Edit Place: Gilbert and Co. Chaff Mill

Description:

“''Travellers along the north line are familiar with the name of Messrs. W. Gilbert & Co, for their chaff mill abuts on the railway just south of the Gawler station on the western side of the track.''” stated the Bunyip in 1914.<ref name=":0">(Bunyip 25 Dec 1914) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97735334</ref> [http://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/sets/72157632049158482/ Click here] to view photos of Gilbert and Co Chaff Mill [[Gilbert William|William Gilbert]] opened the W Gilbert & Co Chaff Mill at Evanston in about October 1886, [see [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/55071829535 advertisement]] it consisted of “the old works erected by Mr. W. Malcolm for a flour and chaff mill, but in which considerable alterations and improvements have been made.”<ref name=":4">“Mr. W. Gilbert's Chaff Works.” (Bunyip 4 Mar 1887) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97230131</ref> (William Malcolm’s venture into milling was short lived; seemingly lasting part only part of 1885 as he was troubled by ill health and financial difficulties, resulting in insolvency in December 1885.)<ref>(Adelaide Observer 19 Dec 1885) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/160747864</ref>[See [[Malcolm (Cr) William]]] The mill stood on the north eastern portion of a large triangular block of about 6 acres, situated between Barnet Road and the railway line, just south of the Gawler Railway Station, with the railway siding entering into it (part allotments 5, 6 & 7 Evanston – see [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/55056983372 allotment diagram]). In addition to the main mill site which included the residence (‘Mill Cottage’ later known as ‘Orange Grove’ – see [[Barnet Road 44|44 Barnet Road]]), there was an additional block of land on the opposite side of Barnet Road that was used for hay storage (part allotments 21 & 22 Evanston - also shown in [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/55056983372 allotment diagram]). Disaster struck within a year of Gilbert taking over the mill; at 9:30pm on the evening of 25^th August 1887 bells and whistles were heard throughout Gawler indicating a fire, but the fire brigade did not turn out and within an hour the new part of the mill had been destroyed.<ref name=":1">“THE FIRE FIEND. MR GILBERT'S CHAFF MILL BURNT.” (Bunyip 26 Aug 1887) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97228389</ref><ref name=":2">“Fire at Gawler” (South Australian Weekly Chronicle 27 Aug 1887) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/94956599</ref><ref name=":3">“The Fire at Gilbert's Chaff Mills. CORONER'S INQUEST.” (Bunyip 2 Sep 1887) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97227975</ref> Mr James Sale, the mill manager was quick to arrive and with men under his command applied water by bucket, saving the engine house and storeroom.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> By the end of September construction of a new mill of far larger proportions was underway by stone masons Messrs Herman & Moss, and Mr Peek had been employed to build a Manager's Residence for Mr Sale at the site and two worker's cottages to ensure someone was always in attendance<ref>"Gilbert's Chaff Mill" (Bunyip 30 Sep 1887) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97228711</ref> (this Manager's Residence would be 'Mill Cottage', which became 'Orange Grove). It didn't end up being James Sale who moved into the new Manager's Residence - William Gilbert’s nephew [[Payne William Gilbert|William Gilbert Payne]], who had been working with his uncle for some years, moved into the site’s ‘Mill Cottage’ and took on management of the mill in 1888.<ref name=":5">Clethra Spilsbury nee Payne (1987) Family History & Recollections – Unpublished (from the collection of Miriam Smith nee Cheek – Clethra’s niece)(Gratitude from GHT for access to this resource & to the late Clethra Spilsbury for recording her recollections, aged 84)</ref> Then he and partner William Henry George leased and ran the mill from 1902, until it was transferred to William Gilbert Payne in 1907.<ref name=":6">Certificates of Title 372/66, 662/26 & 771/149</ref> Over the years the business thrived and was expanded, with two additional mills at Wasleys.<ref name=":0" /> Local farmers transported their hay to the site, where it was weighed via weighbridge, purchased by the company and stacked in massive stacks, which were thatched to provide protection from the weather. By 1895 the mill was processing and bagging 30 tonnes of chaff on an ordinary day; the railway trucks came into the siding which had a shed erected over it to allow the bagged chaff to be loaded dry in even the heaviest rains, prior to being transported by rail for sale.<ref>“AN ENTERPRISING FIRM. A MODEL CHAFF MILL.” (Bunyip 12 Jul 1895) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97572885</ref> Journalists from the Bunyip made visits to the mill in 1887, 1895 and 1914 providing excellent descriptions of the establishment and its processes. For further details see the articles: ·       [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97230131 “Mr. W. Gilbert's Chaff Works.” (Bunyip 4 Mar 1887)] ·       [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97572885 “AN ENTERPRISING FIRM. A MODEL CHAFF MILL.” (Bunyip 12 Jul 1895)] ·       [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97735334 “GAWLER INDUSTRIES No. X. MESSRS W. GILBERT & CO'S CHAFFMILLS.” (Bunyip 25 Dec 1914)] In 1918 the mill, residence and adjacent paddocks were put up for sale by William Gilbert Payne, who was retiring to Henley Beach (see [https://www.flickr.com/photos/gawler_history/55056731474 newspaper advertisement]). They were purchased by [[Noack (Cr) Wilhelm Daniel|Wilhelm Daniel Noack]], who continued the chaff mill operations until at least 1952 (A Bunyip article from July 1952 reported the theft of some chaff bags from Noack's mill).<ref>(Bunyip 4 Jul 1952) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96897507</ref> The mill also made the news in 1948 when there was a “fracas” in which owner Wilhelm Daniel Noack was alleged to have attacked George Walter Modra with a pitch fork and tomahawk<ref>“Pitch Fork & Tomahawk Attacks Alleged in Gawler Court Case. Episode at Chaff Mill.” (Bunyip 28 May 1948) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96850315</ref><ref>“Sequel to Pitch Fork, Tomahawk Fracas” (Bunyip 4 Jun 1948) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96851586</ref> (see [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96850315 Bunyip 28 May 1948] & [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96851586 4 Jun 1948]). Since then the property was transferred and subdivided numerous times.<ref name=":6" /> The old stone chaff mill building was still standing in 1980, but was in bad repair, with “the eastern wall sloping dangerously inwards.” <ref name=":7">Phillips, Susan & Pilkington, Michael (1980) Gawler’s Industrial Buildings 1839-1939, Architecture Papers, Department of Architecture, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4EjkA7CXbhAUlV5TDBzbkpBMWc</ref> By 1989 the mill had been demolished and portion of the property where it stood on had been developed into housing (the mill was at about the address now known as 7 Warhurst Court). The additional block of land on the opposite side of Barnet Road that was used for hay storage, was sold off in 1951, but remained a paddock until 2005, before being developed into housing in 2006 (this is the area north of Birkett Street, including Flynn Court & Eastick Court). . === Mill Owners, Managers & Employees === The mill employed nine men full time in 1887,<ref name=":4" /> growing to employ eighteen to twenty hands in a good season by 1914.<ref name=":0" /> Many of those would have been seasonal employees, but those known to have been involved with the mill are: ·       Successive owners – [[Malcolm (Cr) William|William Malcolm]], [[Gilbert William|William Gilbert]], [[Payne William Gilbert|William Gilbert Payne]] & [[Noack (Cr) Wilhelm Daniel|Wilhelm Daniel Noack]] ·       William Henry George - partner of William Gilbert Payne from 1902-1907, W H George’s obituary states he purchased the Wasleys’ chaff mills after his partner died and carried on business with two of his sons until his death, which occurred in 1942.<ref>The Chronicle 19 Mar 1942) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92376972</ref> ·       James Sale, of [[Sale and Eastwood's Chaff Mill King Street 13|Sale and Eastwood Chaff Mill]], was manager of Gilbert & Co. Mill in 1887 when the fire struck.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> ·       Charles Smith (left in charge by manager James Sale) and Edward Burns, engine driver, were the mill employees who were present on the night of the 1887 fire.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> ·       Frederick Jefferies was an employee at the mill from 1906-1907, who was charged by William Gilbert Payne for absenting himself from employ “without just cause or lawful excuse”<ref>(Bunyip 25 Jan 1907) https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97603886</ref> (the case was adjourned as the defendant was ill – the outcome was not found.) ·       [[Curnow George William|Mr George William Curnow]] – was mill manager for a time according to William Gilbert Payne’s daughter Clethra’s recollections, she recalled he lived in one of the cottages at the mill site and his wife did the Payne family’s washing for many years, then he moved out to the Payne’s Aylesbury farm to assist the Payne sons<ref name=":5" /> . ''Compiled by Nikki Wight - with thanks to William Gilbert Payne' granddaughter Miriam Smith (nee Cheek) for sharing her extensive research, photographs & documents.'' . === Additional Information === For additional information see [https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4EjkA7CXbhAUlV5TDBzbkpBMWc “Gawler’s Industrial Buildings 1839 – 1939”] by Susan Phillips and Michael Pilkington<ref name=":7" /> (article and photograph pages 37 & 38)(Note: the Gilbert & Co Mill is also included in the map on page 11, but it is not in the correct location). [[Category:Place]] [[Category:Building]] The fields below can each contain multiple values. Separate them with a comma.

Save page Cancel