Francis Crago & Sons Pty Ltd Flour Mill / Dominion Mills
Central Tablelands | New South Wales | Australia
Watersource: Steam powered
Francis Crago & Sons Pty Ltd Flour Mill / Dominion Mills
Located in Bathurst on Lower Piper St. Bathurst, New South Wales is a regional town 200km from the eastern seaboard at Sydney.
The view from south west showing scale. The mill closed down 1954. The ramp is a later addition. The mill operated on 4 levels. Drive machinery located in a basement/sub-floor. The mill was built by Simmons & Dunkley for Francis Crago & Sons Pty Ltd.
The view from north east showing a timber framed skillion area. On the left is foundations for another shed structure removed in 1954. A rail spur sits between the mill and the foundations on left. The mill was sited here to allow direct rail access. Crago operated the National Flour Mills on Lambert St.; but, moved his operations here in 1906 by the rail access.
A photo of the ground floor room. Very typical of the construction methods and materials remaining in the masonry main mill building. Crago's new mill, the "Dominion" was quite capable of turning out 3,000, 150 lb. bags of "Snowdrift Flour" a year.
The north east skillion interior view. The mezzanine floor is a post 1954 addition installed by last owner, SOuthern Mitchell Elecricity, a local utility company who used it for a store/warehouse.
The mezzanine floor area. The mill is being cleaned and prepared for a new lease of life; unfortunately, all machinery has been removed. Still, a classic Australian Flour Mill design. The brick Victorian industrial architectural structure still retains it sack hoist on the western end. In 2009-10, more than a decade since plans for the old mill to be used as a Regional cultural art centre, a commercial operator has purchased the building and grounds, with plans to renovate and create a local produce/cultural venue. Planned is an art/crafts gallery or music retailers, recording studios or other similar retail outlets.