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The Wurundjeri people
The Wurundjeri Balluk people are the traditional landowners of the area around Dights Falls. . Nearby the junction of the Merri creek and Yarra river was used as an important meeting place for trade, marriage, dispute resolution and many other ceremonies. The area could sustain groups of people for a number of weeks at a time since the two rivers provided many fish and animals that were good for hunting. The area remains a spiritual place for Wurundjeri people today. -
European settlement
In 1803 Charles Grimes, apparently, was the first European to explore the Yarra River. He then led his survey party onto a river expedition to the Yarra Falls, Dights Falls, and they then settled in. -
First public land sales
In 1835, when Melbourne was settled, the land was than sub-divided. Not long after that the first public land sales were then conducted. -
Melbourne block 88 was purchased
In 1839, John Dights purchased Melbourne block 88. The block included 26 acres of land along the Yarra River for 481 pounds at the Port-Phillip land sales held in Sydney. -
Dight notified his customers
Sometime in April in 1840, Dight had notified his customers through the Sydney Herald that he was leaving to go to Port-Phillip. -
The first steam powered mill
The first steam powered mill was constructed in Melbourne in 1841 and the river was used to power the mill. The water would flow along an inlet channel to turn an undershoot water wheel. Dight then constructed a rough stone weir in order to regulate the flow of the water. -
The abandoned flour milling
In 1864, the Dight family abandoned flour milling. -
Flour milling property changed
In 1864 the Dight family had abandoned the flour milling . In 1878, the property was sold to Edwin Trennery where it was then sub-divided. A new mill and other buildings were then built on the land and it was then sold in 1891 to the Melbourne Flour Milling Company. -
New structure built
A timber structure had been built to help provide water for the Melbourne Flour Milling Company in 1895. -
The mill was destroyed by fire
After the mill was sold once more, it was then destroyed by fire in 1909. The ruins of the mill as well as the mill race can still be found at Dights Falls today. -
Reconstruction
The first reconstruction activity had occurred in 1918 when part of the timber weir washed away in the flood waters. The minister for public works then declared that the weir would be rebuilt. -
Rebuild
On the 24th of December in 1940, it had been decided that the weir was to be rebuilt. -
Damage
In 1967 the heavy rainfall had caused most of the timber decking, walings and rock fill to wash away or it had been damaged to a point where it wasn't replaceable. -
The rock fishway
In 1993 was when it had been recognised that the weir was a barrier to fish migration, which was constructed a rock fishway to allow fish to freely move around the weir. The rock fishway was only partially effective and the Dights Falls weir continues to act as a major barrier to native fish migration in the Yarra River
