Pirates, bushrangers and more: Peaceful spot belies mill's turbulent past

The cascade there was discovered by Adolarius Humphrey in 1804 when the Lady Nelson stopped for water. He carved his initials in the rocks while the sailors filled their barrels.

His marks are still there and are probably the oldest surviving European graffiti in Australia.

The location of the mill suited a time when there were no roads, being equidistant from the George Town and Launceston settlements, and easily accessible by water.

Though intended to grind and export corn, in fact it supplied mainly wheat flour.

The builders were Alexander Charlton and Andrew Burrell, who completed it in the last days of 1825.

Technically, it was then the best mill in Australia and began operations with a sale of 1,000 tons of flour to the colonial Commissariat in Launceston. Shipments to Sydney followed.

Exports to Mauritius were planned, but the wheat store adjoining the mill collapsed in February 1827, destroying their stock and forcing cancellation of their export plans.

The mill was advertised for sale, with three dwellings, a blacksmithy, three boats with masts and a piggery with 200 inmates.

It didn't sell and was seized by the mortgagee William Emmett.

Emmett then put it up for auction, selling to Adam Beveridge, who bought it for the export trade and bought a 22-ton cutter Maid of the Mill for transport. He employed convicts to reduce costs.

After the auction Mr Emmett and family left for England, but were killed by pirates en route.

The mill's isolation drew numerous attacks by Aboriginals and bushrangers.

In 1828 miller William Bartlett was murdered by bushrangers, who stole a boat and supplies, injuring an old lady and another man. They were never caught.

Outlying settlers continued to be a target for several years. In 1830 James Gildas at nearby Stoney Creek was killed by Aboriginals, after he and the mill were subjected to repeated raids by bushrangers.

Employees were also a problem, with theft and drunkenness. In 1842 the two men employed to run the Maid of the Mill between the mill and Launceston were convicted of stealing flour.

One got seven years of hard labour at Port Arthur, while the other got two.

Good workers were hard to keep. In 1854 William Williams, brother of an earlier operator Thomas Williams, bought the mill and substantially renovated.

He employed a newly arrived miller named Charles Nicholls, who moved in with his wife and four children. The isolation proved too much though, and they left, moving to Longford.

Ten years later they returned to work for a new owner, Charles Weedon.

After Weedon died in 1874, his widow leased it out for a few months. Production ceased for good in 1875.

In 1881 a group leased the mill for paper production, but all they did was steal the machinery.