Overview
Several Mills worked in
the Dee River Valley, and in the district which later became known as Millgrove. Two of these Mills are still
operating.
They included:
Kennedy and Munro (1885-1886)
- this was one of the earliest steam-powered mills to be erected in the district, on the east bank of the Dee River,
about one mile above its confluence with the Yarra, below the Aqueduct.
Platt (1904-1924) - at the foot of Frenchman's
Creek
Sutherland (1924) - near the
foot of Frenchman's Creek
Henry, Slocum and Walker) (1907-1912) - below Ben Cairn
Mortimer Bros (1903-1910) -
below the Ben Cairn tourist road
Gilolis
(1903-1909) - on the Dee River, nearf Currie's Mill
Currie (1920-1927) - on the Dee River (taken
over by Feglin and Sons in 1928
Feiglin and Sons (1928-1934) - the former Currie Mill
Walker (1913-1915) - was located on
Walker Creek, about 4 km north of Millgrove.
Meyers (1930-1940) - this was sited just below the
Aqueduct on Frenchman's Creek and a tramway carried timber to the Millgrove railhead.
McKechnie
(1919-1968) - this mill operated for nearly 50 years, and was on the western side of the Dee River,
above the Aqueduct. The site is now private property, reached from the end of Dee Rd and shown on various maps as "APM
Access Track".(It was indicated as being still on-site in 2000 - Mountains and Ash)
The
Millgrove Walking Track passes through this property, and was originally
known as the "back track" from Mt Donna Buang to Millgrove. It follows the Walker Creek Gully, and leads to the Ben Cairn
Tourist Rd, near the junction with the Mt Donna Buang Rd. Current information about this track is sketchy, and it appears
that it is heavily overgrown and disused. A GeoCache expedition was made there in 2009. The Walker's Mill tramway was nearby.
The continuation of Dee Rd is a private road into
private property.
Sawn timber from these mills was transported down the Dee Valley on the Dee Valley Tramway, to the
railhead at Millgrove. This Tramway was shared between the various mills.
Of interest is the large cleared area just above the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Trail at the Dee Rd entry point
carpark. A timber tramway was on this land in the years 1885-1886, carrying logs to Kennedy and Munro's mill nearby.
The tramway ran from the Harrison Creek to the Dee River. The Creek still flows, and crosses underneath
the Aqueduct and Trail just east of the Dee Rd carpark. Its headquarters is high up near the Mt Donna Buang Tourist Rd.
Dee Rd ends at the Aqueduct, where tracks lead to private properties.
Inverarity and Baird (1945
to present day) - now the Millgrove Sawmill, on the Warburton Highway just opposite
the site of the former Millgrove Railway Station.
Alpine Sawmilling Company - small mill still
operating, located east of Millgrove above the Warburton Highway. The date of origin is unknown.
