Other Steam-Mills that can be seen in Australia

Where to See an Historic Flour Watermill, Windmill or Steam Mill in Australia

Singleton Mills homepage > Visit an Historic Australian Mill > Visit Other Historic Steam Flour Mills

The first steam flour mill in Australia was constructed at Cockle Bay, Sydney, using a steam engine brought out from England by John Dickson. It began milling flour in 1815.

The first steam flour mill in Australia at Cockle Bay in Sydney.

Above, a sketch of Barker's steam flour mill at Cockle Bay (today's Darling Harbour) in Sydney. From 'History of Barker’s Mill Darling Harbour,' Casey & Lowe Pty Ltd, 2002.

Steam-driven flour mills were introduced in England in the 1780s. However, the massive difficulties in obtaining steam engines in Australia, transporting them, and supplying them with enough wood or coal, meant that windmills and watermills were mainly used for grinding wheat in the early decades of settlement. Nevertheless, by the 1850s, steam mills were beginning to take over.

Hundreds of steam flour mills were constructed across Australia during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Being more recent, the buildings of Australia's steam-powered flour mills survived more often than those of our watermills or windmills.

Clark's Steam Flour Mill in Adelaide, SA.

Above, an advertisement for Clark's Steam Flour Mill in SA. This mill has the typical appearance of many Australian steam mills, with multiple storeys, numerous windows arranged in regular rows, and a tall chimney. Image from the State Library of South Australia.

These steam mill buildings, with their characteristic shape and style, can be seen dotted across Australia in our country towns. Most have now been converted to serve other purposes, such as retail complexes, warehouses, distilleries, restaurants, and private residences; and a few now house museums and historic exhibitions.

The following five steam flour mills have already been described on our Best Historic Australian Mills webpage:

-- Connor's Mill Museum, Toodyay, WA.
-- Day's Flour Mill, Murchison, VIC.
-- Peerless Roller ill, Birdwood, SA.
-- Stanger's Mill, Rockley, NSW.
-- Tremain's Mill, Bathurst, NSW.

In coming weeks, information and photographs will be added to this webpage on many other steam flour mills that can be readily seen in Australia, such as:

New South Wales
-- Commercial Flour Mills, Gulgong.
-- Corowa Flour Mills, Corowa.
-- McCrossins Mill, Uralla.

Queensland
-- Defiance Flour Mill, Toowoomba.
-- Old Flour Mill, Ipswich.

South Australia
-- Dunn's Flour Mill, Quorn.
-- Hart's Mill, Port Adelaide.
-- Millala Flour Mill, Mallala.
-- Murray Bridge, Adelaide
-- Naracoorte Mill, Naracoorte.

Tasmania
-- Affleck's Mill, Longford.
-- Bowerbank Roller Flour Mill, Deloraine.
-- Harvey's Roller Flour Mill, Deloraine.

Victoria
-- Echuca Flour Mill, Echuca.
-- Portalington Mill, Portalington.

Western Australia
-- Old York Mill, York.

*** MORE INFORMATION TO COME ***

In this set of webpages, we present a guide to the best places in Australia to see an historic flour mill:

SingletonMills Guide to Old Flour Mills in Australia

-- Introduction to Australia's Old Mills

-- Best Historic Flour Mills in Australia

The following mills do not house milling displays, to our knowledge, but their buildings are intact and they can be readily viewed from the road or street.

-- Other Watermills

-- Other Windmills

-- Other Steam-Powered Mills (this page)


If you know of another historic Australian flour mill on public display that you would like us to add to these lists, please Contact Us.

Important
SingletonMills does not advise anyone to enter private property without the owner's permission to view any mill listed on this page. If public access to a mill building is not permitted for any reason, the listed mills should be viewed from the road without entering private property.