STEAM FLOUR MILL
4 ATKINS STREET FYANSFORD, GREATER GEELONG CITY
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Statement of Significance
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STEAM FLOUR MILL - History
The Fyansford steam flour mill was built by Godfrey Barthold and Lowe in 1854 from locally quarried bluestone (Rowe & Huddle 2000: 192). The mill was four stories and powered by steam and processed locally grown wheat supplied by the Barabool Hills farmers. A sketch from c.1853 by Samuel Gill shows a fenced area around the mill, presumably its grounds. Rates books from 1854-1857 confirm the mill had 4 floors, with a 14 horsepower engine, 3 pr. stones and an outhouse occupied by Barthold and Lowe (Geelong City Council Rate Books, GHC GRS 868). Godfrey A. Barthold, Miller of Fyansford was listed as insolvent in 1861 (Geelong Advertiser 5/6/1861). An 1876 photograph of the Moorabool River Valley shows the mill, possibly abutting the Mill House (still extant) to the south and a two storey addition to the east. A large square shaped stack is also visible in the photo (CRM 1876). By 1885, a newspaper article describes the building as the 'old flour mill on the bank of the Moorabool River at Fyansford', suggesting that perhaps the buildings were perhaps derelict and no longer in use. Around 1870, the mill was sold to Mr. Charles Hopton. In 1889 the top two floors of the building were removed and the bottom floor re-roofed. The building was then used by the community as a dance hall, library and recreation club. The remainder of the building was demolished in the 1920s due to the expansion of Australian Portland Cement.
An extant single storey Interwar bungalow was constructed partly over the former site of the flour mill in 1934. It was built by William McEwan, a former mechanic. Local rumors report that some of the fabric used to construct the house was taken from the demolished mill. This however has never been verified (Greater Geelong Planning Scheme Amendment C49, 2004).
STEAM FLOUR MILL - Interpretation of Site
The mill was constructed c.1854 and used until at least 1861 as a flour mill. Numerous extensions and additional outbuildings were likely constructed over this time. By 1885 the building was derelict and in 1889 the top two floors were removed, the building re-roofed and used as a community centre. The remainder of the building was demolished in the 1920s. There have been numerous recordings of severe flood events that may have had impacts on any archaeological fabric at the place and these events may also have contributed to its abandonment. There is potential for sub floor deposits relating to occupation of the house and the reuse of fabric from the mill.
STEAM FLOUR MILL - Archaeological Significance
The archaeological significance of the site is currently unknown but the place has been identified as having high archaeological sensitivity (Hewitt et.al 2014: 174). Without further archaeological investigation, the integrity, extent and nature of features and deposits cannot be determined.
STEAM FLOUR MILL - Historical Significance
The place is significant for its associations with the development with early manufacturing and the processing of raw materials in rural Victoria.
Heritage Inventory Description
STEAM FLOUR MILL - Heritage Inventory Description
Likely location of in situ footings and subsurface deposits of cultural heritage material relating to a former steam flour mill, located on Crown Allotments 2-4, Section 3, township of Fyansford. Archaeological features and deposits relating to the mill are likely to be present under and surrounding an extant inter-war bungalow. The Mill is referred to as SWS_11 and the bungalow as SWS_39 in Hewitt et.al (2014).
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OLD SWAN INNVictorian Heritage Register H0267
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BRIDGEVictorian Heritage Register H1108
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FYANSFORD HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0744
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