East Witchcliffe Mill

Child Places

• 04972 Mill End

Statement of Significance

East Witchcliffe Mill Settlement is of significance:
• For its historical association with the boom and bust timber industry in the Augusta-Margaret River district, and in particular with the re-establishment of the industry in the 1920s.
• For its important role in the economy of the Witchcliffe district, as well as surrounding areas, during the establishment phase of Group Settlement.
• As an important place of local employment from 1924.
• For the evidence it provides about the nature of mill settlements (which were largely developed as self-contained settlements).

Physical Description

The area of the old mill and settlement includes a range of buildings dating from the original period of development (timber workers cottages) through to the late twentieth century (the mill buildings erected after a fire destroyed the original mill in 1972). Construction materials are primarily weatherboard and corrugated iron.Based on current aerial photographs the main mill site includes four large sheds (the largest of which are approximately 70m long x 17m wide) and several smaller sheds, outbuildings, and residential buildings. The most intact and well maintained of these is the former Mill manager’s house (Millend, Place # WI-03).
There are also likely to be archaeological remains of former buildings (which historical documentation suggests included a community hall, general store, boarding house, single men’s quarters and at least twenty workers cottages).The extant interwar mill worker houses along the western side of Rowe Road (opposite the 1970s Mill) are simple cottages, similar in scale and form to the Group Settlers’ houses of the era and locality. Typically these are small rectangular houses with gabled corrugated iron roofs, raked front verandahs and skillion rooms at the rear. The facades are asymmetrical with an off-centre door flanked by timber casement windows. Walls are clad with square edged weatherboards.
Outbuildings and watertanks are other early features of these sites.On the main mill site there are several weatherboard and corrugated iron sheds (which, for the purpose of this place record, were viewed from the boundary roads only). There also appear to be further traditional mill workers buildings in this area.

History

Group Settlement began in this area in the early 1922. In December 1923, John Stewart and John Flinders Pilgrim, operating as WA Jarrah Forests Ltd, won a WA Government tender to build a sawmill to cut timber for the building of group settlement farm houses. The Mill was constructed near Group Settlement 72 (known as Walgine or East Witchcliffe) and in 1924 the impact of the new mill was reported as follows: The members of Group 72 are a very live, likely lot of Englishmen and Scotchmen. It is, perhaps, owing to the presence of the canny Scots that the timber on this group is not, like many others, being burnt and wasted. Every tree of commercial value has already been sold to the new mill now being erected near the group. The erection of the mill will be a big boon to the district, as some magnificent timber is still standing waiting for the axe. Messrs. Pilgrim and party, of Perth, who are erecting the mill, don't believe in doing things by halves. A visit to the site discloses a huge clearing in the midst of jarrah forests. A busy gang of men is engaged cutting, hewing, and building. Already good progress has been made, and I am informed that within a few months two to three hundred men are to be employed.The site of the mill is an admirable one, the major portion of the buildings being built on a nice, gradual rise. The mill is situated a mile off the Karridale road, just five miles from the Margaret and one mile from 72 group of huts at Walgine.
The company began operations under the management of John Pilgrim, and the mill became known as Pilgrim's Mill.A typical mill town was developed, with houses, single men's quarters, a boarding house, hall and general store. Once the mill saws started working, WA Jarrah Forests Ltd laid a half mile tram line using sawn jarrah rails to link with the WAGR line to Witchcliffe siding. Initially the loaded trucks were hauled by horses or a tractor, but eventually the wooden rails were replaced with steel and the horse drawn trucks replaced by a small locomotive.The mill plant consisted of [Mack, p 37]:
• 1 x three drum Stirling boiler (the major steam supplier)
• 1 x Davey Paxman horizontal steam engine (for twin saws and the big benches)
• 1 x Allen vertical steam engine (for driving electric generator, to power five small benches and the planning mill)
• 2 x large saw benches, twin saw (for breaking down the logs)
• 5 x small saw benches (two used for paving blocks and later for fruit cases)
• Horse teams and whims for hauling of logs reasonably close to the mill.
• Water supply equipment, pumping from a nearby gully and a well to overhead tanks near the mill
Pilgrim’s Mill served the needs of the Augusta Margaret River and Busselton area for building materials, produced sawn and hewn sleepers for interstate and export, and dried timber boards for flooring and lining (mainly exported to South Australia and Victoria).
During these early years, many of the employees lived on the mill site, the mill employing an average of 85 workers and up to 100 sleeper hewers. There were up to twenty houses, a further ten or twelve bachelor houses, a boarding house and a general store at East Witchcliffe. There was also a hall used for social and religious occasions.In 1929, the Adelaide Timber Co. purchased Pilgrim’s Mill, after WA Jarrah Forests Ltd went bankrupt. Pilgrim’s Mill then went under the management of Mr Ernest Shepherdson and the name was changed to East Witchcliffe Mill.The mill was driven by steam until connected to electricity in 1960.The mill was destroyed by fire on 27 July 1972. A new mill was constructed on a different part of the site and began operations in April 1974.
In the late twentieth century the business was operated by Worsley Timber Co.
The Mill finally ceased operation in c.2004 and is no longer used for commercial purposes.

Integrity/Authenticity

Medium: The use has been altered, but the original use is still clearly evident through interpretation of the fabric.
Medium: The place has had some alterations, but the original intent/character is still clearly evident.

Condition

Good to poor generally (across multiple buildings). The surviving historic (pre 1970) buildings are generally in a poor condition. *Assessed from streetscape survey only

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.