Flour Mills of the Adelaide Hills Region - A Chronology from 1839-1859

By Anni Luur Fox, September 2013 (Chairperson, Hahndorf Branch National Trust of Australia).  

Compiled from 1979-1988 as part of a draft book on Mount Barker district’s early milling industry.  Revised for the 175th Anniversary of the Mount Barker District and Hahndorf in 2014.

‘In the early days of the colony of South Australia the whole of the district between Aldgate and Callington was roughly spoken of as the Mount Barker District.  Since then the division of the colony into districts, electorates and so forth has greatly restricted the meaning of the term.’

George Sutherland (1889) ‘Our Inheritance in the Hills’, published by WK Thomas, Adelaide.

After the District Council Act of 1852, the area vaguely referred to as the ‘Mount Barker District’ was carved up in 1853 to become the district councils of Onkaparinga (June), Talunga (September), Echunga and Mount Barker (October) which have undergone many changes of boundaries.

Hahndorf was the first settlement east of Mt Lofty.  Their first grain crops were planted in August 1839 and harvested in 1840.

  • 1839  HAHNDORF  -  Hand and foot operated mill needing 2-3 people to run it.  Grinding stones worked by hand.  Coffee grinder
  • 1841  ECHUNGA  -  J.B. Hack’s horse-powered mill.
  • 1842  HAY VALLEY  -  John Dunn’s windmill.
  • 1842  HAHNDORF/MT BARKER  -  F.R. Nixon’s windmill.
  • 1842  HAHNDORF  -  S. Jaeschke’s bullock powered mill.
  • 1842-43  GRUNTHAL  -  J.F.W. Wittwer’s watermill.
  • 1844  MT. BARKER  -  J. Dunn’s steam mill.
  • 1845  ECHUNGA  -  horse-powered mill converted to windmill.
  • 1848  GUMERACHA  -  Randell’s steam mill.
  • 1851  HAHNDORF  -  F.W. Wittwer’s steam mill.

1852  SA District Council Act results in fifty council areas by 1859.

  • 1853  MT TORRENS  -  steam mill.
  • 1854  HAHNDORF  -  Wittwer’s steam mill rebuilt after fire.
  • 1854  BRIDGEWATER  -  Mr Wailes’ Lion Mill on corner of Kain Ave.
  • 1854  BLUMBERG  -  steam mill being built by H.C. Wege
  • 1857  NAIRNE  -  T. Stoddart’s Albert steam mill
  • 1859  BRIDGEWATER  -  J. Dunn and Sons steam and watermill.

The eminently successful John Dunn of Mount Barker built ten mills in South Australia:

  • 1842  Hay Valley
  • 1844  Mount Barker
  • 1859  Bridgewater
  • 1866  Port Adelaide
  • 1877  Hawker, Wolsely, Port Pirie,
  • 1878  Quorn
  • 1879  Port Adelaide
  • 1886  Port Adelaide to replace the mill of 1866

He also leased many others including the Lion Mill on the corner of Kain Avenue, and the Albert Mill in Nairne.  He was extremely generous to the people of Mount Barker by donating funds for community benefit.   

For additional information, please refer to Flour Milling in the Mount Barker District

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