HORSEMILLS / HUMAN POWERED MILLS / TIDEMILLS / WATERMILLS - BATTERIES
WATERMILLS - FLOUR / WATERMILLS - SAWMILLS / WATERMILLS - OTHER
WINDMILLS - FLOUR / WINDMILLS - OTHER

AUSTRALIAN WATER-POWERED SAWMILLS

New South Wales / Queensland / South Australia / Tasmania
Victoria / Western Australia

NEW SOUTH WALES

• BERRY - COOLANGATTA - BERRY, Alexander    Born in Fife, Scotland, Alexander Berry (1781-1873) was a ship's surgeon in the East India Company and later a ships captain, owner and trader. From 1808 he had made several voyages to New South Wales with cargoes of goods but first came to live in Sydney in 1819 having establishing a mercantile business in partnership with Edward WOLLSTONECRAFT whom he had met in Cadiz. In 1822, they applied for a grant of 4047 hectares on the northern bank of the Shoalhaven River on the NSW south coast, 140 kilometres south of Sydney. This area at that time had been the site of conflict with the local Aborigines which had led to the deaths of several cedar getters. Undeterred BERRY sailed from Sydney in a 15-ton cutter, 'Blanche', accompanied by Hamilton HUME who had explored the area, BROUGHTON an Aborigine who was born at the Shoalhaven, and an Aboriginal sailor called Charcoal or Charcoal Will. The proposed site of Berry's farm, about 8 kilometres up the Shoalhaven River was a swamp and taking advice from BROUGHTON he established his house at Mt Coolangatta on what became known as the 'Coolangatta estate'. BERRY had been commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1822 and may have acted as the local government administrator. Soon after settling BERRY had Hamilton HUME and a party of convict labourers cut a 191 metre canal between the Shoalhaven and the Crookhaven rivers to allow boats access to the former. Completed in twelve days it was the first canal constructed in Australia. The partners seem to have had great success and in 1823 they exported coal to Rio de Janeiro. While WOLLSTONECRAFT looked after affairs in Sydney, BERRY, who married his partner's sister in 1827, set up his headquarters on the property. The mercantile business closed in 1828. The cedar in the area was the most profitable resource and much of it exported to Europe. The resource was discovered in 1828 when BERRY's men crossed Kangaroo Mountain to find a million feet of cedar south of Broger's Creek. A water-driven sawmill was soon in operation, supplied by an earthen water race originating in Broughton Mill Creek. A water powered sawmill is documented in the Shoalhaven District from 1833 which is assumed to be the Broughton Creek Mill and in 1858 a local newspaper reported that "there is a good water power mill - idle" but it is not clear as to whether this refers to the sawmill or another watermill. In 1830 the grant of land was approved. WOLLSTONECRAFT died in 1832. Between 1830 and 1840 the initial grant on the south side of the river expanded to the north and an additional 8,910 hectares was purchased with the agreement of the partners to take charge and expense of one convict for every 100 acres of land. This land was used to produce maize, tobacco, wheat, barley, potatoes, pigs and cattle., However from 1836, BERRY rarely visited the Shoalhaven estate, leaving its management to his brother David. The brothers seem to have relied a lot on Aboriginal labour for their enterprises and in an 1838 census Berry listed 292 Aborigines in the Shoalhaven District of which he employed some 242 individuals from seven tribes on an irregular basis. Most would stay for a day or two before leaving. In the 1850's Berry began to let farms on the estate on clearing leases. By 1863 the estate comprised 16190 hectares. Alexander was a parliamentarian from 1828 to 1861. After Alexander died in 1873 at Crow's Nest, New South Wales the Coolangatta Estate passed to his brother David. The town of Berry was originally called 'Broughton Creek' but the name was changed by an Act of Parliament in 1890 in honour of the brothers. It had begun as a self-supporting village which developed around the homestead.
• KOSCIUSKO AREA - NAPHELLI's    (Presumably) Maurice - [1841 to 1913] had a water powered sawmill which obtained its water supply from a race off Teddy's Creek. It was sited near their 'Snowy Plains' house just north west of Daveys Hut. The sawmill probably operated in the 1880's. 'Snowy Plains' homestead was erected in c1883.
• TUMBARUMBA - BURRA CREEK MILL. circa 1884 - 1916    By mid 1884 the HUSSELL and GAYLARD families had moved from Beechworth, Victoria and established a water powered sawmill on the West Burra Creek at the foot of the Cumberland Plateau and 9.5 kilometres from the town. It was known as the Burra Creek Mill and used a large overshot wheel which was recorded as supplying the same power as sixty horses. In 1884 it was equipped with both circular and vertical saws with the capacity to turn out over 12,000 feet of timber per week. It operated until 1916.
• TUMBARUMBA - PILOT HILL     Local history sources say that the first sawmill in the district was waterwheel powered and was operated by John HIDES in 1860 near Pilot Hill.
• TUMBARUMBA - TOWNSITE     Another reference notes a large waterwheel adjacent to the town of Tumbarumba built to power a sawmill.
• TUMBARUMBA    There was a major sawmill powered by a Pelton wheel there from early in the twentieth century when it was started by descendants of the Burra Creek sawmill operators. They were bought out by a large Wagga based lumber business in circa 1920 and the mill continued to be powered by water until about the 1950's. It then installed electric motors for a short period before closing.
• TUMUT    There was a water driven saw mill in the Tumut district of NSW in 1928. view image

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QUEENSLAND

• MOUNT TAMBORINE    A 24ft diameter water wheel was part of steam-driven timber mill at Mount Tamborine. It was built in 1888 by the CURTIS brothers who were early settlers of the area. It was constructed out of forest timber. The mill closed down in the mid 1890's. When the waterwheel had served its purpose it was dismantled and the wood used to make violins that were played at local dances. view image

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SOUTH AUSTRALIA

• ADELAIDE - BURNSIDE    Erected on First Creek, at the foot of the hills. By August of 1840 a Mr CANNAN had erected a water powered sawmill there. It had a 17 foot diameter wheel running off a 200 yard long viaduct, running the water from a dam (near the location of the current Catholic church). Boyle Travers FINNISS purchased this sawmill and three cottages on Section 269 on First Creek at the end of 1840 and converted it into a flour mill making it a four-storey building, and fitting it with machinery and mill stones.
• MT GRAHAM - Chaffcutter, Shearing Plant, Sawmill    The Benjamin VARCOE family at 'Millbank' near Mt Graham had a 210cm wide by 3.5metre diameter waterwheel built by Albert HAINES in 1910, which was used to power a saw bench, chaffcutter and shearing plant.

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TASMANIA

• HOBART    In 1824 William DEGRAVES [1788 - ], in partnership with his brother-in-law Hugh McINTOSH, took delivery of an imported sawmill which was erected at The Cascades on the south eastern slopes of Mt Wellington. It began operation in 1825.
• LAUNCESTON - PIPER RIVER - Tyson's Saw Mill    This mill was erected on Piper River near Launceston by William TYSON and William Dawson GRUBB [1817 - 1879]. It was worked by a water wheel with the water being supplied by the race. It was one of the first power mills erected in Tasmania and when the timber was cut out it closed down in 1869. 1858 image

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VICTORIA

• BEECHWORTH    Louis CHEVALIER built a water powered sawmill at the head of the Newtown Falls on Spring Creek in 1855 and added flour milling equipment later. The sawmill equipment seems to not be in use by 1868.
• DEDERANG - HAIG, John    John, with his sons John and Thomas, erected a four storey, brick, water powered flour and saw mill in the 1880's, on the Glen Creek between Yackandandah and Dederang. Power came from a 31hp 25cm turbine wheel at 90 ft pressure of water.
• FALLS CREEK    A water driven sawmill was erected circa 1908 on Falls Creek, a tributary of the Murrindindi, above the Wilhelmina Falls. This wheel was 30 ft in diameter and 3 ft 9 inches wide. It was built by A. LIDDICOAT of Daylesford.
• GIBBO RIVER GOLDFIELD - SALTPETRE CREEK - GOLDEN TREASURE BATTERY    Wood for the works of this mine c1898 were supplied by a race fed 20 foot diameter waterwheel to the north of the battery.
• HEALESVILLE    John HOLLAND built the first water powered sawmill in Healesville, circa 1880's.
• LILYDALE    see - Flourmills.
• MACEDON RANGES    A water powered sawmill was erected there on the Barringo Creek by William ROBERTSON. It was apparently commissioned in 1844 and operated until 1875.
• NEWBURY    A water wheel and weatherboard building located on a pond at 'Waterwheel Farm' beside the Trentham - Blackwood road is reported to have been used for timber milling.
• PLENTY RIVER AREA    A Mr WILSON may have had a water powered sawmill upstream from the 'Carome' flour mill c1865.
• RUBICON STATE FOREST    CLARK & KIDD's waterwheel mill.
• YARRAM - CARPENTER, John    John CARPENTER [1814 - ] is supposed to have built his first mill at Tarraville and Yarram. It is not established whether we are talking of 1 or 2 mills. Both sites are on the Tarra River and both sites were supposed to have had an early mill. There is a record for both watermills in 1856. The mill may date back to 1854 and could have been first used as a sawmill. He sold this first property to William MOORE in 1854. He then built another saw and flour watermill on the Yarram River near Yarram, which he operated until 1864 when it was leased to Abraham BLAND who remained at the mill until the 1880's. There was a fire recorded at the mill in 1884. The notice for this also identified it as a sawmill.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

• ARALUEN PARK    Hugh J BUCKINGHAM built a mill on the Stinton Creek which was south of the Canning River. This mill appears to have been operating c1907.
• ARMADALE - Location 32    Built by Thomas BUCKINGHAM in 1865 on Canning Location 32. Located on Sparrow's [later - Butcher's] Race between Stockers Road and Butcher Road. His brother Albert assisted in the construction. There was a 400 metre millrace from a dam [which broke three times]. The location also included a blacksmith's shop, carpenter's shop, forges, and lathes. Thomas BUCKINGHAM's estate including the sawmill was advertised in 1882, although the mill may have been burnt down c1870.
• ARMADALE - Suburban Lot 35    (now 121 Buckingham St). Alexander BUCKINGHAM, the owner of this sawmill commenced operations on 25th August 1875. There was a long channel collecting water from a couple of springs and creeks to turn the water wheel. Alexander unfortunately became sick and died young. His brother Thomas took over operating the mill in 1883 and when Alexander's sons Ernest and James grew older they then took over operations at the sawmill. It is not known if the mill continued to be water powered, but after the sons shifted to the Collie area in 1910, the mill continued to operate until 1954 when it was sold to the State Saw Mills.
• BRIDGETOWN    In the early 1900's John Frederick de LANDGRAFFT started building a watermill on the Blackwood River, 1 kilometre downstream from the bridge at Bridgetown, below Eedle Terrace. It was designed as a sawmill but was destroyed in floods before completion. The wheel was apparently made of jarrah and was about 3 metres in diameter.
• KELMSCOTT    Thomas BUCKINGHAM commenced building in 1886, at 'Poplar', on Kelmscott Suburban Lot 33, now 222 Brookton Highway. The mill was still being improved in 1867 and was still operating in 1891. A diversion of the Canning River was dug with a dry stone wall [which may be a later improvement] and the water held back with a sluice gate until sufficient water was available to push a log to the saw. After Thomas died, his son Walter installed a steam engine. An average log took 90 minutes to rip through.
• PICTON    - see - Flourmills
• ROLEYSTONE    Small commercial mill built in the 1920's by Norman FERNIE on his father Alex's property which was 2.5 kilometres north of Roleystone on Peet Road. An elevated wooden flume commenced about 85 metres above the mill and carried the water to tank on a mound above the mill, and then through a 150cm pipe through a nozzle to a cupped wheel.
• YALLINGUP    This two storey weatherboard sawmill, with its residence on the top storey, was built by Robert DONALD and his son Jack in 1922 at 'Millbrook', 4.5 kilometres north of Yallingup off Wildwood road. There was also a joinery on the ground floor. A creek was dammed and wooden troughing took the water to the mill. The timber overshot wheel was 4.5 metres in diameter and drove an inner 3 metre cog wheel on its edge. This drove a small metal cog on a shaft to a 2 metre pulley wheel, then via a belting to another pulley and shaft, which drove a circular saw located in a lean-to alongside the 2 storey building. The timber was used for local building. The last record of its use was in 1938. In later years the mill has been restored.

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