Learn the history of the Fyansford Paper Mills

THE Highton Rotary Club is running heritage tours of the Fyansford Paper Mill, sharing the history and stories of the building.

The club started doing guided tours in November 2022 run entirely by volunteers, and have since welcomed over 2000 visitors through the mill.

Highton Rotary and Fyansford Heritage Tours committee member Stephen Bath said the tours were becoming a good drawcard for the area.

“We wanted to do a community service to preserve the heritage and pass on the knowledge of what was there, before it’s all lost.

“It’s just something that creates a really good interest and vibrant livelihood, to bring it all back to life, we want to make sure people remember it.”

Mr Bath said one of the highlights of the tour was the great hall, constructed from bluestone.

“When you look at the two-storey height of it, it’s just an amazing thing, walking in and immersing yourself in the history of what used to be there.”

The heritage-listed buildings are the only remaining intact old paper mill structures in Australia.

The Fyansford Paper Mill was constructed in 1876 and recycled rags and clothing into paper products, before the Royal Australian Navy secretly used the site to build sea mines.

Paper stopped being manufactured at the mill in 1923 after it was no longer economically viable.

The Paper Mill also has a bluestone water race, which has been damaged, and the Highton Rotary are presently trying to partially restore.

Tours take place every Sunday, with the money generated used by the Highton Rotary to support local and international community projects. More than $18,000 has been raised so far.

In recent years, several businesses have moved into the precinct.

“It’s a really good place to go for a visit if you haven’t been there before, or haven’t been for a while, it’s really changing,” Mr Bath said.

For more information or to book a tour, head to trybooking.com/CBZSH