MIZEN SAWMILL STUDY
Copyright       David Mizen  2021
Images Added & Published by Gordon Freegard 2021

MILLAR'S KARRI AND JARRAH COMPAMY   1902

Austin and Gunzburg set out the back ground history of the Millar’s brothers and the early part of their corporate history. In 1900 there was an industry down turn, the end of the gold rush coupled with oversupply led to turmoil and the need to reorganise the industry (2008, pp. 14-98). In 1902 the Canning Jarrah and Timber Company ceased to exist.

It and:

1.   Millar’s Jarrah Timber Co Ltd;

2.   Jarrahdale Forests and Railways Ltd;

3.   M.C. Davies Karri and Jarrah Co Ltd;

4.   Gill McDowell Jarrah Co Ltd;

5.   Imperial Jarrah and Wood Corporations;

6.   Jarrah Wood and Saw Milling Co Ltd;

7.   Jarrah Timber and Wood Paving Corp Ltd;

merged to form Millar’s Karri and Jarrah Company (1902) Ltd (Webb, 1996, p. 27) (Austin & Gunzburg, 2008, p. 15). As a result of the merger Millar’s became the owners of the Canning Mills operation together with the exclusive licence to cut mill timber. Despite the restructuring the Canning Mills days were numbered.

In August 1904 it was reported that there was a probability the mill was closing and consequently 150 men would be out of work. The reason stated for the closing was the concession was “cut out” (Unknown, The closing of the Canning Mills, 1904).

It is not clear exactly when Millar’s moved their operations to Pickering Brook nor is there any record of where they initially moved to. The sources suggest a range of possible dates. Slee and Shaw puts the date as “around 19” (1979, p. 122). McNamara puts the date as before the end of 1907 (1953). In 1907 it is stated that Millar’s had “long since removed everything in the way of plant” from the concession (Unknown, On the land, 1907). This does not appear to be entirely correct. There is a 1909 newspaper article that infers that Millar’s were still using a portion of the railway line between Pickering Brook and Canning Mills until well after 1903, probably until close to the date of publication of the article (Unknown, Farm and Station, 1909) (see also Price (1985, pp. 72-73)). Heberle puts an end date for operations at Canning Mills as 1910 (1997, p. 216).

It is stated that during the period 1905 to 1907 the mill foreman was a Mr. Barton (McNamara, 1953). Austin and Gunzburg (2008, p. 72) state Barton left Denmark in 1905 and after that he worked for Millar’s in the Canning Mill’s area.

This should not be taken to mean that Canning Mills (Location 164) was operating in the manner it had previously, McNamara states there was significant activity by firewood cutters (1953, p. 3). At this time the government had started to construct the Midland Railway Workshops, the material for construction having been ordered in 1902 (Unknown, Midland Junction, 1902). The workshops were built of brick sourced from James Todd at Bellevue (1,000,000 bricks) , and Atkins and Law (250,000 bricks) (Unknown, 1902, p. 4) the “brickyards of Messrs. Wells Bros., Messrs. Atkins and Law and Mr. Hesketh … . On the other side of the line, the yard and plant of the Imperial Firewood …”  all of these businesses were situated at the foot of the CJT Co’s railway. These brickworks would have required colossal amounts of wood for the brick kilns. In addition to fire wood cutting it is reported that the mill was involved in sleeper cutting, the report suggests that this was sleeper hewing rather than saw milling (McNamara, 1953). It is likely that Millar’s would have required at least some fresh sleepers for the new line to the Pickering Brook mill. It is also likely that Barton would have been involved in the shutting down of the Canning Mills and their relocation to Pickering Brook. It is clear that by 1907 a significant portion of the mill had been relocated, but its ultimate location does not appear to have been documented on any Lands Department or Forest Department documents. The sources previously referred to do not give an accurate place or date for the relocation, however it is clear the mill or mills relocated to Pickering Brook.

Pickering Brook Saw Mills

Harper Nelson states that Barton started a mill at Carilla in 1902 (1977). The date is a possible starting date for the commencement of preparatory work by Millar’s. The reference to Barton is not feasible as Barton was still in Denmark until 1905 (Austin & Gunzburg, 2008, p. 72). Heberle states that Millar’s first mill commenced operation at Carilla in 1903 (1997, p. 216). The earliest date for a mill in Pickering Brook that can be corroborated is 1904. The mill appears to be called “The Pickering Brook Saw Mills”. Advertisements for log haulers and various mill hands start to appear in early 1904 for work at “J. and H. McCoy’s Pickering Brook sawmill”. (Unknown, Situations Vacant - Spotter, 1904) and slightly latter at McCoy and Son (Unknown, Situations Vacant - Teams, 1904). There is reference to a Henry McCoy testifying at the Timber Commission in his capacity as a sleeper inspector for the Railways Department in 1903 (Unknown, 1903, p. 3).

Lands Department Map 1/80 (see below) shows “Pickering Brook Saw Mill J. & H. McCoy” as north of Location 355 at the eastern end of conditional purchase lot 48/1580, later Location 701 owned by G.M. Fawkes. Fawkes operated a nursery (Slee & Shaw, 1979, p. 144). The map however, does not identify a specific geographic location or lot. It should be noted that the words are immediately above and therefore outside the northern boundary of Millar’s exclusive zone. It is therefore questionable as to whether McCoy’s were part of the Millar’s group. The location of the words on the map suggest a position for the mill in the gully next to what is now Valento Road.
 

 
 Section of Lands Department map 1/80 cons5386 item 0001 Sourced from State Records Office
 

Note location 355 and 48/580 (upper left). The map is not dated but note the number 1819/04 towards the right side of the image, this suggests a 1904 correspondence file and that therefore the map was compiled after this date.  In May 1908 Weston and Smailes call for sleeper hewers, however the advertisement notes that “Three Miles of New Rail put in” (Weston and Smailes, 1908, p. 16). The advertisement infers that the railway was completed shortly before the date of publication, this suggests a date of 1907 or early 1908.
 

Section of Lands Department survey map cons3869 Canning 182 Sourced from State Records Office
 

No. 1 Saw Mill Pickering Brook - Location.

The location of Paterson & Barton’s No. 1 Mill is not recorded on any readily available survey plan or map. It should be noted here that the reference is to the No. 1 Saw Mill, not the No. 1 Landing which is recorded on several Lands Department survey maps (see below). There is recorded oral history that suggests a probable location of the mill.

Section of Lands Department map DP 202197 Sourced from Landgate

Patterson Road Forrest Road Intersection

Patterson Road Forrest Road Intersection

Note:    1.     “Landing No. 1” running not quite parallel with the centre of the Road

     and terminating on the Patterson Road - Forrest Road junction. Alice

     Beard (nee Hewison) puts the No, 1 mill on Patterson Road

     (Beard, 1989).

     2.     Tramline marked +++++++ running from Forest Road down what is now Holdroyd Road     and parallel to the railway.

     3.     Railway marked by the heavy black line.

     4.     Location 269 is now cut by Pickering Brook Road and the Railway.

It is probable that the tramline is the same as referred to by Freegard (2019, p. 26). The complte map shows tram line terminating at the rear of Location 861 (west of Sala Road).

The railway line to Carilla appears to have been surveyed about 1907 or 1908. The map section is reproduced below. The short spur line exiting the corner of location 260 appears to run very close to the edge of what in now the bottom of Patterson Road. Bechelli (2020) states that this spur line actually continued up the valley approximately parallel to Bracken Road. Forests Department map A.28 1940 (item 304823) shows the feature described by Bechelli. Beard’s description (see note 1 above) would put the mill near the end of the short spur shown on the Lands Department map shown below. However, there is other evidence which puts the mill closer to Carilla Hall (see Thomas cited above). There is also a further complication arising from the map section.

Section of Lands Department map 1/80 cons5386 item 0001 Sourced from State Records Office
 

The railway marked as the “present line” runs through the lot marked 515/91. This lot started as a conditional purchase contract in the names of Smith and White Bros. Smith and the White brothers were allies of rail contractor E.V.H. Keane, the Whites were involved in the operation of mills at other locations (Austin & Gunzburg, 2008, pp. 148,212) see also (Price, 1985, p. 21). The conditional purchase seems to have been abandoned. The lot number does not appear to follow the usual conditional purchase numbering scheme, it may be a reference to a correspondence file relinquishing the conditional purchase, although such a file has not been located If such a file could be located it may assist in locating the mill.

Harper Nelson states “Alexander Barton started in 1902 at Carilla, 2 miles from Pickering Brook,” (Harper-Nelson, 1995). There is evidence that suggests Barton was still in Denmark in 1904 (Unknown, Cricket - Albany v Denmark, 1904, p. 4), and probably until at least mid-1905 (Austin & Gunzburg, 2008, p. 72). The date 1902 probably relates to the McCoy’s mill commencing operations. The Carilla townsite boundary is very slightly east of the end of the short spur line in the map section above, the term Carilla also seems to have been used in a more generic sense, the Carilla Hall referred to by W.C Thomas was not actually in the surveyed townsite but situated between Location 260 and 269 in the upper right hand corner of the lot marked 515/91. The mill in Thomas’s version was situated behind the hall, it is assumed that this means that it was towards the creek in the gap between locations 260 and 269 or on location 269, probably in the upper left corner near the creek. Bechelli and Bechelli believe this is the most likely place for the mill (2020). There is however nothing marked on the map section to confirm this.

Alice Beard (nee Hewison) puts the No. 1 mill on Patterson Road (Beard, 1989). However, there is no mention of any mill at the site of “the No. 1 landing” or near it on DP 201197 (see above) or at Location 915. Fixing a precise location for No 1 mill has not been possible on the information presently available. It seems likely given the comments recorded by Slee (1979, pp. 51-52) that No. 1 mill was in the area bounded by the intersection of Bracken Road, Forrest Road, Pickering Brook Road and Location 260, however there is a possibility that it was on Location 515/91.

There are photographs of an “early Barton’s Mill” (see below). There is no indication on the images to indicate whether this is the No. 1 mill or the No. 4 mill. The photographs have a number of the notable features, the absence of a railway, the sawn timber is being carted out by horse and cart, the timber in the cart appears to be railway sleepers, the operation appears to be very small scale.

The first of the photographs is reproduced below. The photograph shows a white house in the background. This is an indication this photograph is the No. 1 mill and the location is the bottom end of Patterson Road.

Author Unknown. No date – original print held by Tom Price Illawarra Orchard.
 

The enlarged Section of DP 202197 reproduced below shows a house in the lower corner of Bracken Road - Patterson Road - Forrest Road intersection. In order for the photographer to record both the mill and the house shown on the map the photograph the mill must be close to the end of Patterson Road. If the mill was further up Patterson Road the house would be out of view.

Unfortunately, the survey for the map DP 202197 was conducted in August 1919, the survey was compiled and the map produced in 1922. By this time, it appears that the mill had been removed. If the mill was recorded on this map there have been a number of changes that may have resulted in any notation on the map being overwritten.
 

Enlarged Section of DP 202197 sourced from Landgate.
 

Note     1.     Patterson Road on left

             2.      Bracken Road on right

             3.      No. 1 Gully through centre of image

             4.     “House” shaded rectangle on left side of base of Bracken Road

The house shown in this section is the only house in the vicinity, the next nearest is the group of houses at Ellery’s Location 915. It appears probable this is the house referred to by Slee and Shaw as the house where ‘Barton’ died (1979, p. 51).
 

Author Unknown. No date – original print held by Tom Price Illawarra Orchard.

CARILLA TOWN SITE

Section of DP 202197

Note      1.     North Branch No. 1 Gully on the upper left

               2.     East Branch No. 1 Gully

               3.     Bracken Road & Holdroyd Road forms the boundary of Carilla Town Site

The name the No. 1 Gully suggests the mill was somewhere on this creek line. The first photograph reproduced above suggests the mill was on the lower part of Patterson Road and the corner of Forrest Road. This accords with the position stated by Beard. It may also fit the position put by Thomas. Carilla Hall would be just of the map in the lower left corner. The No. 1 Gully runs past the back of Carilla Hall. However, the photographs show that the land slopes. This is more apparent in the second photograph. If the mill is not on Patterson road then the only other possible position is on the slope adjacent to Pickering Brook Road either on Location 269 or where the Pickering Brook Primary School is now.

There is a separate survey map that suggests the mill was at the base of Patterson Road. This is DP202164, this map was surveyed in July 1919. The lower portion of Patterson Road is reproduced below and shows the No. 1 landing and 2 Huts, these huts are not shown on DP 20219 which was surveyed at approximately the same time. It is possible these are mill workers huts. It is also possible that the hut at the lower position is the hut shown in the second photograph behind the mill. If this is the case the mill must be on the corner of Forrest Road and Patterson Road.
 

DP202164
 

Millar’s No. 4

Harper Nelson States the Barton “used up nearby timber [at No. 1], and then found that he had to go too far out, so he moved the mill to No. 4 Mill” (Harper Nelson, 1977, p. 1). Slee and Shaw state the No. 1 mill was moved to the Kings Mill Road area after ‘Barton’s’ death. The quote by Slee and Shaw attributed to Johnny Brown can be read as implying that the No. 1 and No. 4 where operating at the same time (1979, p. 51).

Bechelli and Bechelli hold that the No. 1 and No. 4 were intermediate steps to moving to the mill’s final location at Barton’s Mill and the mills primary function was likely sleeper cutting (Pickering Brook Mills, 2020). It appears likely the No. 4 Mill was shut down around 1910.
 

Section of Forests Department Map A.28 1940 (item 304823). Map sourced from Department of Conservation Biodiversity and Attractions
 

Slee and Shaw puts the position of Millar’s No. 4 as “in the Kingsmill Road area” (1979, p. 51). Lands Department plan Canning 185 records an “old mill site” on the edge of the road at the rear (as viewed from Pickering Brook road) of Location 869 and close to the boundary with Location 868. Forests Department Map A.28 is essentially the same and is reproduced above. The map does not name the road but it appears to be an extension of what is now Kings Mill Road. It appears highly likely this is the site of Millar’s No. 4 Mill.

The mill shown on map Canning 185 and Forests Department map A.28 is a distance from the railway. There was a general need for railway sleepers, but Millar’s would have needed sleepers for the extension of their railway from ‘Carilla’ to the final location at ‘Barton’s Mill’. It is conjecture, but it appears that No. 4 was set up to allow the No. 1 Mill to continue operating unimpeded while the No. 4 Mill cut sleepers for the extension of the railway to what became known as Barton’s Mill. There is a spur line adjacent to the No. 4 mill which would have been a convenient loading point for the mill.

Sala Road – Spur line and Log landing
 

Section of Forests Department Map A.29 1934 (item 304822). Map sourced from Department of Conservation Biodiversity and Attractions

++++ Indicates Railway.
 

This map section adjoins the section A.28 reproduced on the previous page. There is no chart

to indicate what the other symbols on the map are, however an examination of the section of railway from Sala Tenna’s (Location 862 on the above map) through to Barton’s Mill suggests the black rectangles marked on the railway are log landings. The landing shown above would provide a suitable loading point for the timber from the No. 4 mill. The road running diagonally through the image is Pickering Brook Road, the road at ninety degrees in the middle of Location 864 is the extension of Kings Mill Road and runs back to the mill site.

        There is a suggestion that McKenzie’s Mill is located prior to Sala Road. This is not the case.

        Location 915 Ellery’s Lot.
 

Section of Lands Department map DP 202197 Sourced from Landgate
 

Sunshine Mill

The “old Sunshine Mill” is referred to on Forrest department Map B.3 1938 (See below). In 1915 Mrs Steadman of “Sunshine Mill Pickering Brook” submitted a chocolate cake recipe for publication (Steadman, 1915, p. 27). The inference is that the mill was part of the Millar’s Pickering Brook operation and was therefore part of the Barton’s Mill group. In October of the same year there was a collection for the Australia Day celebrations the Swan Express published a list of donors and their contributions:

"Sunshine Mill" list (Mr. Thompson), D. Anderson £1/1/-, David Anderson jun. 2/6, R. McCaskill2/6, name undecipherable2/6, P. Howe 2/6, Joe Brown 2/6, E. Steadman 2/6, R. McCaskill 2/6, total £1/18/6; per Mr. Ellis, Mrs Shae 15/-. (Unknown, District News, 1915, p. 7)

The publications imply that the mill was operational in 1915 and therefore after Barton’s Mill was commissioned. It appears to have been fairly short lived as there are only a few published references to the mill. The Swan Express list also gives an indication of those working around the mill, Thompson probable mill manager and second husband of Alice Barton, the Andersons and Joe Brown - teamsters, McCaskill - mill worker occupation not know (father of infant buried at Canning Mill). McCaskill was also the owner of locations 556 and 557 on the left-hand edge of map section. This location subsequently became the Carinyah Forest Station.
 

Millar’s No 6 – McKenzie’s Mill

Slee and Shaw describe Millar’s No. 6 Mill as “McKenzie’s Mill” (Slee & Shaw, 1979, p. 51).

On the 21st October 1921 tenders were called for the construction of a fence and hut

Proximate to Millar’s No. 6 Log Landing (Consevator of Forrests, 1921). There is no mention of the mill, it appears likely the station was set up to monitor the operation of the mill and was constructed simultaneously with the mill.

Sketch attached to request for tenders cited above. Photograph by the author.
 

On 4th August 1924 it was reported that the Forest Station was burnt down (Conservator, 1921). In February 1925 steps were taken to replace the buildings and it appears that a more substantial building was erected at Barton’s Mill. It is not clear when the buildings at McKenzie’s Forest Station were replaced.

A portion of a Forrest’s Department map showing the location of McKenzie’s Forest Station is included in the Barton’s Mill Education Department file (map section reproduced below) and shows the evolution of the rail eastward. McKenzie’s mill is recorded as operating in 1923/24 Forests Department report (Forests Department, 1923/24, p. N.P.). In 1924 Mrs McKenzie is advertising for a “faller” and a “horse team” (McKenzie, 1924, p. 20). A further advertisement appears in December. The advertisement calls for a “mill hand, married, wife capable of running a boarding house”. The vacancy was at “Mrs McKenzie’s Mill, Canning” applications to “Millar’s’ Timber and Trading Company Limited St Georges House” (Millars Timber and Trading Company Limited , 1924, p. 11). It is evident that the mill was Mrs McKenzie’s and that it was part of the Millar’s consortium. There are 2 points of interest, the first and perhaps most astounding is the mill is described by Millar’s own advertisement as Mrs McKenzie’s Mill, the fact there are 2 separate advertisements from apparently separate sources indicate this is not a mistake. Secondly, correspondence relating to the Barton’s Mill School shows that Mr D. McKenzie was the mill engineer at Barton’s Mill but he also had an orchard some 3 miles away (McCullum, 1910).
 

Map section sourced from State Records Office Education Department Barton’s Mill Cons 1497 item No 1925/0736 
 McKenzie’s Forest Station. Mill now removed. Related correspondence dated 1932.
 

On the 28th October 1925 the Department of Labour wrote to ‘Mr I. McKenzie’ of Pickering Brook regarding registering the mill under the Factories and Shops Act 1920 noting the mill had not been registered under the requirements of the Act. Isabella McKenzie in reply annotates the letter from the Department of Labour and notes “I have not been working saw mill since May. Machinery pulled to pieces & stored. (all the movable parts) don’t expect to start again at present.”(Department of Labour , 1925) The reply appears to have been received at the Department on the 4th November 1925.

Below is section of Forest Department map, the section is not dated.
 

Map section sourced from State Records Office Forestry Dept. Correspondence regarding Millar’s Timbers Leases. cons941 1924/0010

Mill is upper left. Forest Station to right of mill. Note absence of name.
 

The advertisements cited above refers to a boarding house, it appears likely that the boarding house is the shaded rectangle above the “F” in the word “Forest” on the north side of the railway.

Forest Department Map A29 item 304822 was surveyed in 1929 and is very similar to the section reproduced above sourced from the State Records Office Education Department file, this suggests that “Mrs McKenzie’s” mill was totally removed prior to the survey in 1929.
 

References:     Article:      David Mizen

Copyright : Gordon Freegard      2008 - 2021