Dight Falls Significance

Indigenous Australians use Dight Falls

1837

Indigenous Australians used Dight Falls as meeting place, river crossing and for fishing. Before the Europeans took over the land/river.

Constructing Brick mill - John Dight

Period: 1838 to 1842

John Dight builds a brick mill on the area and starts to produce some flour.

John Dight acquires land

Nov 7, 1838

John Dight gets ownership of portion 88, Parish of Jika Jika, County of Bourke in 1838

Ownership given John Dight and his brother

1843

In 1843 ownership of the land was given to John Dight and his brother Charles Hilton Dight.

Abandoned Mill and leased to Thomas Kenny

1864

In 1864 the flour milling use was abandoned and the mill was then leased to Thomas Kenny

Site was used by the Patent Safety Blasting Powder Co.

Period: 1870 to 1879

In the mid 1870s, the site was used by the Patent Safety Blasting Powder Co.

Sold Mill to Edward Trennery

1878

In 1878 the Dight family sold the mill to Edwin Trennery. And he subdivided the land.

'Yarra Falls Roller Flour Mills' - new mill

1888

The original mill on the river bank remained unfilled until 1888. Until when flour millers Gillespie, Aitken and Scott, operating under the name of 'Yarra Falls Roller Flour Mills' constructed a new mill.

Founding act established and licence issued

Period: 1890 to 1895

In 1890, the founding Act of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works was established and the Board issued a licence to the company in 1895 for the construction and maintenance of the weir at the Falls.

New Mill sold

1891

The new mill was sold in 1891 to the Melbourne Flour Milling Company run by the Hon. James Bell.

Mill sold and mill burnt down

Period: 1909 to 1929

In 1909 The Melbourne Flour Milling Co sold the mill to Messrs John Darling and Son, who were well know millers and wheat merchants from South Australia. John Darling and Son made the lease longer with the Board of Works, but for only 3 months. But during this time the mill was burnt down by a terrible fire. All that remained of the mill was removed form the site in the 20 years that followed, The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works have owned the site for most of the twentieth century.

Weir partially rebuilt

1941

The weir was partially rebuilt. It is significant because it shows the position of the original weir and is one of the last surviving examples of a 19th century industrial development.