THOMAS FIRST MILL SITE
PLENTY GORGE PARK, OFF BRIDGE INN ROAD MERNDA, WHITTLESEA CITY
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Statement of Significance
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THOMAS FIRST MILL SITE - History
SiteCard data copied on 01/08/2024:Moses Thomas emigrated to Victoria in 1842 on the 'Robert Benn' from Greenock Scotland. He built the Mayfield Mill in 1855 as part of his larger farming and contracting activities. It was a little later than the other mills in the area and may have benefitted from a more developed technological and manufacturing base available at the time. Thomas’s mill was located on the Plenty River upstream of the existing Carome Mill at 'Marsh Farm'. He had earlier in 1854, started building the mill at another site just downstream of the final site, but this was made inconvenient because of the pipeline to the Yan Yean reservoir crossing the line of the water race. He abandoned this work after sinking foundations. It is this earlier site which reveals evidence in the form of levelled ground, cut stone and foundations trenches, as well as possible contemporary small artefacts such as glass, ceramics and metal, which is identified in this site record. Moses Thomas had previously been in partnership with his brother John, as building contractors in 1850, and so had the skills to build the mill himself. A Petition for compensation for the loss of water has the following statement: …Mr. Thomas became possessed of land having a frontage to the Plenty River, with a view to erect a flour-mill, to be driven by water power. In 1852 levels were taken, and in 1854 he sank foundations for the mill. After expending about £100 these operations were abandoned, on account of the line of pipe track coming between the site for the proposed mill and the main road. He afterwards commenced lo work on the other side of the pipe track, where the present mill now stands. (PARLIAMENT. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1868. The Argus Wednesday 5 August 1868, page 4.)THOMAS FIRST MILL SITE - Interpretation of Site
Some of the blocks of stone appear to have been dislodged either by flooding, or more likely disturbance by hand digging when a nearby drain was excavated. Most appear to be in a disturbed condition, but some are in situ. It is unlikely that these blocks would have come to the site by any other means as the only construction n the vicinity is the Yan Yean pipe track. There was work being undertaken in the 1870s to convert the pipe to a masonry aqueduct, but the stones from this work are much larger and finished in a quite different manner with quite rough axe cut faces, instead of the chisel and hammer faces of the blocks at the mill site. Archaeological features identified at the site include levelled ground, cut stone (some in situ) and foundations trenches.
Heritage Inventory Description
THOMAS FIRST MILL SITE - Heritage Inventory Description
The site of Thomas's first mill is marked by scattered cut and squared basalt building stones in approximate rectangle measuring 5 by 6 metres, possible extending further. Located on river flats just below a rock ledge on the Plenty River. The blocks are about 20 x 30 x 40-50 cm. A water race can be followed upstream for about 50 metres beside the river. the location is just near the outlet of a drain which is fed from the Siriani channel to the north west. This may also have originally been utilised as part of the intended water race. The site is located about 50 metres upstream of the masonry dam built for the Carome Mill in about 1842 (H7922-0046)
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