Conondale Timbers Sawmill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Conondale Timbers sawmill
Conondale Timbers Sawmill, 2007
Location	Aherns Road, Conondale, Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia
Design period	1919 - 1930s (interwar period)
Built	1930s
Queensland Heritage Register
Official name: Conondale Timbers Sawmill, Conondale Timbers, Mill Workers Cottages
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	27 November 2008
Reference no.	602689
Significant period	1930s
Significant components	residential accommodation - workers' housing, machinery/plant/equipment - forestry/timber industry, shed/s, crane / gantry, lumber yard, engine/generator shed/room / power supply
Builders	M R Hornibrook Ltd
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The Conondale Timbers Sawmill was an important old sawmill located on Aherns Road in Conondale, Queensland, Australia. It was built in the 1930s by a company called M.R. Hornibrook Ltd. This sawmill is so special that it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected because of its history. It was also known for the homes where the mill workers lived.

Please note: The Conondale Timbers Sawmill is now permanently shut down. All its equipment has been removed. It is private property, so please do not enter without permission.

The Sawmill's Story

The Conondale Timbers Sawmill, located near Conondale in the Sunshine Coast Region, was a large mill that cut hardwood timber. It was built in the early 1930s. The site included the main mill building, its machinery, and houses for the workers. Originally, the mill used steam power, but it later switched to electricity.

Why Was This Sawmill Built?

In the 1930s, sawmilling was a huge industry in the North Coast area of Queensland. This region, now known as the Sunshine Coast, had the most sawmills and cut more hardwood than anywhere else in Queensland. Roads and transport improved in the 1920s. This made it possible to build sawmills in places like Conondale, even though they were far away.

The Conondale sawmill was built by M.R. Hornibrook Pty Ltd. This company needed a lot of timber for a big project: the Hornibrook Highway Bridge. This bridge connected the Redcliffe Peninsula with the Brisbane suburbs of Brighton and Sandgate. At the time, M.R. Hornibrook Pty Ltd was one of Queensland's most important engineering companies.

Who Was M.R. Hornibrook?

Manuel Hornibrook and his company built many important structures. From 1918, they worked on water systems for Brisbane and other towns. By the early 1930s, they had built several famous bridges. These included the Grey Street Bridge in Brisbane, now called the William Jolly Bridge.

After the Hornibrook Highway project, the company helped build Brisbane's Story Bridge. They also built a long railway bridge over the Pioneer River in Mackay. After World War II, they were involved in building power stations. They even helped construct the famous Sydney Opera House.

The Hornibrook Bridge Project

The Hornibrook Highway was built when many roads in South East Queensland were being improved. More cars were on the roads, and local councils needed help paying for better roads. The Queensland Government created the Main Roads Board in 1920. This board worked with councils to fund road upgrades. The Hornibrook Highway was one of the most important of these projects. It really helped Redcliffe grow and develop.

The Hornibrook Highway included a very long timber bridge. This bridge, the Hornibrook Highway Bridge, crossed Hay's Inlet and the North Pine River. It was Australia's longest bridge at the time. It used more hardwood timber than any other bridge of its kind. To get the huge amount of timber needed, Hornibrook bought a mill at Mapleton. He also built the Conondale mill right in the middle of large forests. The Conondale mill was specifically designed to produce timber for the bridge's decking.

How the Mill Worked

The original design of the Conondale mill has mostly been kept. It followed the usual plan for steam-powered sawmills of that time.

• Initial Cuts: Large saws called "break-down saws" (a frame saw and a circular saw) made the first cuts. They sliced the logs into long pieces called 'flitches'. These saws were near where logs entered the mill.
• Further Processing: Other saws, like the number one saw and pendulum docking saws, were located further inside the shed. They turned the flitches into boards of the right size and length.
• Saw Sharpening: There was even a small room in the main shed just for sharpening the saws.

The mill used to be powered by a steam engine. Even though the engine and its parts are gone, you can still see where they were. The sheds for the boiler and engine are still there. The engine shed even has the foundations of the old steam engine. Power was sent to the saws using shafts, belts, and pulley wheels. Some of these original parts are still on the site, even if they are not in the shed.

Most of the saws you can see today are original. This includes the frame, circular break-down, number one, and docking saws. The saw sharpening equipment is also original. All this machinery was designed to run on steam using flat belts and pulleys.

When the mill first got electricity, a large electric motor was simply connected to the main power shaft. Later, each saw got its own smaller electric motor. This meant the old belt system was no longer needed. The original flat belts and pulleys on the saws were replaced with "V" belts and pulleys. These connected directly to the new motors.

Other Buildings at the Mill

Besides the main mill shed, several other buildings built by M.R. Hornibrook Pty Ltd are still standing.

• Crane: There's an old ship's crane that was used to build the mill.
• Workers' Cottages: There are also several small houses where the mill workers lived. Five of these cottages are still in their original spot along the southern edge of the property. Another cottage near the entrance gate was moved from elsewhere on the site.

The group of five cottages were originally small, with two rooms each. They had a veranda facing east and a fireplace. They have been changed a bit over time. For example, the cottage on the far east side was made larger and now has a small entrance deck. It has even been used as an office.

The mill has been in continuous use since the 1930s. After the Hornibrook Bridge was finished, a Hornibrook company called Hamilton Sawmills continued to run the mill. In the 1960s, Thurecht and Sons bought the sawmill. Later, the Green family owned it, trading as Conondale Timbers. In the 1970s, the mill cut native hardwoods for building houses. About a third of its production was a type of timber called brush-box, used for flooring. It is one of the oldest working sawmills in the Sunshine Coast region.

What Does the Mill Look Like?

The Conondale Timbers mill site is located at the corner of Aherns Road and Harper Creek Road. This is about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of Maleny. It's also five kilometers south of Conondale. The main part of the mill is on a high, flat area. This area slopes steeply down to river flats along Elaman Creek.

Buildings and structures related to the sawmilling operations are on the higher part of the site. These include:

• The sawmill shed
• A large crane
• A burning area
• An ablutions shed (for washing)
• Six workers' cottages
• Timber racks
• A petrol pump
• Storage tanks
• Various other sheds

You can also see different pieces of equipment, machinery, and vehicles scattered around the site.

A pair of timber gates opens onto the site from Aherns Road. The property is surrounded by timber, barbed wire, and electric fences. There are grassy areas and some trees and plants across the site. Cattle sometimes graze on the lower river flats.

The Sawmill Shed

The main building on the site is a very large, open shed. It has a gable roof, which means it's shaped like an upside-down 'V'. The roof is supported by timber trusses and large square timber posts. The roof is made of corrugated galvanised iron.

Inside the shed, there's a raised timber platform. This platform holds the gantries, benches, saws, trolleys, and stacking areas for the mill's operations. Two earth mounds outside the shed help forklifts load logs onto the platform. A conveyor belt carries wood waste from the platform to a burning area nearby. This burning area is open to the sky and surrounded by corrugated iron sheets.

A small room in one corner of the platform is made of timber and covered with weatherboards. This room is where the saws were sharpened. Part of the platform extends outside without a roof. It has trolley tracks for sawing very long logs. Timber stairs lead down from the platform to the engine room and from the west side of the platform. The area under the platform used to hold the shafts, pulleys, and other parts of the old steam-powered system.

Since it was a working mill, the platform had many machines. These included a framing saw, breakdown saw, number one saw, and docking saw. There were also benches, trolleys, and tracks. The saw sharpening room contained all the equipment for sharpening saws.

The old engine and boiler sheds are right next to the main shed. Both have concrete floors. Concrete blocks in the engine shed floor show where the steam engine used to sit. Openings in the walls and floor show where shafts, belts, and other parts of the steam system connected. Many old tools and machines are stored in these sheds.

The Crane

The crane stands to the northwest of the mill shed. Its timber arm could swing around to lift logs onto the platform. The crane's motor is in a small shed nearby.

Workers' Cottages

There is a row of five timber cottages along the southern edge of the property. Another timber cottage is near the entrance gate. All these houses are made of timber and covered with weatherboards that have been treated with a red oil.

The group of five cottages stand on low timber stumps. They each have a corrugated galvanised iron gable roof. The spaces between some of the cottages have been partly or fully enclosed and roofed. The cottage furthest to the east has a small timber deck. The next two cottages are connected by an enclosed space. The fourth cottage has a timber extension along its south side. The windows are a mix of timber and aluminium frames. There are also several galvanised iron water tanks near the cottages.

The cottage at the entrance gate is larger than the others. It also has a corrugated galvanised iron gable roof and an enclosed porch on its south side.

Why is it Heritage Listed?

The Conondale Timbers Sawmill was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 27 November 2008. This means it's considered very important to Queensland's history and culture. Here's why:

A Look into Queensland's Past

The Conondale Timbers Sawmill (built in the early 1930s) shows how Queensland's timber industry grew. It's a great example of the sawmills built on the North Coast (now the Sunshine Coast). This area was one of the most important timber-producing regions in Queensland. In the 1930s, the North Coast produced the most hardwood and had more sawmills than anywhere else in the state. The mill used the area's rich hardwood forests to provide timber for the Hornibrook Bridge.

Because it supplied wood for the Hornibrook Bridge (1932-1935), the mill also shows how Queensland's road systems developed in the 1930s. The Hornibrook Bridge was built when roads in South East Queensland were being improved for more cars. The Hornibrook Bridge made it much easier to get to Redcliffe, which helped that area grow a lot.

A Rare Piece of History

This mill is one of the oldest known sawmills still operating in the North Coast region. It's special because it's so old, its original parts and layout are still mostly intact, and it has been a working sawmill since the early 1930s. Many old sawmills from the 1930s are now rare or have disappeared. This is due to economic changes and new environmental rules since the 1990s.

Showing How Sawmills Worked

The mill is a great example of a steam-driven hardwood sawmill from the 1930s, complete with housing for its workers. The site includes:

• The main sawmill shed with its saws, benches, and trolleys.
• The boiler and engine sheds.
• The workers' houses.
• The log yard.
• The crane.
• A creek that supplied water for the steam engine.

Inside the sawmill shed, the original layout is mostly preserved. It shows how steam-powered sawmills were designed back then. There's even a saw sharpening room still inside the shed.

Even though the steam engine and its power system are gone, you can still see where they were located. Most of the original saws and other equipment are still there, even though they were changed to use electric power. The saws were set up to move logs through the mill very efficiently.

Its Striking Appearance

The sawmill shed is very impressive because of its large size and tall gable roof. Its strong timber parts and towering crane give the mill a powerful look in the landscape. The weathered timber and corrugated iron give it a tough, industrial feel. It stands out as a dramatic surprise in the quiet countryside of the Mary Valley, which usually has rolling hills, grassy fields, and smaller farm buildings.

Connection to Important People

The sawmill was built by M.R. Hornibrook Pty Ltd to supply hardwood for the Hornibrook Bridge. This means it has a special connection to one of Queensland's most important civil engineers. It's also linked to the Hornibrook Bridge, which was a major engineering project in the 1930s. Manuel Hornibrook also built the William Jolly Bridge and played key roles in building the Story Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. The Hornibrook Bridge was a huge engineering achievement; it was Australia's longest bridge at the time. It had a big impact on how Redcliffe developed.

Images for kids

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  Conondale Timbers Sawmill, 2007