Andersons Mill

About The Mill

Located in Smeaton, an area well known for it's fertile volcanic soils and goldmining past the Mill was built in two sections.

Construction for the five storey flour Mill commenced in 1861, and was operational within 6 months. The Oat section of the Mill was completed by the following harvest.

Outbuildings such as the stables, grain store and bluestone office were added later as the operation expanded. , where the early pioneer Captain Hepburn also operated a flour Mill

The water wheel was developed from designs by John Smeaton and the patterns cast locally in Ballarat at Hunt and Opie's Victoria Foundry.

Water was leased from Hepburn Lagoon, about 5km from the Mill, then released into Birch Creek before being channelled into the water race to turn the huge wheel.

The amount of water required depended on what product was being processed. The person operating the release gates at Hepburn Lagoon would be asked to release 'half oats water' or 'full flour water' for the shift's operation.

The Anderson Family

The Anderson brothers arrived on the goldfields from Scotland in 1851. After success as diggers on the Goldfields they became sawmillers, supplying timber for the gold industry from their Wombat Forest sawmills. In 1862, with money generated from the gold and timber industries, Anderson’s Mill was built in order to tap into the local agricultural and population boom. The building was designed by John Anderson, who had trained as a millwright in Scotland. The height of the building reflected the need to use gravity in the milling process, the siting to utilise the water from Birch Creek. The Anderson family owned and operated the Mill for all of it’s working life, almost 100 years.

The End of an Era

The Anderson's had worked the mill through boom times, depression and war. But despite its impressive beginnings, the prosperity of the Mill was short lived. New railway lines missed Smeaton and the centre of wheat gradually shifted north and west. Wide annual variations in wheat harvests also made it difficult for small scale local millers to obtain regular supplies.

After closing in 1957, most of the machinery was sold for scrap. For almost twenty years the building began to gracefully decay. In 1974 it became one of the first buildings to be included on the Historic Buildings Register. Much needed repairs were made and mill was finally purchased by the State Government in 1987. Restoration then began in earnest to preserve the history and beauty of the mill.

What you see today is the culmination of hard work and dedication from conservation professionals, local groups and government departments involved in the restoration program.

Significance of the Mill

The building is listed on the Historic Buildings Register, the National Estate Register of the Australian Heritage Commission, and is also classified by the National Trust.

Opening Times

Andersons Mill is open on the first Sunday of each month from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Entry and guide is by donation. The grounds around the Mill may be enjoyed at other times but please observe private property signs.