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A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.
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DescriptionA collection of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. My dad worked there. It would have been in the late 1950’s. Nothing left there now
Glenn Johnston
Nigel Andrews have a read of this that I've knocked up. The last mill site that closed in 1963 was bulldozed at one stage and there is some debris over a low bank near the creek on the seaward side of Milltown road. Across the road in the regen bush there is still a long drop toilet. "Milltown area Sawmills
• Maher’s was the first mechanised sawmill in the area dating from 1881. It was situated a little south of the current Milltown Road and west of Pyramid Hill in the headwaters of Granite Creek. (Granite Creek tributary of Caledonian Creek not Big Granite Creek which is a little further east) The name Milltown would have referred to the “town” that developed near this mill.
This mill was water powered. The mills primary purpose was to cut timber for the Humphreys Water Race including the nearby “Long Flume” which was approximately 1km in length.
• Butler Brothers had a “spot” mill near where the Long Flume crossed Milltown Road. It was set up there in 1895. This mill was relocatable & moved around the area a bit.
• Brown & Neilson (Southern Timbers) had a mill further up the Milltown Road on what are now farmed flats adjoining the Arahura River. This is where Milltown is shown on modern maps. (Note: The original Milltown was back toward Lake Kaniere adjacent Humphreys Gully water race near where Maher’s & Butler Brothers sawmills were along with a surveyor’s camp, stores, race builder’s accommodation etc.) The Brown & Nielson mill dated from the 1930’s or earlier. It was purchased by Butlers in 1948. At some stage this operation was relocated back toward Lake Kaniere along Milltown Road west of Granite Creek towards where the earlier mills had been. This mill closed in 1963. "Date of PhotoLate 1950`sMap[1] ContributorShonaandMurray Marshall
Glenn Johnston
Nigel Andrews have a read of this that I've knocked up. The last mill site that closed in 1963 was bulldozed at one stage and there is some debris over a low bank near the creek on the seaward side of Milltown road. Across the road in the regen bush there is still a long drop toilet. "Milltown area Sawmills
• Maher’s was the first mechanised sawmill in the area dating from 1881. It was situated a little south of the current Milltown Road and west of Pyramid Hill in the headwaters of Granite Creek. (Granite Creek tributary of Caledonian Creek not Big Granite Creek which is a little further east) The name Milltown would have referred to the “town” that developed near this mill.
This mill was water powered. The mills primary purpose was to cut timber for the Humphreys Water Race including the nearby “Long Flume” which was approximately 1km in length.
• Butler Brothers had a “spot” mill near where the Long Flume crossed Milltown Road. It was set up there in 1895. This mill was relocatable & moved around the area a bit.
• Brown & Neilson (Southern Timbers) had a mill further up the Milltown Road on what are now farmed flats adjoining the Arahura River. This is where Milltown is shown on modern maps. (Note: The original Milltown was back toward Lake Kaniere adjacent Humphreys Gully water race near where Maher’s & Butler Brothers sawmills were along with a surveyor’s camp, stores, race builder’s accommodation etc.) The Brown & Nielson mill dated from the 1930’s or earlier. It was purchased by Butlers in 1948. At some stage this operation was relocated back toward Lake Kaniere along Milltown Road west of Granite Creek towards where the earlier mills had been. This mill closed in 1963. "Date of PhotoLate 1950`sMap[1] ContributorShonaandMurray Marshall
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Location (city or town)Lake KaniereMilltownLandmark (Place)MilltownEvent A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. - ALBUM -
From Facebook
Date Created23rd April 2021CommentsLyn Henham
Thank you for sharing this! Used to go in the school holiday's with uncle Billy, dad worked with the winch, great memories
ShonaandMurray Marshall
Lyn Henham in uncle Bill’s big truck. I so remember that.
Glenn Johnston
There were also earlier Milltown sawmills adjacent the Humphreys water race back a bit toward the lake. The first mill was Maher's and dated back to the early 1880's and was built to provide sawn timber for building the Humphreys water race. It's a bit weird but Bernie Preston and I were talking about the mill in your photo a couple of hours before I saw the post.
ShonaandMurray Marshall
Glenn Johnston that is weird.
Nigel Andrews
Glenn Johnston exactly where was this sawmill located ? I can't remember it .
Gypsy Rover
Hopless
John Armstrong
How were these projects fiananced back in the day ??
Glenn Johnston
Nigel Andrews have a read of this that I've knocked up. The last mill site that closed in 1963 was bulldozed at one stage and there is some debris over a low bank near the creek on the seaward side of Milltown road. Across the road in the regen bush there is still a long drop toilet. "Milltown area Sawmills
• Maher’s was the first mechanised sawmill in the area dating from 1881. It was situated a little south of the current Milltown Road and west of Pyramid Hill in the headwaters of Granite Creek. (Granite Creek tributary of Caledonian Creek not Big Granite Creek which is a little further east) The name Milltown would have referred to the “town” that developed near this mill.
This mill was water powered. The mills primary purpose was to cut timber for the Humphreys Water Race including the nearby “Long Flume” which was approximately 1km in length.
• Butler Brothers had a “spot” mill near where the Long Flume crossed Milltown Road. It was set up there in 1895. This mill was relocatable & moved around the area a bit.
• Brown & Neilson (Southern Timbers) had a mill further up the Milltown Road on what are now farmed flats adjoining the Arahura River. This is where Milltown is shown on modern maps. (Note: The original Milltown was back toward Lake Kaniere adjacent Humphreys Gully water race near where Maher’s & Butler Brothers sawmills were along with a surveyor’s camp, stores, race builder’s accommodation etc.) The Brown & Nielson mill dated from the 1930’s or earlier. It was purchased by Butlers in 1948. At some stage this operation was relocated back toward Lake Kaniere along Milltown Road west of Granite Creek towards where the earlier mills had been. This mill closed in 1963. "
Keith Ross
The slab of concrete which the Ruston engine sat on is still in the paddock.I dismantled the engine and boxed it up for Fletchers,it was sent to Egypt to drive a big water pump.
Keith Ross
A lot of the big totara posts which supported the mill Dad and I bought and used in cattle yards at the head of Lake Kaniere..we also bought hundreds of silver pine sleepers for fence posts,I used to point one end with the axe good way to warm up on a winter morning.some of these posts were still in use on the right over geologist creek
Doreen Thomson
Would this be the one Uncle Billie managed?
ShonaandMurray Marshall
Doreen Thomson yes they are dads photos.
Steve Jones
Yes my father worked there we use to stay in a mill Hutt even after the mill closed we stay there some times But some one burned the hut down so the story goes. I think mr Higgins was the mill manager? I think Wayne & Dennis Higgins father ?
Marilyn Paterson
Steve Jones yes the huts were burned down by a person who didn’t even own them or get in touch with the owners to get the contents out.
Steve Jones
Bloody great photo would love a copy.?
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Steve Jones you can download from Recollect..https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29285
A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.
WESTCOAST.RECOLLECT.CO.NZ
A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.
A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.
Lyn Henham
That brings back great memories
Colleen Astwood
When I was growing up, my Dad worked out there, uncle Bill (Wilson) was the boss It was Butler Brothers. We used to stay out there, we had the first hut, loved it out there. Barbara (Wilson) and myself always playing around the mill.
Carol Linklater
Dad and I stayed in Harris' Hut in Milltown and we would hear the Mill truck go by in the mornings about 7am I think .
Carol Linklater
This would have been in the late 1950's.This hut was later burnt by a person who thought the huts were illegal and had apparently bought the land.
Lyn Henham
Colleen Astwood i remember going from the winch to the mill in logging truck with malcolm duggan loved it
Ray Deo
You can't make any money with such a small mill.
Reply10h
Glenn Johnston
There is a small mill near here that still cuts native timber from private property. I've seen it from a distance. Access is off the Milltown road. The mill is between Pyramid Hill and Mt Tuhua and belongs to the Ross brothers.
Bert Chandler
Great pics.
Matthew Cowie
Love this. We used to own Milltown farm from 1984 to 2013. Great Place..
Colleen Astwood
Just trying to remember the Westland transport drivers when Dad worked there, Malc Duggan, Ted Beardsmore and Neil Robert's that is the ones I remember. I remember the big draught horse Dolly, some of the workers Hec Long (our Dad) Uncle Billy (Wilson) Harry Parker, Andy Tinetti, Bill McDermott, Kelly Wilson
Thank you for sharing this! Used to go in the school holiday's with uncle Billy, dad worked with the winch, great memories
ShonaandMurray Marshall
Lyn Henham in uncle Bill’s big truck. I so remember that.
Glenn Johnston
There were also earlier Milltown sawmills adjacent the Humphreys water race back a bit toward the lake. The first mill was Maher's and dated back to the early 1880's and was built to provide sawn timber for building the Humphreys water race. It's a bit weird but Bernie Preston and I were talking about the mill in your photo a couple of hours before I saw the post.
ShonaandMurray Marshall
Glenn Johnston that is weird.
Nigel Andrews
Glenn Johnston exactly where was this sawmill located ? I can't remember it .
Gypsy Rover
Hopless
John Armstrong
How were these projects fiananced back in the day ??
Glenn Johnston
Nigel Andrews have a read of this that I've knocked up. The last mill site that closed in 1963 was bulldozed at one stage and there is some debris over a low bank near the creek on the seaward side of Milltown road. Across the road in the regen bush there is still a long drop toilet. "Milltown area Sawmills
• Maher’s was the first mechanised sawmill in the area dating from 1881. It was situated a little south of the current Milltown Road and west of Pyramid Hill in the headwaters of Granite Creek. (Granite Creek tributary of Caledonian Creek not Big Granite Creek which is a little further east) The name Milltown would have referred to the “town” that developed near this mill.
This mill was water powered. The mills primary purpose was to cut timber for the Humphreys Water Race including the nearby “Long Flume” which was approximately 1km in length.
• Butler Brothers had a “spot” mill near where the Long Flume crossed Milltown Road. It was set up there in 1895. This mill was relocatable & moved around the area a bit.
• Brown & Neilson (Southern Timbers) had a mill further up the Milltown Road on what are now farmed flats adjoining the Arahura River. This is where Milltown is shown on modern maps. (Note: The original Milltown was back toward Lake Kaniere adjacent Humphreys Gully water race near where Maher’s & Butler Brothers sawmills were along with a surveyor’s camp, stores, race builder’s accommodation etc.) The Brown & Nielson mill dated from the 1930’s or earlier. It was purchased by Butlers in 1948. At some stage this operation was relocated back toward Lake Kaniere along Milltown Road west of Granite Creek towards where the earlier mills had been. This mill closed in 1963. "
Keith Ross
The slab of concrete which the Ruston engine sat on is still in the paddock.I dismantled the engine and boxed it up for Fletchers,it was sent to Egypt to drive a big water pump.
Keith Ross
A lot of the big totara posts which supported the mill Dad and I bought and used in cattle yards at the head of Lake Kaniere..we also bought hundreds of silver pine sleepers for fence posts,I used to point one end with the axe good way to warm up on a winter morning.some of these posts were still in use on the right over geologist creek
Doreen Thomson
Would this be the one Uncle Billie managed?
ShonaandMurray Marshall
Doreen Thomson yes they are dads photos.
Steve Jones
Yes my father worked there we use to stay in a mill Hutt even after the mill closed we stay there some times But some one burned the hut down so the story goes. I think mr Higgins was the mill manager? I think Wayne & Dennis Higgins father ?
Marilyn Paterson
Steve Jones yes the huts were burned down by a person who didn’t even own them or get in touch with the owners to get the contents out.
Steve Jones
Bloody great photo would love a copy.?
Heather Newby
Author
Admin
Steve Jones you can download from Recollect..https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29285
A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.
WESTCOAST.RECOLLECT.CO.NZ
A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.
A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.
Lyn Henham
That brings back great memories
Colleen Astwood
When I was growing up, my Dad worked out there, uncle Bill (Wilson) was the boss It was Butler Brothers. We used to stay out there, we had the first hut, loved it out there. Barbara (Wilson) and myself always playing around the mill.
Carol Linklater
Dad and I stayed in Harris' Hut in Milltown and we would hear the Mill truck go by in the mornings about 7am I think .
Carol Linklater
This would have been in the late 1950's.This hut was later burnt by a person who thought the huts were illegal and had apparently bought the land.
Lyn Henham
Colleen Astwood i remember going from the winch to the mill in logging truck with malcolm duggan loved it
Ray Deo
You can't make any money with such a small mill.
Reply10h
Glenn Johnston
There is a small mill near here that still cuts native timber from private property. I've seen it from a distance. Access is off the Milltown road. The mill is between Pyramid Hill and Mt Tuhua and belongs to the Ross brothers.
Bert Chandler
Great pics.
Matthew Cowie
Love this. We used to own Milltown farm from 1984 to 2013. Great Place..
Colleen Astwood
Just trying to remember the Westland transport drivers when Dad worked there, Malc Duggan, Ted Beardsmore and Neil Robert's that is the ones I remember. I remember the big draught horse Dolly, some of the workers Hec Long (our Dad) Uncle Billy (Wilson) Harry Parker, Andy Tinetti, Bill McDermott, Kelly Wilson
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West Coast New Zealand History (15th Jun 2022). A collection of photos of the old sawmill out at Milltown past Lake Kaniere. 1950`s.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 11th Apr 2026 00:54, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29285