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Ownership of Dight's Mill
The Dight Family's mill and land along the Yarra changed hands a number of times in the mid to late 1800s. -
Charles Grimes
Charles Grimes, Surveyor General of New South Whales, is believed to be the first European to explore the Yarra River. -
Melbourne Settlement
Melbourne had eventually settled in 1835. Land was sub-divided and the first public land sales were held short after. -
John Dights Purchase of Land
In 1839 John Dight purchased Melbourne block 88, which included 26 acres of land along the Yarra River for £481 at the at the Port Philip land sales held in Sydney. -
Dight Moves to Port Philip
Dight was already in business of flour milling and had a mill near Campbell Town in NSW called 'Ceres'. -
Steam Flour Power Mill
The first steam powered flour mill was constructed in Melbourne in 1841 -
The Abandon of Flour Milling
The Dight family abandoned flour milling in 1864 and the property was sold to Edwin Trennery in 1878. -
The Original Mill
The original mill on the river bank remained unoccupied until 1888, when flour millers Gillespie, Aitken and Scott, operating under the name of 'Yarra Falls Roller Flour Mills' constructed a new mill and associated buildings at the sight. -
The Mill Race
The mill race was rebuilt in much the same position using bluestone blocks from Dights old mill building, and a new mill and associated building at the sight. -
The History of the Weir
The existing weir at Dight Falls dates back to 1895 when a timber structure was built to provide water to the Melbourne Flour Milling Company. -
Mill Owners
The mill changed hands for a final time in 1909 before it was destroyed by fire. The mill race and ruins of the mill can still be found at Dight Falls today. -
Breaches and Repairs
The first documented reconstruction activity occurred in 1918 when part of the timber weir washed away in flood waters. -
The Breach of the Weir
A breach of the weir on the 24th of December 1940 prompted another rebuild and the distribution of 1.5 tonnes of rock from the edge of the weir downstream. -
Heavy Rainfall
A further breach of the weir occurred after heavy rainfall in 1967. Most the timber decking, walling, and rock fill had washed away or were irreparably damaged during this flood. -
Melbourne Water
In 1993, Melbourne Water, recognising that the weir was a barrier to fish migration constructed a rock fishway to allow fish to move around the weir
