Mornington Mill (fmr)

Statement of Significance

• The place has historic value for its association with the former mill and townsite which were located on this site. • The place has social value for the many people who lived and worked at Mornington Mills until its closure in 1961. • The place has social value as a memorial to the former mill and townsite and is also the memorial to those who died in the 1920 train crash on the line from Mornington.

Physical Description

Remnant structure of the former mill. Brick base with machinery and plaques. The remainder of the site is used as a recreational camp site and no other structures from the former mill remain.

History

Mill Manager, Henry Smith (‘Big Smith’) supervised the building of Mornington Mill for Charles and Edwin Millar, founders of Millar Brothers’ timber company. Operations were overseen by general manager, Henry Teesdale Smith (‘Little Smith’). Situated about five miles south-east of Wokalup, Mornington was in full operation in 1899 and workers moved to Yarloop when it closed in 1964/65. In addition to the usual twin circular saws, one of its two mills operated a vertical saw. Among the locomotives at Mornington was 'The Jubilee', the train involved in the 1920 crash. A five million gallon dam supplied the mill’s water and later to each home, via a single tap. Initially a company-paid matron ran a hospital served by Doctors Cameron and Day-Lewis. Later a company doctor from Yarloop visited weekly. The strictly controlled company town accommodated workers and boasted a company store, a hall, boarding houses and dwellings with no bathrooms (rented at one shilling per room per week). Dances and movies provided regular entertainment. Mornington had two churches and a school that, in 1930, enrolled 132 children. It was a ‘dry’ town, inviting regular visits to Wokalup or to ‘Kelly the Mug’ who operated sly grog on his private property outside town. It was suggested that he also ran a brothel. Rail cargo restrictions prevented the company store selling newspapers so ‘Mandell the Jew’ delivered papers from a cart pulled by his horse, ‘Lily Pond’. The company authorised privately owned ‘sweets’ shop was acknowledged as a blind for a betting shop. Mornington Mill closed on 11 August 1961 and is now a P.C.Y.C. youth camp, ‘Camp Mornington’.

Integrity/Authenticity

Low/ Low

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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