harness, used for working the said Mill, and two weather-boarded and shingled houses, adjoining each other in front of the Mill, and freehold land were on the advice of the Provost Marshal's Office, to be offered up for public auction on 25 March 1822. Also included in the sale were several other properties, crop, stock and other goods. MAY had had a leg amputated in 1819, but never-the-less apparently went on to become a pioneer of irrigation on the Hawkesbury River.
In 1794 Commandant KING directed his carpenters to construct a horse or bullock drawn mill, which unfortunately proved a failure and required too much power to operate.
TOPA whim, designed for raising materials from mine shafts with horse power, was in operation on a gold mine in Gympie, Queensland in the 1870s. view image.
TOPJob HALLETT, the founder of Hallett Brick Pty Ltd, began making bricks in suburban Adelaide in 1886. At first he used a horse drawn pugmill.
TOPCaptain Samuel HORTON settled "Somercotes" near Ross , Tasmania in 1823. The bricks produced at the site were made with the use of a horse operated pug mill. It was an iron hooped barrel with a horizontal beam on an iron bar at the top, to which a horse collar was attached. The iron bar inside the barrel had teeth attached to it, and at the bottom of the barrel was a small hole through which the mixed material was forced by the teeth. No date for the use, or any information as to if it was used elsewhere.
The first brickworks in Wilmot, Tasmania were operated by Tom or Bill COOK and worked with a horse powered pugmill.
TOPA two horse flour mill was built on Bairnsdale station in 1858 by Robert BURNETT (not the owner)
This flour mill was built in the 1840's by the LEARMONTH brothers, Thomas and Somerville, on their property "Buninyong", adjacent to the town. In 1841 it is noted as having a 2 storey building and using a four horse team. The LEARMONTH's sold the property in 1851. Still operating in 1856.
This four horse mill, using a pair of millstones, was the first flour mill in Seymour and was a slab and weatherboard building with a granary above. John CLARKE gristed for local farmers from about 1847. The mill was put up for sale in 1853 after laying unused for a while.
A horse powered flour mill was built by G. WALTHERSON at Junction Creek, about 4 miles east of Tongio on the Bindi road. It was converted to water power c1883. It continued to operate until about 1900.
TOPEwen MacINTOSH [1812 - 1881] of "Glendearg", which is on Glendearg Road on the west side of Bolgart Road about 3.75 kilometres south west of Bejoording, is supposed to have had a horse mill. Millstones were on the property c1948.
This horse mill was built on "Avondale", 4 kilometres west of Beverley. The property was owned by Nicholas CAREY but leased to James BARTRAM by 1865. He advertised a horse mill for sale in July 1866. He had earlier in February advertised a portable steam mill with French Burr wheels and dresser. This included one pair of new, 91cm millstones. CAREY had returned from England in 1858 with farm machinery which may have included the mill. It became the "Avondale Research Station" in 1924.
George CHESTER (1833 - 1893) advertised his property "Magitup" on the west side of the Pallingup River, about 10 kilometres south of Borden in 1884. The sale listed a mill house with horse powered flour mill complete. The mill house was built of rammed earth and was on the north side of the barn. The mill machinery had a wooden frame and drove granite millstones 60 cm in diameter by 30 cm deep
Located about 28 kilometres south east of Borden on the west side of the Pallinup River at "Glenvale", formerly part of G. CHEYNES Pastoral Lease. This mill with its millstones was operated out in the open. Thought to have been worked by Andrew MOIR [1818 - 1912].
Built alongside the east bank of the Avon River by or for John SEABROOK of "Brookton House", which was 3 kilometres east of Brookton on the Corrigin road. The property is now known as "Koorrnong". He ground flour for his neighbours as well as for his own use for many years. It was set up to operate by water power in winter and two horse power in summer. Most of the mill machinery was made from bush timber. One of the French Burr millstones was built into a massive white gum frame. Seems to have been in a rectangular red stone building with brick corners. There was a loft. The mill may have been converted to steam by 1873.
"Tipperary", the farm of brothers William [1806/8 - 1876], Samuel Evans [1811 - 1885] and Lockyer Clare [1814 - 1886] BURGES was located about 9 kilometres north east of York, near Burges on the east side of the Avon River. They erected a mill of some sort in 1841 but still seemed to go to York for flour. By 1870 however, they were frequently using their own 4 horse mill. Theirs was a single storey mill building built of sun baked and pressed bricks, with the shaft exiting via the north wall, and the mill machinery was made by Barrett, Exall & Andrew's Iron Works of Reading, England. It is thought that the family still used the mill for their own supply until about 1910.
This mill was at "Cattle Chosen", the BUSSELL family farm on the Vasse River about 3.5 kilometres S/E of Busselton. It was brought as a horse power and flour mill from England in 1839. [the 1838 bill was for 30 English pounds for each of the components.] A robbery by aboriginals at the mill is recorded in 1842. It was possibly in this incident that Mr BUSSELL earned himself a fine and a caution for shooting an aboriginal girl. In the 1844 division of the BUSSELL estate, J.G. BUSSELL gave up his share of the mill and threshing machine, probably to Alfred BUSSELL.
Captain John MOLLOY had a mill house and equipment at "Fairlawn", about 3 kilometres SSE of town on the west side of the Vasse River. It was operational by 1865 and is mentioned in his estate sale in 1869.
Owned by George CHEYNE. Built on Plantagenet location 8, "Bonnington Braes", a small isolated farm on the south side of the Eyre River inlet. The mill building was a timber shed about 4.5 by 6 metres with wooden rollers inside. The remains of French Burr wheels have been located near the site. Operated c1841.
"Biddellia", owned by Frederick Palgrave BARLEE [1827 - 1884] was situated on the Barlee Brook at Sussex Location 75 about 30 kilometres south of Nannup on the Vasse Highway. The mill was erected by the manager T. DICKSON in 1875, at the same time as a large barn which could have been the mill house. The mill is mentioned in the 1888 estate sale to the former manager. A description of the mill indicates that it used 4 horses and was in a 2 storey building of vertical split slabs, built into a hillside. The ground floor was filled with chaff and flour was in the loft. The Mill was burnt down in 1942.
This mill was on John Thomas BRITT's [1806 - 18840 "Blewbury" property about 3 kilometres north west of Coondle and about 11 kilometres from Toodyay. The single storey mud batt mill was a few metres north of the house and had a blacksmith shop at the further end. Wooden cog wheels were used and cream coloured segmented millstones joined with lead, about 90cm in diameter. The mill operated from about 1857.
This horse mill at "Culham" on the west side of Bolgart road was owned by Samuel Pole PHILLIPS [1819 - 1901]. It is mentioned in 1841 as being renovated and as causing ill health because lead had been used to fill a cavity in the bed stone.
In 1886 "Yere Yere", formerly Dandaraga Spring which was about 7 kilometres NNE of Dandaragan and 2 kilometres north of Moora road, was advertised for sale. Listed with the items was a horse mill. The owners at the time were Walter PADBURY [1820 - 1907], Thomas DRUMMOND [1811 - 1897], James DRUMMOND [1814 - 1873] and James DRUMMOND [? - 1911].
This horsemill is the predecessor of CRUZE's watermill on the same Swan Location 1. It was probably erected near the junction of Ellens Brook and the Swan River and near the homestead area of Henry BULL [1800 - c1848], who, in an agreement to work George LEAKE's land grant, was allowed half of the area. The mill was in operation from at least 1832 and seems to have been a commercial enterprise working for both the Government and local farmers. The miller for all or part of the time was William CRUZE, who was a servant of BULL's. The BULL - LEAKE partnership was dissolved in 1836 and the land divided equally. The home area was taken by LEAKE and it was Saul SPICE, one of his tenants there who advertised the equipment for sale in 1837.
At Forest Hill in the Plantagenet area, there was at first a small hand mill and then a steel mill driven by several horses, which gristed flour for the area.
On his arrival in Western Australia in 1830, HALL's [c1790 - 1859] goods included a horse mill. He was forced to auction off his goods, which would appear to include the mill, in about 1832. The Government bought the mill and in 1833 there was a suggestion to set it up in Fremantle jail as a man powered mill, which would require about 12 to 16 operators. A treadmill was also suggested.
Erected by William Kernot SHENTON [1802 - 1842] on Fremantle lot 231 or 232 by about July 1830 and converted to wind power by 1832. Another source puts it on Lots 229 and 230 in Col P.LATOUR's shed at the Elder Place corner. [Previously the corner of Bay and Market Streets.] The 1830 date is to a degree based on supposition. The horse mill was certainly operational by August 1831, when it was noted as grinding the first wheat grown in the colony [by W.L. BROCKMAN] and was operating in the same shed as one of SHENTON's other enterprises, the "Western Australian Chronicle and Perth Gazette". [Later "The West Australian"] It used a single pair of millstones and the horses used were actually the property of another individual. The mill was just inside the bar on the Swan River mouth, convenient to ships and near the loading point for river craft taking goods further up the Swan to Perth and Guildford etc.
The first corn in WA was harvested in 1830. The first harvest that could be dignified with that name was at the end of 1831. The mill was actually built to process grain, which the Government had imported into the colony as the small amount of local work would not have been viable. Most grain at the time was ground in small steel hand mills that the early settlers had brought with them. The arrival of a ship with flour could seriously effect the profit for SHENTON's business, and this, along with problems with paying Government loans etc, resulted in him deciding to move closer to the new potential cropping areas.
On "Stoke Farm" at Canning Location 14a, on River Avenue south off Albany Highway. The property owner John Randell PHILLIPS [c1792/9 - 1852] erected it in 1835 and advertised the land and equipment for let in 1840, before selling in 1841 to T. HELMS.
Thomas DUNCAN [c1873 - 1878] of "Wagawa" [Old Walkaway] had a small mill by 1857. The mill was used to grind wheat for the early settlers. Located about 4.5 kilometres south of Greenough just south of the Brand Highway bridge over the Greenough River at the corner of One Man Road. DUNCAN leased "Wagawa" from the "Cattle Company", who employed him as supervisor for their herdsmen in the area. He appears to have moved to his own holding at "Raphoe" and taken the mill with him c1857. The new farm was near the Greenough River, about one kilometre south of Maley's mill.
In the early 1860's Samson SEWELL had a small mill [possibly a horse mill] at "Yarri".
Probably located near Maley's mill on the west side of Company road and north west of Macartney road. Unfortunately no certain location is known. Owned by John SMITH [c1812 - 1888]. The mill is recorded in 1858. This is a very vaguely situated and authenticated mill.
George JOHNSON [1803 - 1879] had a horse mill at 34 Johnson St, Guildford. This is assumed because he sold a 3-4 horse mill in 1857 when he converted what seems to have been a commercial enterprise to steam power.
Located on one of the following sites, town Lots 22, 23 and 24 between James and Market Streets. The owner, Stephen PARKER [1796 - 1879] had a horse mill erected there somewhere in the period c1831 to 1836. The stones for it were cut by Paul LOCKYER.
William Locke BROCKMAN [1802 - 1872] was the owner of this mill on his property "Herne Hill", and the later "Cheriton" watermill. The mill was sited on Swan Location 9 on the east bank of the Swan River. Probably west of the intersection of Vine and Herne Streets,Herne Hill. References were being made to it by 1835. It appears to have been a commercial venture which continued in some fashion until at least 1838, when it is recorded that an aboriginal was shot there while in the process of stealing flour. In 1853 the property and mill house were listed for sale. An interesting addendum to this entry is that the property was bought in 1920 by a charitable group called "The Ugly Men's Association" and broken up for soldier settlement.
On "Jarramungup", which was on the west side of the Gairdner river about 6 kilometres east of Jerramungup and about 1 kilometre from the South Coast Highway. The farm belonged to John HASSELL [1798 - 1883] who is listed with equipment for a 4 horse mill in 1873. This was presumably the Reading Iron Works LTD No 782 machinery on site in 1988. Two 77 cm diameter French Burr stones were also on site. There was a single storey stone mill house south of the old house. See also Quaalup where another similar horse gear was located.
John HASSELL's horse mill [1798 - 1883] of "Kendenup", Plantagenet Location 27, which is about 15 kilometres north west of Mount Barker and 1 kilometre off Albany Highway on the Gold Mine road, was constructed in 1846. The millstones were locally made. In 1865 replacement parts for the mill were ordered. The mill was converted to steam at some time in its history. On the west of the farm complex a 2 storey red brick mill was built into the hillside, to allow loading into the top storey. This may be a later addition. There is a "Reading Iron Works Ltd, England No 1113" flour mill on site.
Joseph SPENCER [1827 - 1890] had a [presumably horse] mill at "Balgarup", which is on the east side of Albany Highway about 13 kilometres south of Kojonup. Recorded in 1860.
This mill, owned by Matthew EDWARDS [1826 - 1916] of "Millbank," was on Swan Location 190 on the eastern channel of the Moore River, west of Cowella road. It appears to have been working from at least 1862. In 1872 floods severely damaged the mill. It was repaired and worked for one or two more years grinding flour for the district. Then, young horses used for the mill ran wild and smashed it beyond repair. The mill did have some semi commercial use. The 2 storey building was made of rushes from Lake Bidaminna and pug from the Moore River, with limestone foundations. Four horses were used to drive its French Burr millstones.
Captain H. A. SANFORD possibly had a mill [probably a horsemill] at Lynton. There is a circular limestone building between his house and the barn, which is sometimes suggested as the site of a mill. The exact use of the building is not known. SANFORD is recorded as cropping there in 1853 - 1856, but only hay is mentioned.
[some confusion, could be near Youngs] On Plantagenet Lots 34,37 & 39 on the east side of Wilson's Inlet. The first farm in the area established in 1852/3 by David YOUNG. Recorded in 1867.
William SCOTT had a mill on the east side of Scott's Brook at "Norlup", S/E of Mayanup on what is now Scott's Brook road. It was said to use French granite millstones brought to the colony in 1840. The mill provided flour for the family and the shepherds they employed. Material located at the site in 1989 included 2 whole granite millstones, 77cm in diameter and 23 cm deep.
The actual type of mill is uncertain but it could have been a horse mill. Joshua GREGORY, [1792 - 1838] the owner of "Rainworth" on Swan Location K1 on the east side of the Swan River and off the north end of Harris street, north of Middle Swan road, had a mill built by his son Augustus Charles GREGORY, [1819 - 1905] while he was still a boy. Built from metal taken from old bedsteads, to frame granite millstones carted from the Perth foothills.
Samuel MOORE [1803 - 1849] operated a horsemill at his property "Oakover" Swan Location 10, on the bank of the Swan River off Dale road. The mill was operated by 3 or 4 horses and was active from at least 1840. In 1842 sickle dressed stones were used. In 1846 MOORE's youngest son was killed by horses working the mill.
The original granary was one of a row of offices built of rough split jarrah. Later it appears that the mill building was rebuilt in mud brick. The mill could also selectively drive a flour bolter and threshing machine. The mill is not mentioned in the sale of the indebted MOORE's goods after his death in 1849.
Located in the Berkshire Valley about 18 kilometres north east of Moora on the old Geraldton road. The owner was James CLINCH [1815 - 1899]. The Wedlake horse works were located in the open and had a shaft through the wall of a 2 storey mill house, which was built of adobe brick and random rubble, and had a shingle roof. The machinery inside was made by Wedlake Dandy Engineers, Hornchurch, Essex etc. It was in a timber frame with iron casing around the millstones with an iron hopper above, under the top floor. There was a wooden flour dresser on the left side of the mill. The millstones appear to have been 40cm in diameter and 14 and 10 cm deep. Eight large storage bins were located on the top floor. A 4 horse power engine is recorded as working the mill in 1887 and it is not known how much of the infrastructure is actually associated with the original horse mill. The farm now operates as a tourist attraction.
This mill is fairly conjectual as to type. However there are some sources that list a 2 horse powered mill at 'Boyup', the property of James ARBER [1820 - ] somewhere on Hay Locations 11, 17, 22 or 55 on the south side of the Hay River and north off Muir Highway. The horsemill, as recorded by a descendent, was operated by a 2 horse works, which was also used for a chaffcutter, with wooden mill machinery that used a wooden pulley driven by an underground shaft from the horseworks. Remains of the shaft from a horseworks and 2 pale Albany granite millstones measuring 54cm in diameter by 14cm deep were at the site in 1988. ARBER married his brother's widow and may have had access to all or parts of the 'Yeolup' water mill. There is also a record of a 'Boyup' watermill but this would appear to have less authority.
"Forest Hill" on Hay Locations 62 near the Hay River and about 28 kilometres west of Mount Barker, was the home of Andrew MUIR [1802 - 1874]. Now 'Pardelup' Prison Farm. The original mill on the property was a small hand mill with a large flywheel. A later mill used horses for power and had imported French Burr millstones. This mill was still standing in 1913.
Matthew [1833 - 1897], Jeremiah [1835 - 1916] and John [1845 - 1904] CLUNE had a horsemill at their farm 'Canterbury' about 3 kilometres south of New Norcia on the east side of the Great Northern Highway. They seem to have had a horse mill until their steam mill commenced operation c1874.
"Glentromie", owned by Donald MacPHERSON was on the east side of the Great Northern Highway near the Moore River. The mill burnt down in about 1881. 91cm French Burr stones were used.
The New Norcia monastery had a horse powered flour mill sited east of the Great Northern Highway. It was completed in October 1854 and worked until 1882. It had a rendered stone building and the horseworks probably were erected on its northern side. The old building became the aboriginal music and recreation hall. The approximately 500kg stones were cut locally by the monks from a location about 11.2 kilometres north west of town at 'Marboro', a property once owned by the mission.
"Buckland" was about 11 kilometres north west of Northam on the Irishtown road. The property was owned by Charles PRATT [c1765 - 1853], but was leased by his son-in-law James McLean DEMPSTER [1810 - 1890] from 1843 - c1848, and from c1853 - ?]. The mill appears to have been constructed in the early 1840's and is recorded as being installed in a large stone barn, which had a roof thatched with blackboy tops. It appears that it was at least a semi-commercial operation as there are complaints about the poor quality of the flour in 1845. The mill is mentioned in 1881. Buildings including the mill were destroyed in the 1968 Meckering earthquake.
Probably on Avon Location P5 on the bank of the Avon River at the south west side of Northam. William [1800 - 1845] and Robert Mace HAPGOOD [1814 - 1876] lived at Northam from 1840 to 1845. In 1845 they advertised a farm to let, which included a 4 horse mill "which is in constant work". In 1849 there was a bushfire, which damaged a mill house on their property. This is presumed to be the same site.
Joseph [1813 - 1912] and Thomas LOCKYER [1817 - 1880] owned 'Hampton Farm' which was about 4 kilometres west north west of Northam off Katrine road near the Avon River. The mill was built in 1857 under the direction of James LOCKYER, an elder brother. The mill building was a 2 storey construction with 50 cm thick walls made largely of red brick. There was stone half way up one side. Large york gum cogs and a crown wheel were used. The mill was flooded in 1862.
Located about 11 kilometres north west of Northam on the south side of Dumbarton road. 'Bardeen' was owned by Abraham William MORGAN [1819 - 1871]. The mill and horse works were manufactured by Barrett, Exall & Andrews of Reading, England. The mill was apparently working by 1857 and probably ceased in 1881. There was a two storey mill /granary with the mill at one end. The building originally had two ground floor double doors, each with a single door above on the first floor. The roof was originally shingles. The horse walk was sheltered by stone walls on three sides and a roof. A shaft went through the side of the mill. The mill also had a flour dresser driven by a belt off the mill. Wooden stairs led upstairs. In 1982 the machinery was still intact.
The 'Bowes', formerly known as 'Knockbrack Station' was located on the Bowes River about 6 kilometres south east of Northampton on the Nabawa road. The owner William BURGES [1806/7 - 1876] had a 6 horse flour mill built there in 1851 and still operating there in 1857. The millstones were bought from England. Stone horse walks were constructed in the stable yard and a differential gear was fitted there. In 1879 E. & F. WITTENOOM, who were leasing the property, had the mill put back into order. It appears that the flour mill was so damaged by Cyclone Hazel in 1979, that it was bulldozed down.
"Yarra", owned by Sampson SEWELL [1820 - 1897] was on the south side of the Oakabella Creek, about 17 kilometres south south west of Northampton on Victoria Locations 348, 375 and 1462. A mill is included in advertising for the sale of the estate in 1884. There is some confirmation that there was at some stage a horse mill there but the period is not known.
Edward May SPENCER [1819 - 1869] on his 'Ongerup' property at Plantagenet Location 29 on the south side of the Hay River, was operating a "small French mill driven by a bull". A bushfire shortly after the death of the indebted SPENCER, destroyed the improvements on the property. Not much to go with this entry.
Sited 14 kilometres S/E of Broomehill, this mill appears never to have been used. The machinery was imported from England by Edward TREASURE of 'Martinup' in 1884 and set up at the end of a brick shed, which has the date 1863 above the door. It was sold, [minus the millstones] sometime after his death in 1868 by the new owners SYNNOTT & ARNOTT.
This entry exists because of a single advertisement in 1844 by Henry Larouche COLE [1809 - 1866] for his mill, located in what would appear to be the 'United Service Hotel' on the Swan River side of St George's Terrace, west of the corner of Barrack Street, Perth. The type of mill is assumed.
"Dandalup", owned by Francis Corbett SINGLETON [c1812 - 1887] was located about 4 kilometres north of Pinjarra and on the east side of the junction of the Murray and Dandalup Rivers. The 2 horse mill is first recorded in 1841, and noted then as being made by Weir of Oxford Street and using French Burr millstones. In 1843 the mill was listed for sale, but would appear to be still in operation in 1845, when a boy in SINGLETON's employ was badly injured when his leg was caught in the horse works. Flour produced by the mill would appear to have been offered commercially, because an 1846 report states that it was unfit for sale. So far, no further records of the mill have been located.
During at least some of the time [1849 - 1853] that J. DEMPSTER leased the island, he adapted the former hand operated flourmill to be driven by a pony. Later, in 1855 a two horse flourmill is recorded at the prison. This mill was at least semi-commercial.
James DRUMMOND [1814 - 1873] had a horse mill on his 'Mill Farm' at Avon Location 12 about 3 kilometres north of Toodyay on the west side of Bolgart road. The mill was converted to steam c1856. The horse mill appears to have existed from at least 1839.
Lionel LUKIN [1801/2 - 1863] owned 'Deepdale,' which is about 5 kilometres west of Toodyay on the bank of the Avon River off the Chittering-West Toodyay road. At the period covered however, it was leased to George GOOCH. It was mentioned in 1855 when it was robbed of 400lbs of flour by aborigines, a not uncommon event for flour mills of the day. The mill was near the original house.
James Allen TWINE [1813 - 1905] of 'Newgain' on the north side of the Dumbarton road about 8 kilometres east of Toodyay, had a privately used 4 horse horsemill and horse ring pad. The mill itself was made of iron with a pair of French Burr stones on top. The original granary was apparantly on the north side of the creek in a single storey stone barn. Later a 2 storey brick granary seems to have been used.
This image shows a horsemill being used for cutting chaff. view image
This was owned by Anthony O'Grady LEFROY [1816 - 1897] and operated by managers. The mill was in a loft at the southern end of a long stone building adjacent to the horseworks. The rest of the building, which is dated to 1859 or 1857, was used as a shearing shed. The loft contained a wooden hopper, a flour dresser and used a pair of stones in an iron mechanism. Both had been imported from England. The mill was still recorded in 1887 when Anthony's son H. B. LEFROY was in charge of the property.
This mill was located at 'Belay Farm' located on the east side of Evans street about 3 kilometres west north west of Walkaway. The owner, William JONES [1825 - 1893/5], had a small mill in the early 1860's. He milled wheat for himself and neighbours. There is some discussion as to the correctness of the name William or John, and as to whether the correct person has been noted. There is also a reference that gives a date of 1882 for the mill being used, but this would appear to be a steam mill. Basically, little is known of the operation.
This mill was apparantly made from parts salvaged from other mills. It was on 'Grassdale,' established in 1860, the property of George Stedman WATTS [1804 - 1889], which is located just east of Wandering. It is probable that the mill was housed in a brick barn with the horseworks on the north side. The millstones had wedge shaped segments.
John HERBERT [ - 1851] built a seasonal watermill at a pool in the Hay River c1842. When the water flow was not sufficient, various farm animals were used to turn the mill. A stone causeway was used to dam the river. In 1851 HERBERT was killed when his clothes caught in the machinery of the mill.
'Balladong', owned by Revett Henry BLAND [1810 - 1898?] and Arthur TRIMMER [1807 - 1877], is on the bank of the Avon River on the south side of the York townsite, between Avon Terrace and the river. A horsemill is reported at York in 1838 and is probably at this location. In 1841 BLAND is mentioned with a mill gristing outside grain, and again in 1843.
Thomas and Henry CARTER had a fire at their recently erected 'Daliak' mill in 1847. In 1850 a 4 horse flourmill with French Burr stones, flour dresser and stone mill house were offered for sale. Milling work does appear to have been commercially carried out in 1851 - 1852 and perhaps later. The mill was about 3 kilometres north north west of York off the end of Ulster road at locations Y21 & Y22.
The mill is assumed to have been located on the west side of Avon Terrace, York, between Pool and Ford Streets. The owner, John Henry MONGER [1802 - 1892], may have had a mill in 1841 but the information is not specific. He did however offer to sell a mill in 1843 and some .6 metre French Burr mill stones with mill gear in 1844. By 1845 he was gristing for others and was still operational in 1848 under the management of Thomas FRUIN [1806 - ]. The mill operated through 1851 and was converted to steam power in 1854.
This mill was located on 'Gilgering', Avon Location 0 on the bank of the Avon River, about 16 kilometres south south east of York, between the river and Great Eastern Highway. The owner, George Fletcher MOORE [1798 - 1886], leased it to John FLEAY senior [1815 - 1884] who owned the mill. A horsemill was reported damaged by fire there in 1877 when John FLEAY junior appears to be in residence. FLEAY senior left a mill to his son in his 1884 will.
Stephen PARKER [1796 - 1879 had a horsemill on 'Northbourne' Avon Location G2 about 17 kilometres south east of York, and east of the road to Beverley. It appears to have been operational from at least 1853 to 1856. A sale notice appears in 1860 for a 4 horse powered flourmill and thrashing machine.
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