Carmila Cane Lift facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carmila Cane Lift |
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Carmila Cane Lift
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| Location | 49 Hindles Road, Carmila, Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1940s - 1960s (post-World War II) |
| Built | between 1920s to 1960s |
| Official name: Carmila Cane Lift | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 5 February 2010 |
| Reference no. | 602751 |
| Significant period | 1920s - 1960s |
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The Carmila Cane Lift is a special old piece of farm equipment. It is found on Hindles Road in Carmila, Australia. This lift was built sometime between the 1920s and the 1960s. It is now protected as a heritage site in Queensland. This means it is an important part of history.
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What is the Carmila Cane Lift?
The Carmila cane lift is a tall structure used long ago. It helped farmers move cut sugar cane. It is located west of Carmila, near Sarina. Sugar cane is a very important crop in Queensland. Most of Australia's sugar comes from this state.
How did cane lifts help farmers?
Before modern machines, sugar cane was cut by hand. It was harvested as long, whole stalks. Farmers needed a way to get these heavy bundles of cane to the sugar mills. That's where cane lifts came in! They were like giant cranes. They would lift the cane bundles onto special wagons. These wagons then took the cane to the mill.
Why are cane lifts no longer used?
Cane lifts became old-fashioned after the 1960s. This was when new machines called "chopper harvesters" were invented. These harvesters cut the cane into small pieces. They also loaded the cane directly into bins. This made cane lifts unnecessary.
A Brief History of Sugar Cane in Australia
Sugar cane first arrived in Australia in 1788. This was with the First Fleet. In 1821, Port Macquarie became Australia's first cane-growing area. In Queensland, sugar cane farming started in 1864. Captain Louis Hope grew cane at Redland Bay. He also built Queensland's first sugar mill there.
Sugar Cane Farming Grows in Queensland
Growing cane was tried in Bowen in 1864. But it was too dry there. In the Pioneer Valley near Mackay, John Spiller started growing cane in 1865. He produced the first sugar in that area in 1867.
The government helped cane farming grow. They made rules in 1864 to encourage settlement in the north. This allowed farmers to get large plots of land cheaply. Soon, many sugar mills were built. By 1872, Mackay mills made 40% of Queensland's sugar!
How Cane Was Transported
Sugar cane was transported in different ways. If farms were near a main railway, cane went by train. But many mills built their own small train tracks. These were called "tram networks." They helped move cane from farms to the mills. Today, trains and trucks still move cane.
Early Cane Lifts and Their Use
From the 1890s, cane lifts were used at train or tram stops. They moved bundles of cane onto wagons. At first, cane was cut by hand. Later, machines cut whole stalks. The cane was loaded onto horse-drawn wagons or trucks. Then, it was taken to a siding. There, the cane lift would load it onto a tram or rail wagon.
Many lifts were on private farms. Others were on railway land. Sugar mills often paid for the lifts. Farmers would then pay back the cost. They paid a small amount for each ton of cane they sent to the mill.
Different Types of Cane Lifts
Cane lifts came in a few designs:
- Traverser type: This lift had an overhead winch. It moved along a horizontal beam. The cane was hoisted from a dray. Then it was moved sideways and lowered into a tram wagon. This type made loading much faster.
- Fixed pulley type: This was similar but had a fixed pulley. The cane wagon would drive under the beam. The cane was lifted. Then the wagon moved out, and a tram wagon moved in. The cane was then lowered into the tram wagon.
- Derrick type: This lift had a swinging arm, like a crane. It could swing in a circle. This type was often used to load cane onto main railway wagons. Albert John Wellman Fudge, a carpenter, is said to have invented this type.
How Cane Lifts Were Powered
Lifts needed power to hoist the cane.
- Horses: Often, a horse was hitched to a pole. This pole turned a drum to lift the cane.
- Motors: Later, motors were used instead of horses.
- Trucks: After World War II, trucks were also used. Rollers were set in the ground. The truck's wheels would turn these rollers. This powered the lift. These were called "Tracey" lifts.
The Carmila Cane Lift: A Tracey Lift
The Carmila lift is a Tracey lift. It has a horizontal beam supported by two posts. A pulley is on top of the beam. Steel cable runs through the pulley. A hook hangs from the cable. In the ground below the beam are rollers. These rollers were used with a truck to power the lift.
This lift is on the old route of the Plane Creek Mill tramway. The mill started in 1896. The tramway was there by the mid-1920s. So, the Carmila lift was built between the 1920s and the 1960s.
The End of Cane Lifts
Mechanical harvesters changed everything. From the 1950s, mechanical loaders helped. But "chopper harvesters" were the real game-changer. These machines cut cane into small pieces. They also loaded the cane directly into bins. These bins were then taken to the mill. By the mid-1960s, chopper harvesters were widely used. This made cane lifts like Carmila's no longer needed.
What Does the Carmila Cane Lift Look Like Today?
The Carmila cane lift is about 7 to 9 meters tall. It has two tall wooden poles. These poles hold up a horizontal log beam. Climbing vines cover the upright poles.
A pulley wheel is on top of the log beam. It is held by a metal clamp and strong wires. A steel cable goes through the pulley. A hook hangs from the end of the cable. On the ground below the beam, you can still see the rollers. These are steel rollers and a steel cog. They stick out slightly from the ground.
The lift stands in an open, grassy area. There are some small bushes and a few trees around it.
Why is the Carmila Cane Lift Heritage Listed?
The Carmila Cane Lift was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 February 2010. This means it is very important to Queensland's history.
- Shows Queensland's history: This lift shows how sugar cane farming changed. It proves how cane was moved before modern harvesters. Sugar has always been a key crop for Queensland.
- Shows a type of cultural place: The Carmila cane lift is a great example of a Tracey lift. These lifts had a horizontal beam and were powered by a truck. The Carmila lift is still complete. It has the rollers, pulley, cable, and hook.
