Gooralong Park & Flour Mill Site

Statement of Significance

The former flour mill was the largest flour mill established in Serpentine-Jarrahdale and one of the earliest industries outside farming and timber.

Physical Description

A two-storey building (5mx4m with a wooden water wheel. Straddling Gooralong Brook to the west of Jarrahdale and Chestnut Roads). (site only)

History

In 1855, Gooralong was surveyed and a 4 hectare block along the Gooralong stream was chosen by John Giblett for Joseph Batt to build Serpentine-Jarrahdale’s largest flour mill. The mill (known as Batt’s Mill or Gooralong Mill) was water-powered overshot waterwheel, as was the other flour mill built alongside the Carralong stream.
Traffic in and out of the flour mill moved along a series of cart tracks until roads were established with the development of the timber industry. Some of these cart tracks are still visible.
In 1896, David Gaffin, Local miller who became a highly respected member of the Jarrahdale community, bought Gooralong and owned this until his disappearance in June 1926. Despite an extensive search, David was never found.
The property was sold on to Thomas Tracy who described the property as the main building being 2 storey, with a wooden water-wheel.
The water was conveyed from a dam, 200 metres upstream, along a gravelly trench pugged with clay and one section over a depression on the ground was the form of the thirty metre flume made from 6 x 1 jarrah planks. Water was gravity fed from the dam along the clay and wooden flume where it was directed to feed into the top of the waterwheel seated in an earthen channel created abutting the Gooralong Brook.
In the 1980s, Gooralong Park became a popular camping and picnic reserve with ablutions and a pinus radiata plantation. Closed in the 1990s.

Condition

Demolished

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.