EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
RECOMMENDATION TO THE
HERITAGE COUNCIL TO
AMEND AN EXISTING REGISTRATION
NAME
DATE REGISTERED:
VHR NUMBER:
HERITAGE OVERLAY NO:
LOCATION
CATEGORY
FILE NUMBER:
HERMES NUMBER:
ANDERSONS MILL COMPLEX
9 OCTOBER 1974
VHR H1521
HO598
9 ALICE STREET and 3635 CRESWICK-NEWSTEAD ROAD SMEATON,
HEPBURN SHIRE
HERITAGE PLACE
FOL/15/23517
2366
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECOMMENDATION TO THE HERITAGE COUNCIL:
To amend the existing registration for VHR H1521 in accordance with s.54 of the Heritage Act 1995 by:
 Including the Andersons Mill Bridge in the registration.
 Updating the Statement of Significance to reflect this inclusion and current stylistic conventions.
Reasons for the proposed amendment:
It is proposed to include the Andersons Mill Bridge in the extent. This bridge is mentioned in the existing
Statement of Significance for the Andersons Mill Complex but was not included in the extent when land
was added to this registration in 2008.
The existing registration documentation is provided at Attachment 1 of this report.
TIM SMITH
Executive Director
Recommendation Date: 13 November 2015
AMENDMENT BACKGROUND
In mid-2015 the Shire of Hepburn signalled their intention to upgrade the Andersons Mill Bridge. This
prompted a nomination to the VHR. This bridge (over Birch Creek) is mentioned in the existing Statement of
Significance for the Andersons Mill Complex but was not included in the extent when land was added to this
registration in 2008. The existing Statement of Significance states:
The industrial elements of the mill complex are located in a highly intact landscape setting which includes the
Anderson family home and its garden, Birch Creek and the bridge on the access road and areas of European
vegetation, all set within the context of the creek valley and surrounding farm land.
The bridge over Birch Creek was privately built c.1890 by the Andersons and is an integral part of the historic
environs of the Anderson’s mill complex. The bridge is historically significant as the best, and probably the
only, fully-intact and authentic medium-sized Victorian bluestone and timber-beam bridge surviving from
the late nineteenth century.
PROPOSED CATEGORY OF REGISTRATION
No change.
PROPOSED EXTENT OF REGISTRATION
All of the place shown hatched on Diagram 1521 encompassing all of Lots 1-4 on Title Plan 741386, all of
Crown Allotments 7A and 7B, Section 3, Township and Parish of Smeaton and part of the Road Reserve for
Alice Street and the timber patterns for cast components of waterwheel.
2
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
The extent of registration of the Andersons Mill Complex the Victorian Heritage Register affects the whole
place shown on Diagram 1521 including the land, all buildings (including the interiors and exteriors), roads,
trees, landscape elements (including bridges) and other features.
AERIAL PHOTO OF THE PLACE SHOWING PROPOSED REGISTRATION
Andersons Mill
Bridge (over
Birch Creek).
3
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
PROPOSED STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
What is significant?
Andersons Mill Complex, Smeaton, comprising a very large bluestone mill building, waterwheel, 23 metre
tall brick chimney, bluestone office, stables, granary, blacksmiths shop, residence and bridge.
History Summary
Andersons Mill Complex was built for the Anderson brothers from 1861 onwards to service Creswick's
prospering agricultural district. Its purpose was to process grain (wheat and oats) and mill flour. The
Anderson brothers migrated from Scotland in 1851, and were involved in goldmining before developing a
thriving sawmilling business which serviced the gold mining industry. They were also involved in agriculture
and land speculation. Their successes enabled them to make the large investment in the Mill. John Anderson
had trained as a millwright in Scotland. Construction of a timber residence began in the early 1860s with
further additions in the nineteenth century including a separate bluestone kitchen block. The mill’s
waterwheel was built by Hunt & Opie’s Victoria Foundry in Ballarat. Around 1889 the Andersons built a
bluestone and timber bridge over Birch Creek to provide access to the mill, replacing an earlier bridge. The
mill closed in the late 1950s and members of the Anderson family lived continuously in the residence on the
site up until 2008. The Andersons Mill Complex, apart from the residence, was purchased by the State
government in 1987 as a Bicentennial gift to the people of Victoria, and the land became a Historic Reserve
which is now under the management of Parks Victoria.
Description Summary
Andersons Mill Complex, Smeaton comprises a five-storey bluestone mill building constructed from local
basalt rock, a 8.5 metre diameter waterwheel (weighing 25 tons), a 23 metre tall brick chimney, bluestone
office, granary, garage and stables, blacksmiths shop, fowl house, residence, bluestone kitchen, timber
laundry, small timber store, brick toilet, tail race, top race, gardens, residence, boundary fence and gates,
bridge over Birch Creek and timber patterns for casting components of the waterwheel. The ten bay
bluestone mill building is four stories high with an attic storey in the gabled slate roof. The waterwheel is fed
by a mill race about 900 metres long which commences at a bluestone weir on Birch Creek. The 25 metre
long three span bridge over Birch Creek consists of bluestone piers and abutments, timber superstructure,
handrails and transverse timber deck. The complex is located in a highly intact landscape setting within the
context of the creek valley and surrounding farm land.
This site is part of the traditional land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
4
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
How is it significant?
Andersons Mill Complex is of historical, architectural and scientific significance to the State of Victoria. It
satisfies the following criterion for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register:
Criterion A
Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria’s cultural history.
Criterion B
Possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Victoria's cultural history.
Criterion D
Importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural places and objects.
Criterion F
Importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period.
Why is it significant?
The Andersons Mill Complex is significant at the State level for the following reasons:
The Andersons Mill Complex is historically significant as one of the largest, most substantial and intact
nineteenth century mill complexes in Victoria and Australia. An impressive rural industrial complex, it
demonstrates the development of the Victorian goldfields economy and the early period of grain growing
activity in Victoria. The buildings and structures are indicative of the transference of the Andersons'
experience of building and industrial practices in Scotland. The different processes employed at the mill
demonstrate the capacity of the Anderson Family to adapt to changing circumstances from the 1860s to the
1950s. [Criterion A]
The Andersons Mill Complex is significant for the rare and highly intact water powered nineteenth century
flour mill. The waterwheel and the water turbine produced at the Hunt & Opie’s Victoria Foundry in Ballarat
during its most active period, clearly demonstrates the manufacturing capabilities and levels of
craftsmanship attained by the foundry no more than five years after it was established. The wooden
patterns from which the wheel's components were cast have survived and illustrate the way in which the
wheel was manufactured. The two storey oat kiln is an example, rare in Victoria, of a traditional grain drying
kiln common in nineteenth century Britain, particularly Scotland and Ireland [Criterion B]
The main mill building is of architectural significance as a fine example of a large scale mid-nineteenth
century industrial structure. It is possibly the largest mill building that was built in Victoria during the
nineteenth century and displays the simple unadorned materials, symmetrical arrangement and harmonious
proportions of the Georgian style. [Criterion D]
The Andersons Mill Complex is significant for its demonstration of a high degree of technical achievement. It
includes a rare and highly intact water powered nineteenth century flour mill and demonstrates the
technical aspects of the milling processes. The waterwheel and the water turbine provide outstanding
opportunities to demonstrate how water power was used in the nineteenth century. [Criterion F]
5
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
The Andersons Mill Complex is also significant for the following reasons, but not at the State level:
The place demonstrates the history of the population and development of the Goldfields from the 1850s
and the development in a goldfields economy, in which money made from gold mining and associated
industries such as timber milling was invested locally in other industries such as flour and oat milling.
6
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
PROPOSED PERMIT POLICY
No change.
PROPOSED PERMIT EXEMPTIONS (UNDER SECTION 42 OF THE HERITAGE ACT)
No change.
RELEVANT INFORMATION
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY
Hepburn Shire
HERITAGE LISTING INFORMATION

Heritage Overlay:
The Mill Precinct – HO598
The Birch Creek Bridge – No

Other listing:
National Trust Classified (State Level)
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO SUPPORT THE INCLUSION OF THE ANDERSONS
MILL BRIDGE IN THE REGISTRATION OF THE ANDERSONS MILL COMPLEX
The Andersons Mill Bridge was privately built around 1889 by the Andersons and replaced an earlier bridge.
The impressive bluestone and timber structure was designed to carry heavy laden bullock wagons and dray
loads of grain and processed grain products. The bridge is adjacent to the old bluestone masonry buildings of
Anderson’s Mill and crosses scenic Birch Creek in park-like surrounds. It is an integral part of the historic
environs of the Anderson’s mill complex.
The Andersons Mill Bridge is 25 metre long consists of three spans, bluestone piers and abutments, timber
superstructure, handrails and transverse timber deck. It is the best, and probably the only, fully intact and
authentic medium-sized Victorian bluestone and timber-beam bridge surviving from the late nineteenth
century. Its timber superstructure, featuring massive square-hewn beams and corbels is the best-preserved
and most authentic example of a timber superstructure for a timber-and-masonry bridge, extant in Victoria.
The solid squared-bluestone abutments, wingwalls and piers are among the best surviving examples of their
kind.
HISTORY OF THE PLACE
Andersons Mill Complex was built for the Anderson brothers from 1861 to service Creswick's prospering
agricultural district. Its purpose was to process grain (wheat and oats) and process it into products such as
flour. Grain mills were an important component of the self-generating local economies which operated in
the agricultural districts of Victoria in this period. Andersons Mill was built to meet demands of the growing
Victorian goldfields population.
The Anderson brothers migrated from Scotland in 1851 and William and David Anderson bought land in the
first sales in the Smeaton district during 1856. Within six years Smeaton became a prosperous agricultural
district. The Anderson family played a prominent role amongst the new settlers and their name occurs
frequently on the documentation of local committees and organisations as the new community developed.
7
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
In this early period the only mill in the area was Hepburns Mill on Bullarook Creek, owned by Captain John
Hepburn the first settler in the area. After the death of Hepburn in 1860 the mill was operated by tenants
who antagonised the local farmers by the low price they offered. The Anderson brothers bought the site on
Birch Creek and announced their intention to design and build their own mill to produce oats and flour. The
mill was built on a small island between Birch Creek and a small off shoot of the creek, set between two
steep gorges. This enabled the construction of a hand cut water channel to be constructed across the alluvial
flats of the island, diverting water from Birch Creek through the mill powering the large waterwheel, to
rejoin the small unnamed creek near its junction with Birch Creek. The mill, the steep slopes of the gorge
planted out with Monterey pines, Elm and Poplar trees, the fast flowing creek strewn with volcanic tuff,
basalt boulders and alluvial flats form a cultural landscape that has been carefully fashioned by the Anderson
brothers.
The Andersons built their flour mill at Smeaton mainly because the local farmers, themselves included,
wanted to take their grain to a mill offering better service than Hepburn’s Mill. Smeaton was close to the
wheat fields and close to good markets. The main mill had to be large to accommodate the machinery and
allow for storage. It had to be tall to harness gravity in passing the grain from one floor to another as it was
cleaned. It had to be long when it was decided to process oats as well. The scale and finish of the mill and
office indicate the confidence of the Andersons in their endeavour. John Anderson was part of the Joint
Stock Mill Company which originally purchased the land for the mill, and it was probably John who found the
site. His experience as a millwright in Scotland would have led him to choose a place on level ground,
sufficiently low lying to get a good head of water from the nearby creek. The first part of the timber
residence was built in the early 1860s with further additions in the nineteenth century including a separate
bluestone kitchen block. The residence has a typical Victorian era cottage garden including berry gardens
and a timber front boundary fence and gate to the mill area. Work on the flour mill began in 1861 and the
oat mill was completed in 1862.
The waterwheel was manufactured at Hunt & Opie’s Victoria Foundry in Ballarat. Measuring 8.5 metres in
diameter it cost £1,168/16/11 and weighs 25 tonnes. It was the second largest and second most powerful to
be built in Victoria before the 1880s. It was made in the same style as most British waterwheels of the mid
nineteenth century, mainly developed by the British civil engineer, John Smeaton. The Victoria Foundry was
among the first to be established in Ballarat in 1856. It flourished between 1858 and 1872 principally under
the partnership of James Hunt and James Michael Opie. The principal business of the foundry was the
manufacture of mining machinery; pumps, pump columns, pump gears, puddling machinery, winding gear
and stamp batteries. The foundry is also reported to have made railway locomotives, waterwheels and stone
breakers for railway contractors. It was an up-to-date, efficient company.
Flour mills were an important component of the relatively self generating local economies which operated in
the established agricultural districts of Victoria in the 1850s and 60s, and numerous flour mills were built
during this time. The Andersons had built the mill with money the family had made from supplying timber to
the goldfields and towns, as well as agricultural activities and land speculation. They benefited from new
technological developments on the goldfields when setting up the waterwheel and machinery for the mill.
Ballarat was the main market but Smeaton produce was distributed throughout all the booming central
goldfields towns. The first report of Anderson’s Mill working appeared in the Creswick Advertiser on 29 April
1862. The reporter was impressed by what he saw:
The five storey building is full of flour and wheat and the whole although only recently completed presents
already a very business like and busy appearance. The large waterwheel constructed at a cost of £1,500, works
well.
In the years immediately after its opening Anderson’s Mill became one of the major industrial and
commercial enterprises of rural Victoria, all because of the high demand of the goldfields populations.
Between 1865 and 1874, annual sales exceeded £30,000 per annum and healthy profits were made. From
1865 to 1874 annual sales of flour and oatmeal from the mill exceeded £30,000 per year.
8
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
But from the mid 1870s sales began to fall. In the late 1880s when John Anderson was interviewed by a
journalist from Melbourne, he sadly commented that Andersons Mill had seen busier days. The reason he
gave was farmers leaving the district or abandoning farming for mining. But although these changes had
badly affected the mill they did not fully explain why the Andersons were financially ruined at that time.
There was no simple answer to this. The growth of the goldfields towns had slowed down and even shrunk in
some cases, which meant smaller markets. The opening of railway lines to the new wheat growing areas
helped city millers. Another reason was that as Victoria's drier northern areas, which were better suited to
wheat growing, were developed for agriculture under the Selection Acts from the mid-1870s, the ‘wheat
belt’ shifted north. In the same period the technology of wheat milling changed from stone to roller mills,
and consumers came to prefer the product from the roller mills.
Andersons continued to operate and improve their milling business in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries. Around 1889 they built a new bluestone and timber bridge over Birch Creek to provide
access to the flourmill, replacing an earlier bridge. When David Anderson, one of the second generation of
millers, took over in 1895 he gave the mill a new lease of life by borrowing money and installing new roller
milling equipment better suited to grind the type of wheat being produced in Victoria. By the 1920s and 30s
oat products were the main produce of the mill. The waterwheel was the primary source of power for the
mill until it was connected to mains electricity in 1947.The mill continued to operate as a flour and oatmeal
mill before it closed in the late 1950s.
Members of the Anderson family lived continuously in the residence on the site up until 2008. The
Andersons Mill Complex, apart from the residence, was purchased by the State government in 1987 as a
Bicentennial gift to the people of Victoria, and the land became a Historic Reserve which is now under the
management of Parks Victoria. Since 1995 the the annual Andersons Mill Festival has been held in this place.
Each April this festival provides the community with a social occasion to experience local food, wine, music
and other activities in the picturesque setting of the Mill.
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
Architectural style name: Victorian Period Georgian (Mill Building)
Construction started date: 1861
1861-62
1861
1862
1862
1860s
1866
1869
1869
1870s
1898
Post-1945
The weatherboard house was and later extended.
Construction of the flour mill began in September.
Work started on the oat mill.
The two storey oat kiln likely to have been completed in this year.
Engine House Built.
Granary built.
Office built.
There was a small stable or shed and a Blacksmith’s shop on this site by this time.
Flume built.
The Leffel turbine waterwheel installed.
The weatherboard grain store was built.
9
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
VICTORIAN HISTORICAL THEMES
04
05
Transforming and managing land and natural resources
4.4
Farming
Building Victoria’s industries and workforce
5.1
Processing raw materials
5.2
Developing a manufacturing capacity
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The Anderson Mill Complex is located at Smeaton in the northern most part of the volcanic basalt plains
surrounded by multiple rounded scoria volcanic cones, which form clusters burying former ancestral rivers
and valleys. Fed both by surface run off from volcanic cones and aquifers trapped by overlaying lava flows,
the flow system is partially underground and drains northward to the Murray River via a string of lagoons,
deep creeks and twenty periodic wet forest swamps that form important wetlands in the open grassy plain.
The Anderson Mill Complex was built on a small island between Birch Creek and a small off shoot of the
creek, set between two steep gorges. This enabled the construction of a hand cut water channel to be
constructed across the alluvial flats of the island, diverting water from Birch Creek through the mill powering
the large waterwheel, to rejoin the small unnamed creek near its junction with Birch Creek.
Andersons Mill Complex, Smeaton comprises a huge five-storey bluestone mill building built from local
basalt rock, 8.5 metre diameter waterwheel (weighing 25 tons), 23 metre tall brick chimney, bluestone
office, granary, garage and stables, blacksmiths shop, fowl house, residence, bluestone kitchen, timber
laundry, small timber store, brick toilet, tail race, top race, residence boundary fence and gates, bridge over
Birch Creek, and timber patterns for casting components of the waterwheel. The ten bay bluestone mill
building is four stories high with an attic storey in the gabled slate roof. The 28-foot (8.5 metre) diameter
waterwheel, built by Hunt & Opie’s Victoria Foundry in Ballarat, is fed by a mill race about 900 metres long
which commences at a bluestone weir on Birch Creek. The waterwheel is made of iron with a ring gear on its
outer rim. Curved buckets, 2.2 metres wide, ensure that the maximum amount of energy is extracted from
the water. Ventilation holes in the buckets prevent air locks.
The 25 metre long three span Birch Creek road bridge with bluestone piers and abutments, timber
superstructure, handrails and transverse timber deck was built around 1889. The Andersons Mill Bridge is 25
metre long consists of three spans, bluestone piers and abutments, timber superstructure, handrails and
transverse timber deck.
LANDSCAPES, TREES & GARDENS
The Andersons Mill Complex is located in a highly intact landscape setting within the context of the creek
valley and surrounding farm land. The Andersons Mill Complex is surrounded by fast flowing creeks, access
roads and stone fords. The environs are subject to frequent flooding and water logging. Efforts to ameliorate
the effects of flooding include planting the slopes of the gorge with experimental plantation timbers,
planting an oak grove on the river flat with additional planting of willows in the creek to stabilize the banks,
and poplar trees. The cultural landscape has degraded due to incremental removal of the enormous
Monterrey Pines and Redwoods, the sucker growth of Poplar and Elm trees and the poor pruning of some of
the oak trees.
10
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
ARCHAEOLOGY
NA
INTEGRITY/INTACTNESS
Intactness – Very good (September 2015)
Integrity – Very good (September 2015)
CONDITION
The place is in very good condition and is maintained by Parks Victoria. (September 2015)
KEY REFERENCES USED TO PREPARE ASSESSMENT
Don Chambers, Wooden Bridges: Victoria’s Timber Bridges, Hyland House for the National Trust of Australia
(Victoria), Melbourne, 2006.
Parks Victoria, Andersons Mill, Smeaton: Celebrating 150 years 1862-2012
Photos and correspondence from Ms Amanda Jean.
Existing registration documentation, Victorian Heritage Database.
11
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
ADDITIONAL IMAGES / MAPS
Nomination diagram (bridge area is in solid red).
The Andersons Mill Bridge (c.1898) across Birch Creek. (Photo October 2015)
The bridge has recently been closed to traffic.
12
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
Surface of the Andersons Mill Bridge across Birch Creek.
Source: Amanda Jean.
View across Birch Creek to the Mill.
Source: Amanda Jean.
13
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
The oak grove on the alluvial flat at the entrance to the Mill.
Source: Amanda Jean.
View towards the rear of the Mill.
Source: Amanda Jean.
14
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
Andersons Mill Building Complex
www.environment.gov.au/node/19860
Andersons Mill Waterwheel
15
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
Site plan.
Source: Parks Victoria, Andersons Mill, Smeaton: Celebrating 150 years 1862-2012
Floor plan of the mill.
Source: Parks Victoria, Andersons Mill, Smeaton: Celebrating 150 years 1862-2012
16
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
Undated logo from an Anderson’s Oatmeal product.
Source: Parks Victoria, Andersons Mill, Smeaton: Celebrating 150 years 1862-2012
Undated product box, Anderson’s Toasted Scotch Rolled Oats. Source:
www.environment.gov.au/node/19860
17
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
The earliest surviving photograph of Anderson’s Mill, taken between 1862 and 1869.
Source: Parks Victoria, Andersons Mill, Smeaton: Celebrating 150 years 1862-2012
Anderson Mill Festival. Source: Amanda Jean.
18
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
ATTACHMENT 1 EXISTING REGISTRATION DETAILS
SUPERSEDED BY THE FOREGOING RECOMMENDATION
TO
BE
EXISTING CATEGORY OF REGISTRATION
Heritage place.
EXISTING EXTENT OF REGISTRATION
1. All of the land marked as L1 on Diagram 1521 held by the Executive Director, being the land known as
Allotment 7A & 7B Section 3 Township of Smeaton and Lots 1,2,3 &4 of TP741386
2. The following buildings and features marked on Diagram 1521 held by the Executive Director:
B1 Mill complex
B2 Office
B3 Granary
B4 Garage & Stables
B5 Blacksmiths Shop
B6 Fowl House
B7 Residence
B8 Bluestone Kitchen
B9 Timber Laundry
B10 Small timber store
B11 Brick Toilet
F1 Tail Race
F2 Top Race
F3 Residence Boundary Fence and Gates
3. The following objects:
Timber patterns for cast components of waterwheel.
EXISTING STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE
What is Significant?
Anderson's Mill Complex, Smeaton, comprises a huge bluestone mill building, waterwheel, 23 metre tall
brick chimney, bluestone office, stables, granary, blacksmiths shop and residence. The complex was built for
the Anderson brothers from 1861 onwards to service Creswick's prospering agricultural district. The ten bay
bluestone mill building is four stories high with an attic storey in the gabled slate roof. The 28-foot (8.5
metre) diameter waterwheel, built by Hunt & Opie’s Victoria Foundry in Ballarat, is fed by a mill race about
900 metres long which commences at a bluestone weir on Birch Creek. The industrial elements of the mill
complex are located in a highly intact landscape setting which includes the Anderson family home and its
garden, Birch Creek and the bridge on the access road and areas of European vegetation, all set within the
context of the creek valley and surrounding farm land. The first part of the timber residence was built in the
early 1860s with further additions in the nineteenth century including a separate bluestone kitchen block.
The residence has a typical Victorian era cottage garden including berry gardens and a timber front boundary
fence and gate to the mill area.
19
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
The Anderson brothers migrated from Scotland in 1851, and were involved in goldmining at first before
developing a thriving sawmilling business which serviced the gold mining industry. They were also involved
into agriculture and land speculation. Their successes enabled them to make the large investment in the Mill.
John Anderson had trained as a millwright in Scotland. Numerous flour mills were built in the established
agricultural districts of Victoria in the 1850s and 60s. As with many mills from this period, the Smeaton mill's
initial prosperity was short-lived as Victoria's drier northern areas, which were better suited to wheat
growing, were developed for agriculture under the Selection Acts from the mid-1870s. In the same period
the technology of wheat milling changed from stone to roller mills, and consumers came to prefer the
product from the roller mills. David Anderson, one of the second generation of millers, invested in new roller
milling equipment in 1895 and also diversified into oat-milling. The mill continued to operate for another
sixty years as a flour and oatmeal mill before it closed in the late 1950s. Members of the Anderson family
lived continuously in the residence on the site up until 2008. The Andersons Mill Complex, apart from the
residence, was purchased by the State government in 1987 as a Bicentennial gift to the people of Victoria,
and the land became a Historic Reserve which is now under the management of Parks Victoria.
How is it Significant The Andersons Mill Complex is of historical, scientific (technical), and architectural
significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant?
The Andersons Mill Complex is of historical significance as highly intact and representative example of a rural
industrial landscape associated with the early period of wheat growing activity in Victoria up until the mid1870. Flour mills were an important component of the relatively self generating local economies which
operated in the agricultural districts of Victoria in this period.
The Andersons Mill Complex is of historical significance as a product of the development in a goldfields
economy, in which money made from gold mining and associated industries such as timber milling was
invested locally in other industries such as flour milling. The scale and finish of the mill and office indicate
the confidence of the Andersons in this endeavour.
The Andersons Mill Complex is of historical significance as a rural industrial complex which has been in
continuous occupation and use by the same family since the 1860s. The buildings and structures are
indicative of the transference of the Andersons' experience of building and industrial practices in Scotland.
The different processes employed at the mill also demonstrate the capacity of the owners to adapt to
changing circumstances over close to one hundred years.
The bluestone main mill building of the Andersons Mill Complex is of architectural significance as a fine
example of a large scale industrial structure displaying the simple unadorned materials, symmetrical
arrangement and harmonious proportions of the Georgian style.
The Andersons Mill Complex is of scientific (technical) significance as a rare and highly intact water powered
nineteenth century flour mill. The waterwheel and the water turbine provide outstanding opportunities to
demonstrate how water power was used in the nineteenth century.
The Andersons Mill Complex is of scientific (technical) significance for its capacity to demonstrate the
technical aspects of the oat milling process.
The waterwheel is of scientific (technical) significance as a product of Hunt & Opie’s Victoria Foundry in
Ballarat during its most active period. It clearly demonstrates the manufacturing capabilities and levels of
20
Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
craftsmanship attained by the foundry no more than five years after it was established. The wooden
patterns from which the wheel's components were cast have survived and illustrate the way in which the
wheel was manufactured.
EXISTING PERMIT POLICY
The purpose of the Permit Policy is as a guide only in assisting when considering or making decisions
regarding works to the place. It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of
Heritage Victoria prior to them being undertaken or a permit is applied for.
The purpose of the permit exemptions is to allow works that do not impact on the heritage significance of
the place to occur without the need for a permit. Works other than those mentioned in the permit
exemptions may be possible but will require either the written approval of the Executive Director or permit
approval. It is important that any proposed changes to the place are considered on the basis of clearly
defined plans and must be carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the significant fabric of the
registered place. It is recommended that before any proposed changes are undertaken the Conservation
Management Plan [CMP] for the building be consulted.
The preferred outcome for the residence would be continued use as a residence. In its current state, the
internal planning of the building is unusual and may present difficulties for residential reuse. While internal
alterations will remain subject to application for a permit, favourable consideration will be given to
permitting appropriate alterations to layout and fit-out of rooms within the building and to the addition of
up-to-date services to make the place more suitable for present-day occupation.
EXISTING PERMIT EXEMPTIONS
General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which
prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that
original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the
significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria
shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant
sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the
Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface
component.
General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan endorsed by the Executive Director, all
works shall be in accordance with it. Note: The existence of a Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage
Action Plan endorsed by the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria provides guidance for the management of
the heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain
works specified in the management plan.
General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or
rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility
to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable.
Non Registered Fabric: All works including demolition and internal modification to structures not included in
the extent of registration are permit exempt. Additions to structures not included on the extent will require
either the approval of the Executive Director or permit approval. Should these works require a permit is at
the discretion of the Executive Director. The construction of any new structures within the boundaries of this
registration will require a permit.
Exterior of residence and associated buildings within residence garden area: Minor repairs and
maintenance which replaces like fabric with like. Removal of extraneous items such as air conditioners, pipe
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Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
work, ducting, wiring, antennae, aerials etc, and making good. Installation and repairing of damp proofing by
either injection method or grout pocket method. Installation or removal of external fixtures and fittings such
as, hot water services and taps.
Interior of residence and associated buildings within residence garden area: Painting of previously painted
walls and ceilings provided that preparation or painting does not remove evidence of any original paint or
other decorative scheme. Installation, removal or replacement of carpets and/or flexible floor coverings.
Installation, removal or replacement of curtain tracks, rods and blinds. Installation, removal or replacement
of hooks, nails and other devices for the hanging of mirrors, paintings and other wall mounted art.
Refurbishment of existing bathrooms, toilets and kitchens including removal, installation or replacement of
sanitary fixtures and associated piping, mirrors, wall and floor coverings. Removal of tiling or concrete slabs
in wet areas provided there is no damage to or alteration of original structure or fabric. Installation, removal
or replacement of ducted, hydronic or concealed radiant type heating provided that the installation does not
damage existing skirtings and architraves and that the central plant is concealed. Installation, removal or
replacement of electrical wiring. Installation, removal or replacement of bulk insulation in the roof space.
Installation of plant within the roof space. Installation of smoke detectors. The process of gardening and
maintenance, mowing, hedge clipping, bedding displays, removal of dead plants, disease and weed control,
emergency and safety works to care for existing plants and planting themes. Removal of vegetation that is
not significant to maintain fire safety to protect monuments, paths, significant buildings and structures. The
replanting of plant species to conserve the landscape character and plant collections and themes. Repairs,
conservation and maintenance to hard landscape elements, buildings, structures, ornaments, roads and
paths, drainage and irrigation system. Removal of plants listed as noxious weeds in the Catchment and Land
Protection Act 1994. Installation, removal or replacement of garden watering and drainage systems. Nonstructural works that occur at a distance greater than 5 metres from the canopy edge of a significant tree,
plant or hedge, (structural works may require a permit if still on the registered land). Non-commercial
signage, lighting, security fire safety and other safety requirements, provided no structural building occurs.
Plant labelling and interpretative signage. Resurfacing of existing paths and driveways. Maintenance of roads
and paths and gutters to retain their existing layout.
The following public safety and security activities are permit exempt under section 66 of the Heritage Act
1995 a) public safety and security activities provided the works do not involve the removal or destruction of
any significant above-ground structures or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or deposits; b) the erection
of temporary security fencing, scaffolding, hoardings or surveillance systems to prevent unauthorised access
or secure public safety which will not adversely affect significant fabric of the place including archaeological
features; c) development including emergency stabilisation necessary to secure safety where a site feature
has been irreparably damaged or destabilised and represents a safety risk to its users or the public. Note:
Urgent or emergency site works are to be undertaken by an appropriately qualified specialist such as a
structural engineer, or other heritage professional.
Signage and Site Interpretation : The following Signage and Site Interpretation activities are permit exempt
under section 66 of the Heritage Act 1995, a) signage and site interpretation activities provided the works
do not involve the removal or destruction of any significant above-ground structures or sub-surface
archaeological artefacts or deposits; b) the erection of non-illuminated signage for the purpose of ensuring
public safety or to assist in the interpretation of the heritage significance of the place or object and which
will not adversely affect significant fabric including landscape or archaeological features of the place or
obstruct significant views of and from heritage values or items; c) signage and site interpretation products
must be located and be of a suitable size so as not to obscure or damage significant fabric of the place; d)
signage and site interpretation products must be able to be later removed without causing damage to the
significant fabric of the place; Note: The development of signage and site interpretation products must be
consistent in the use of format, text, logos, themes and other display materials. Note: Where possible, the
signage and interpretation material should be consistent with other schemes developed on similar or
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Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
associated sites. It may be necessary to consult with land managers and other stakeholders concerning
existing schemes and strategies for signage and site interpretation.
Mineral Exploration : The following Mineral Exploration activities are permit exempt under section 66 of
the Heritage Act 1995, a) mineral Exploration activities provided the works do not involve the removal or
destruction of any significant above-ground features or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or deposits; b)
preliminary non-intrusive exploration, including geological mapping, geophysical surveys, and geochemical
sampling and access to shafts and adits; c) advanced forms of exploration (drilling), including the location of
drill pads and access tracks where this has been the subject of on-site negotiation and agreement with
representatives of Heritage Victoria, DSE and Parks Victoria, and where all significant historic site features
have been identified and protected as part of an approved work plan.
Minor Works : Note: Any Minor Works that in the opinion of the Executive Director will not adversely affect
the heritage significance of the place may be exempt from the permit requirements of the Heritage Act. A
person proposing to undertake minor works may submit a proposal to the Executive Director. If the
Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed works will not adversely affect the heritage values of the
site, the applicant may be exempted from the requirement to obtain a heritage permit. If an applicant is
uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that the permits co-ordinator be
contacted.
Regular Site Maintenance : The following site maintenance works are permit exempt under section 66 of the
Heritage Act 1995: a) regular site maintenance provided the works do not involve the removal or destruction
of any significant above-ground features or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or deposits; b) the
maintenance of an item to retain its conditions or operation without the removal of or damage to the
existing fabric or the introduction of new materials; c) cleaning including the removal of surface deposits,
organic growths, or graffiti by the use of low pressure water and natural detergents and mild brushing and
scrubbing; d) repairs, conservation and maintenance to plaques, memorials, roads and paths, fences and
gates and drainage and irrigation. e) the replacement of existing services such as cabling, plumbing, wiring
and fire services that uses existing routes, conduits or voids, and does not involve damage to or the removal
of significant fabric. Note: Surface patina which has developed on the fabric may be an important part of
the item's significance and if so needs to be preserved during maintenance and cleaning. Note: Any new
materials used for repair must not exacerbate the decay of existing fabric due to chemical incompatibility,
obscure existing fabric or limit access to existing fabric for future maintenance. Repair must maximise
protection and retention of fabric and include the conservation of existing details or elements.
Fire Suppression Duties The following fire suppression duties are permit exempt under section 66 of the
Heritage Act 1995: a) Fire suppression and fire fighting duties provided the works do not involve the
removal or destruction of any significant above-ground features or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or
deposits; b) Fire suppression activities such as fuel reduction burns, and fire control line construction,
provided all significant historical and archaeological features are appropriately recognised and protected;
Note: Fire management authorities should be aware of the location, extent and significance of historical and
archaeological places when developing fire suppression and fire fighting strategies. The importance of places
listed in the Heritage Register must be considered when strategies for fire suppression and management are
being developed.
Weed and Vermin Control The following weed and vermin control activities are permit exempt under
section 66 of the Heritage Act 1995: a) Weed and vermin control activities provided the works do not involve
the removal or destruction of any significant above-ground features or sub-surface archaeological artefacts
or deposits; Note: Particular care must be taken with weed and vermin control works where such activities
may have a detrimental affect on the significant fabric of a place. Such works may include the removal of ivy,
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Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366
moss or lichen from an historic structure or feature, or the removal of burrows from a site that has
archaeological values.
Painting Painting will not require permit approval if the painting: a) does not involve the disturbance or
removal of earlier paint layers or other decorative schemes, where the extant painting or other decorative
scheme has not been mentioned in the statement of significance or the extent of registration. b) involves
over-coating with an appropriate surface as an isolating layer to provide a means of protection for significant
earlier layers or to provide a stable basis for repainting; c) employs the same colour scheme and paint type
as an earlier scheme if they are appropriate to the substrate and do not endanger the survival of earlier
paint layers. If the painting employs a different colour scheme and paint type from an earlier scheme a
permit will not be required if: a) the Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed colour scheme, paint
type, details of surface preparation and paint removal will not adversely affect the heritage significance of
the item; b) the person proposing to undertake the painting has received a notice advising that the
Executive Director is satisfied.
Any proposal to undertake such work should be submitted to the Executive Director, detailing the proposed
colour scheme, paint type, details of surface preparation and paint removal involved in the repainting, for
approval
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Name: Andersons Mill Complex
VHR number: VHR H1521
Hermes number: 2366