From industry to art: the Heathcote mill building’s proud heritage

LOCAL retailers Hugh Moore, James Christie and Frederick Spinks launched their new Heathcote flour mill in December 1869 and the impressive brick structure still stands today, although it is now a private residence.

The McIvor Times published a lengthy account of the opening festivities and the new mill’s technological advantages.

“A large number of ladies and gentlemen assembled…to witness the christening of the new engine and flour mill,” it reported.

“Everything appeared to be in perfect working order, great attention having been paid to the saving of manual labour, and as an instance of this we may mention that the machinery is so constructed that from the time the wheat is shot down a trap door in the floor of the mill it is not again handled till it comes down fine silk-dressed flour!

“Shortly after 12 o’clock the christening was announced to take place, when Mrs Christie had the honour to perform the ceremony, and having dashed a bottle of champagne of the fly-wheel of the engine pronounced it ‘The Annie’ and the new mill, ‘The McIvor Flour Mill.’

“This part of the performance having been concluded, more champagne was brought into use in a different way.”

After a number of toasts and speeches, the mill was set in motion.

“The machinery works remarkably smooth, with the smallest possible vibration,” the paper reported.

“The engine is sufficiently powerful for all requirements, working up to eighteen or twenty horsepower.

“The building is three stories high, and most substantially built of brick on a stone foundation.”

It had been constructed next to Moore, Christie and Spinks highly successful retail business which was operated by the Christie family until 1867.

Unfortunately, its prosperity was short lived.

Stone mills were unable to compete with the new steel roller mills springing up across Victoria, and with in a few short years all of the district’s flour mills had closed.

The building then became part of Christies stores and later went on to house a number of different industries.

This included Wilkinson and Dearborn who manufactured candlewick bedspreads and cushions, as well as skirts for the Australian Women’s Army Service, from 1944 to 1953.

High-end textile firm Elcarte moved into the mill in 1957 with a Victorian Government guarantee of £4,000 to assist it in developing a woollen fabric industry in Heathcote.

Eclarte was founded by Edith “Mollie” Grove and Catherine Hardress in 1940, but it had folded by 1963.

In March 2009, renowned artist, the late Leonard French, told the McIvor Times he acquired the building in the 1960s after being struck by its potential.

“I think I just looked at this studio out the back and thought ‘I can’t get any better than this,’ so I bought the place,” he said.

He made the stained-glass ceiling for the great hall of the National Gallery of Victoria at the old mill.

By 2009 he was no longer working with glass, however he was still creating art.

“I don’t see myself doing any more in glass,” he said. “I’ve said all I can say in glass, to be honest, whereas painting is never ending.”