Although in need of some TLC, the large complex complete with all its original machinery, provides an outstanding historic record of nineteenth century milling methods. The local handmade bricks, the gatehouse and outbuildings are all pretty amazing – even from a distance, as the public are not able to enter the property. The two-story manager's residence with its fine cast iron decoration still gives an authoritarian presence over the surrounding area.
The straight tree-lined drive with gatehouse leads to the complex that comprises the three-storey brick mill with ancillary boiler structure and brick chimney. There is a two-story brick manager's residence with two story encircling verandah and several brick, timber and iron buildings, and apparently all the original mill machinery and equipment remains.
William Day died in 1872, leaving Ann to support seven children, aged five to nineteen and an estate to over 5,000 pounds. Although Ann established a highly successful farm, the mill ceased commercial operation in 1891 due to technological changes in milling practices. There was a move from horizontal grinding stones, which are said to be still at the mill, to milling rollers that quickly became popular. Anne retired soon after and the estate was settled their eldest son Joseph who took over the mill, the surrounding 257 acres and a further 319 acres.
The Government (through the Historic Buildings Council) purchased the property in 1986 to conserve and interpret the sites farming and flour milling history and Parks Victoria now manages it. It is listed on the National Estate Trust as one of the finest flour mill complexes in Victoria. I am not sure how much restoration work is happening at the moment but it still is an impressive place to see and another of Murchison's hidden pockets of history.
It is a difficult area to place a full size cache so at the posted coordinates you will need to find a small metal tag This tag is attached to a post and has a set of coordinates on it that once led to the original larger stash placed nearby until it was not able to survive a fire and also being run over by a grader.
To find the replaced cache container use the coordinates when you answer the following question.
The last 3 numbers of the South Coordinates on the metal tag are:
508 = S 36 40.708 E 145 12.651
697 = S 36 40.708 E 145 12.529
729 = S 36 40.708 E 145 11.904
The cache container is a medium sized sistema container.