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First (Original) Owners | Part 1 | (Pre 1803)
Wurundjeri Balluk people were the original owners of this area of Dights Falls, this area involved both the Merri Creek and Yarra River Junction, this area was very important and spiritual to the Wurundjeri Balluk people as they used this area for a number of major ceremonies. These Wurundjeri Balluk people, who are part of the Woiworung (language group), used this narrow rocky outcrop as a natural pathway, in which they performed these ceremonies. -
First (Original) Owners | Part 2 | (Pre 1803)
This land was considered an important place of trade, as well as an area for debate resolution, and they even used this place for marriage as well as many other significant ceremonies. Not only this particular area was significant to them, it also was very convenient, as this river junction (of the Merri Creek and Lower Yarra River) provided a number of species of animals. -
First (Original) Owners | Part 3 | (Pre 1803)
Therefore they could live in this area for a number of weeks, as they hunted these species for food. This place is significant to the Wurundjeri Balluk people still to this day.
Image: http://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/imagecache/download/b28308.jpg
European Settlement Image: https://www.melbournewater.com.au/aboutus/historyandheritage/PublishingImages/aboringines.jpg -
European Settlement
As a Surveyor General in New South Wales (early 1800’s), Charles Grimes was the first to explore to Yarra River, leading his survey party through a river expedition, in which they travelled to around the Yarra Falls (Dights Falls). This is where in 1903 they were reporting on the prospects of living there, without much approval from the aboriginals occupying the area. Eventually towards 1835 Melbourne began settlement, resulting in the land being subdivided, allowing the first public land sales. -
Development of the First Weir (Part 1)
During 1939, Melbourne block 88, which was 26 acres of land located along the Yarra River, which was purchased by John Dight for £481, in the Sydney for the Port Phillip land sales. John was already involved in the flour milling business, and so he had a mill named ‘Ceres’, located around Campbell Town, New South Wales. Therefore in 1840, John had notified his customers via the Sydney Herald of his soon move to Port Phillip. -
Development of the First Weir (Part 2)
Soon after the first flour mill was constructed, in Melbourne 1841, John built his own water powered mill, consisting of bricks, purchased from Tasmania. He gained power from the river to run the his mill, he did this by causing the water from the river to flow through an inlet channel leading to an undershot water wheel. Therefore to regulate flow as well as to ensure water flow whilst low river levels, John constructed a rough stone weir. -
Changing Ownership of the Dight’s Mill (Part 1)
Throughout the mid through to late 1800’s, Dight’s Mill had changed owners multiple times. As the Dight family had ditched their flour milling business in 1869, therefore Edwin Trenerry had taken up ownership, as they had sold him the land (in 1878). As Edwin had taken ownership of the land, he decided to eventually divide the land.
(Development of the Weir) Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ab/Dights_mill_in_1863.jpg/220px-Dights_mill_in_1863.jpg -
Changing Ownership of the Dight's Mill (Part 2)
However, the mill John Dight had constructed remained vacant and unoccupied, up and till 1888, in which a number of flour millers (Gillespie, Aitken and Scott) had constructed a new mill, along with relevant buildings around the area. These flour millers had been titled ‘Yarra Falls Roller Flour Mills’.
Image: http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/vhd-images/places/000/119/871.jpg -
New Mill Construction (Part 1)
This new mill created by flour millers know as ‘Yarra Falls Roller Flour Mills’, was still fairly similar to the original flour mill created by John Dight, as the new mill was built in a very similar position, they created this mill by using bluestone blocks provided from John Dight’s old mill building. They had also created new buildings relevant to the flour mill, in this same area. Later this mill was sold to the Melbourne Flour Milling Company, in 1891. -
New Mill Construction (Part 2)
Later on in 1909, the mill had changed hands, this was the final time this happened as it then was destroyed in a fire. Although still to this day, you can see John Dight’s mill ruins.
Image: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1t3p1BzpsQI/THofxA37M4I/AAAAAAAAAFU/3izOinGhtDc/s1600/excursion+fotos+086.jpg -
Repairs and Improvements (Part 1)
In 1918, the first reconstruction occurred of this mighty weir, as particularly a fraction of the weir had been damaged as to strong flood waters. Also the Minister for Public Works, declared that the weir shall be rebuilt, although not too much is known on how far this went. Although the weir had to be repaired again, due to a breach of the weir, which occurred on the 24th of December during 1940, as for this rebuild 1.5tonnes of rocks were distributed onto the weir’s edge. -
Repairs and Improvements (Part 2)
Once again a breach in the weir had occurred due to heavy rainfall during 1967, which had either washed away or critically had damaged a majority of the timber decking, wallings and rock fill. Therefore the previous timber decking had been replaced by concrete which resulted in a much stronger and compact structure, this is how the weir still consists of today.
Image: http://www.fishhabitatnetwork.com.au/images/project/Dights-Falls-2002-WKoster-IMG-0355-new-1339.jpg -
Fish Migration (Part 1)
During 1993, researchers had discovered that the weir had a critical impact on fish migration, as it had acted as a barrier to fish migration, which negatively reduced the population of fish in the yarra river. Therefore, fortunately they constructed a rock fishway, this enabled the fish to continue to migrate in order to reproduce, which positively increases their population. -
Fish Migration (Part 2)
Although this was the best thing to do at the time, the weir still continues to block off native fish migration in the Yarra river as it decreases their reproduction (and so population), and so there is still much to be done.
Image (Part 1): http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qi7bfrB5mKs/VQQfjNemGFI/AAAAAAAAilg/nRHLIqlfAnU/s1600/Dights%2B2.jpg
Image (Part 2): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/HDRDightsFalls.jpg
