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NEW FEDERAL MILL
UPPER YARRA WALKING TRACK ADA, BAW BAW SHIRE
NEW FEDERAL MILL
UPPER YARRA WALKING TRACK ADA, BAW BAW SHIRE
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Victorian Heritage Register
1 new federal mill ada valley piedmont outlet tram jul1998
On this page:
Statement of Significance
What is significant?
The New Federal Mill is a large and multi-faceted sawmill site, with evidence of logging, milling, timber transport and workers’ accommodation. The mill was operated by the Federal Timber Company from 1935-1949, and was connected by an outlet tramway to the railhead at Warburton via Starling Gap. The site features substantial remains of the mill shed including concrete, timber and brick machinery foundations, timber tramways on log supports, and iron cabling. Remnant roof posts indicate the size of the mill shed, while three tall tree spars which originally supported a water tank are still standing. Numerous large tree stumps around the site indicate the size of Mountain Ash trees originally logged. The mill dugout is collapsed but its size and purpose as a bushfire refuge are clearly demonstrated. The brick, stone, iron and timber remains of numerous domestic buildings are also located around the site, demonstrating the separation of the mill community into areas for single men and families. The outlet tramway is a comparatively intact example of its kind, with substantial bridge remains, earth cuttings and sleepers in situ.
How is it significant?
The New Federal Mill is of historical and archaeological significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The New Federal Mill is archaeologically important for the relative intactness of its remains, which provide evidence of the scale, structure and functioning of a steam-powered sawmill, which operated in Victoria’s premier logging district of the early twentieth century. Domestic artefacts from the site also have the potential to provide evidence relating to the cultural history of sawmilling settlements.
The New Federal Mill is historically significant for its associations with manager Jack Corbett, a French Canadian responsible for introducing into Victoria large-scale North American logging methods such as ‘skylines’, high lead winches and multi-drum ‘Washington’ winches. The New Federal Mill is also historically significant as a mill which produced barrel staves, an unusual form of the timber industry
The New Federal Mill is a large and multi-faceted sawmill site, with evidence of logging, milling, timber transport and workers’ accommodation. The mill was operated by the Federal Timber Company from 1935-1949, and was connected by an outlet tramway to the railhead at Warburton via Starling Gap. The site features substantial remains of the mill shed including concrete, timber and brick machinery foundations, timber tramways on log supports, and iron cabling. Remnant roof posts indicate the size of the mill shed, while three tall tree spars which originally supported a water tank are still standing. Numerous large tree stumps around the site indicate the size of Mountain Ash trees originally logged. The mill dugout is collapsed but its size and purpose as a bushfire refuge are clearly demonstrated. The brick, stone, iron and timber remains of numerous domestic buildings are also located around the site, demonstrating the separation of the mill community into areas for single men and families. The outlet tramway is a comparatively intact example of its kind, with substantial bridge remains, earth cuttings and sleepers in situ.
How is it significant?
The New Federal Mill is of historical and archaeological significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The New Federal Mill is archaeologically important for the relative intactness of its remains, which provide evidence of the scale, structure and functioning of a steam-powered sawmill, which operated in Victoria’s premier logging district of the early twentieth century. Domestic artefacts from the site also have the potential to provide evidence relating to the cultural history of sawmilling settlements.
The New Federal Mill is historically significant for its associations with manager Jack Corbett, a French Canadian responsible for introducing into Victoria large-scale North American logging methods such as ‘skylines’, high lead winches and multi-drum ‘Washington’ winches. The New Federal Mill is also historically significant as a mill which produced barrel staves, an unusual form of the timber industry
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