This was the site of the Petone Woollen Mill which closed in 1968.
When the Gear Meat Company established itself in the growing settlement of Petone, it wasn’t long before other significant industries of the day followed suit. In 1883 the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Co. Ltd was incorporated, and in November 1885 the first foundation stone was laid for an industrial plant that the New Zealand Times of the day reported as ‘likely to be one of the most imposing ever seen in Wellington.’
The site chosen for the woollen mill comprised 13 acres along the lower reaches of the Korokoro Stream purchased from local Maori. Construction included the damming of the stream further up the Korokoro Valley. Its waters would be utilised for scouring and dyeing in the manufacturing process as well as driving the steam engines that produced the plant’s electricity. The mill began producing woollen garments in August 1886.
Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Co. quickly established itself as a major industrial employer in Petone and the region. Skilled migrants arrived from England, many under an assisted passage scheme the New Zealand government was offering to attract experienced industrial workers.
The Petone mill was equipped with state-of-the art-machinery that from its earliest days employed over 200 ‘operatives’, as factory hands were known.
In early 1963 the company merged with Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Co., a desperate attempt by the industry to survive. The Petone operation struggled on for a further five years before its inevitable closure was announced. The mill was demolished in 1970.
All that remains of the Wellington woollen mill is a section of stone wall fronting busy State Highway 2 and remnants of the dam on the Korokoro Stream that supplied the plant's water. In 2002 the old millworkers’ track to Korokoro was rediscovered, and it has since been restored as an access way to the hill suburb.
Cache is small camo'ed screw top bottle containing logbook only - please bring your own pen.