Historic ruins of 1800s flour mill still visible in Perth

Both were owned at one time by the Ritchie family.

Captain Thomas Ritchie inherited 2240 acres after the death of his brother Captain John Ritchie in 1820, who was originally granted the land by Governor Macquarie.

The property, known as Scone, was perfect farming land and faced the South Esk River, making it more than suitable for utilising the river waters for a mill.

In 1833 the mill was under construction and by the following year it had begun to produce flour.

Christopher Dunning was engaged as a miller in 1841 but, much to Ritchie's annoyance, he later moved to the other side of the river to work at the Perth Mill in direct competition with Scone Mill.

Even though there were several mills in the state by this time, Scone Mill thrived, and a second mill was built above the original in 1848.

The Launceston Examiner reported, "Captain Ritchie has imported by the Agostina, machinery for adding to the present power of his flour mill at Perth, by which he will be able to work six additional pairs of stones," indicating that this was a large and profitable endeavour.

This was a competitive business and complaints over the cost of bread were rife, with one Launceston resident writing to the Cornwall Chronicle editor in 1839 lamenting the difference in prices between bread in Perth at ten pence, while in Launceston it was one shilling.

Some would think price gouging was a new thing, however this would prove them wrong.

The mill was not without its challenges.

In 1841, the approach to the Perth Bridge north of the mill collapsed and caused damage to the mill race, holding up works for some time.

Although the mill avoided damage in the great flood of the Norfolk Plains in August 1852, business would have been affected as the bridge linking it to Launceston was washed out, as too was Mrs Dunning's mill in Perth.

Captain Thomas Ritchie passed away after a long illness in 1851 and the business was held in trust for his wife and children.

The eldest son, David, having managed the business for some time already, continued to do so.

It is unclear if he was a good miller, as an article in The Argus in 1857 claims the flour from the Scone Mills "is not even a good specimen of Tasmanian flour".

The Scone property was subsequently sold to Mr William Gibson in 1867.

In February 1870, the mill was destroyed by fire, but due to the cost of rebuilding, it was never replaced.

The ruins of the once substantial buildings are still evident on the banks of the South Esk River at Eskleigh.