Historic Images of Singleton's Mill at Layburys Creek
aka Gunderman, Laybury Creek, Laybury's Creek, Asterley Mill, Asterly, Singletons Mill
Singleton Mills homepage > Laybury Creek Watermill > Historical photos and paintings of Layburys Creek mill
James Singleton established a tidal watermill at Laybury Creek, 12km southwest of Wisemans Ferry, NSW, in 1834. Situated on a picturesque bend of the Hawkesbury River, the watermill became a prominent landmark in the area, until it was finally removed in the early 1900s.
Above, the site where James Singleton established his watermill at Laybury Creek in 1834.
The charm of the Laybury Creek mill building attracted many artists and photographers to this location. As a result, we are fortunate to have a wealth of paintings and photographs of this particular old historical tidal watermill. Few images survive of any of the other mills established by the Singleton Family.
On this webpage, we present a comprehensive collection of these images. Les Dollin has analysed these images in detail and discovered new information about the structure and function of this watermill. His insights, briefly given below, are discussed in detail in our downloadable PDF: New Discoveries about Singletons Mill at Layburys Creek (COMING SOON).
We warmly thank the Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical Society for their help with this research, and especially, Matthew Kenny, who found a number of the rarer images in this collection and shared his outstanding research with us.
The paintings and photographs of the Laybury's Creek watermill were created from a variety of viewpoints. They also capture the mill in a variety of periods, ranging from the late 1800s through to the early 1900s.
To make it easier to compare the images, we present them below in four groups:
1. Southern view
2. Eastern view
3. Northern view
4. Western view
1. Southern view of Singletons Mill
These images show the side wall of the mill that faces Laybury Creek.
(a) Painting by John Black Henderson in 1879.
This appears to be the earliest image that we have so far. This appears to be low tide, and you can see a flow of water coming into the millpond in the foreground, through the channel underneath the mill building. From an album of paintings, State Library of NSW.
(b) Painting by Julian Rossi Ashton in 1889.
This is a particularly beautiful painting of the mill with the miller's house on the left. The painting shows the idyllic setting of the mill and the beauty of Laybury Creek. There is an old rough log bridge over the waterway in the foreground, possibly part of an old road. A small dip in the wall of the mill pond may be a small breach caused by flooding. Matt Kenny points out that there are three small shacks or sheds to the left of the mill building along the fence line.
(c) Photograph, probably in 1890s.
This photograph gives a good close-up view of the waterwheel, which has paddles on it, not buckets. A wheel with paddles on it could be run in both directions, both as the tide comes in and as the tide goes out. A white sign can be seen on the mill wall, above the wheel. Hawkesbury Library Service collection. Image date and source not recorded.
(d) Photograph by William Hall, taken between 1894 and 1909.
You can see that this photograph is later than the previous one, because the mill wheel paddles have now gone. However, a bridge that was constructed over part of the mill wall is well shown in this photograph. Australian National Maritime Museum Collection.
(e) Photograph, probably 1900s
This appears to be the most recent image that we have found so far. The mill building is severely deteriorating now. However, this allows us to see the huge axle that the mill wheel rotated on. It also is an excellent demonstration that this tidal watermill building was built suspended over the water, supported by stone walls. There are two water channels underneath the mill building. The right-hand channel was where the water flowed back and forth to turn the mill wheel. The left-hand channel was similar to a safety valve, to handle excess water in the system that otherwise may have damaged the mill wall. Hawkesbury Library Service collection. Image date and source not recorded.
2. Eastern view of Singletons Mill
These images show the end wall of the mill and the waterwheel, from a viewpoint on the Hawkesbury riverbank downstream from the mill.
(a) Postcard photograph, possibly late 1870s
On the far right hand corner of the stonework in front of the wheel you can see a vertical structure which was the winch that opened and closed the sluice gate across the water channel. This is taken at a relatively low tide as seen by the tide mark on the stonework. The image also clearly shows the 'crib' construction used in the section of the mill wall nearest to the building. The section of the wall in the foreground has been damaged by flooding. From 'Aussie Mobs' on Flickr.
(b) Photograph, possibly 1880s
The mill building is starting to deteriorate although the wheel's paddles are intact. The mill roof appears to be made of shingles. There seems to be a temporary rough log bridge over the creek near the foreground. Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical Society collection.
(c) Painting by Julian Rossi Ashton, possibly in 1886.
This is a black and white photograph of a watercolour painting. The tide seems to be particularly low in this view of the mill. According to this painting, the water level in the channel underneath the water wheel would have been some distance below the bottom of the wheel at very low tide. Therefore, the wheel would have stopped for a period during the lowest tide, allowing adjustments of the machinery inside the mill. Matt Kenny points out the tiny boathouse building to the right of the mill.
(d) Painting by Julian Rossi Ashton, in 1898.
This painting shows the mill at very low tide, and, as in the previous image, the level of the water in the channel underneath the waterwheel appears to be significantly below the bottom edge of the wheel. Matt Kenny pointed out that the lower half of the verandah of the miller's house appears to have been enclosed -- compare with the Henderson painting in 1879 (Eastern view, first image). Matt also comments that the shape and style of the miller's cottage is shown particularly clearly in this image.
(e) Photograph, possibly 1890s
This photograph shows the new wooden bridge that was built over the creek in later years. The crib structure of the remaining part of the mill wall is also well shown. The waterwheel paddles are intact but the building is starting to deteriorate. Hawkesbury Library Service collection. Image date and source not recorded.
(f) Photograph by William Hall, taken between 1894 and 1909.
The mill building is showing substantial deterioration now and the wheel's paddles have gone. However, the mill roof now seems to be covered with corrugated iron. The stonework underneath the mill is clearly shown. Two particularly large stone blocks, on the lower left underneath the man, would have been part of a massive wall supporting the heavy machinery of the mill. The massive square axle of the waterwheel, passing through the mill wall, can also be seen. Australian National Maritime Museum Collection.
(g) Photograph by William Hall, taken between 1894 and 1909.
The freshly built wooden bridge with its neat side rails are clearly shown in this photograph. Australian National Maritime Museum Collection.
3. Northern view of Singletons Mill
These images show the side wall of the mill that faces the Hawkesbury River.
(a) Woodcut based on a sketch by "Mr. Collingridge, Sydney", 1881.
The gap under the mill building, where water flowed to and from the river, can be seen in this image. There appears to be heavy vegetation along the river bank that is not seen in other images. From Sketches of a trip up the Hawkesbury' first published in The Australasian Sketcher. Published by Alfred May and Alfred Martin Ebsworth. From the State Library of Victoria.
(b) Photograph, possibly 1890s
This is a rare detailed view of the northern side of the mill building. The wooden planks of the mill walls are covered with sump oil, which may have been done to preserve the building. There is a short low wharf with two white posts in front of the mill building. This wharf would have been used by river boats that were delivering wheat and picking up flour. The enclosed front verandah of the mill house can also be seen in this image. Dharug and Lower Hawkesbury Historical Society collection.
(c) Photograph, possibly 1890s or 1900s.
This low resolution photograph actually shows the door and windows on this side of the mill more clearly than the other images. The water channels under the mill building are also clearly shown. From a set of newspaper clippings and extracts from the Evening News, dating from 1890s by G. B. Barton, State Library of NSW. Copy held in Hawkesbury Library Service.
4. Western view of Singletons Mill
This is the only image, of which we know, showing the other end wall of the mill, from a viewpoint on the Hawkesbury riverbank upstream from the mill.
(a) Painting by William Lister Lister, created after 1888.
This gorgeous watercolour painting, with spring flowers on the river bank beside the pathway, shows an unusual view of the mill. There are two windows in the western wall of the mill and the paling fence on this side of the mill is very clearly shown. There appear to be two steam boats moored behind the mill building, with smoke coming out of the funnels of both boats. Matt Kenny points out that the miller's house would be up the hill to the right of the mill, out of the view of the painting.
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