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European Settlement
Charles Grimes, Surveyor General of New South Wales, is
believed to be the first European to explore the Yarra River. He
led his survey party on a river expedition to the Yarra Falls (Dights
Falls) area in 1803 reporting unfavourably on the prospects of
settling there. -
European Settlement
Melbourne was eventually settled in 1835. Land was sub-divided
and the first public land sales were held shortly after. -
The first weir at Dights Falls
In 1839 John Dight purchased Melbourne block 88, which
included 26 acres of land along the Yarra River for $715 at the
Port Phillip land sales held in Sydney.Dight was already in the business of flour milling and had a mill
near Campbell Town in New South Wales called ‘Ceres’. In April
1840, he notified his customers through The Sydney Herald that
he was leaving to go to Port Phillip. -
The first weir at Dights Falls
The first steam powered flour mill was constructed in Melbourne
in 1841. Dight built his water powered mill, soon after, from
bricks bought over from Tasmania.Dight used the river to power his mill: Water flowed along an
inlet channel to turn an undershot water wheel. In order to
regulate flow or to ensure flow for times when river levels were
low, Dight constructed a rough stone weir. -
Period: to
The changing ownership of Dight’s Mill
The Dight Family’s mill and land along the Yarra changed hands a
number of times in the mid to late 1800s.
they abandoned flour milling in 1864 and
the property was sold to Edwin Trennery in 1878. Trennery
subsequently subdivided the land. -
Period: to
The changing ownership of Dight’s Mill
The original mill on the river bank remained unoccupied until
1888, when flour millers Gillespie, Aitken and Scott, operating
under the name of ‘Yarra Falls Roller Flour Mills’ constructed a
new mill and associated buildings at the site.
The mill race was rebuilt in much the same position using
bluestone blocks from Dight’s old mill building, and a new mill
and associated buildings were constructed. This enterprise was
sold in 1891 to the Melbourne Flour Milling Company. -
Breaches and repairs – the changing face of Dights Falls
The first documented reconstruction activity occurred in 1918
when part of the timber weir washed away in flood waters. The
Minister for Public Works at the time declared that the weir would
be rebuilt, although the extent of these works is not known. -
Breaches and repairs – the changing face of Dights Falls
In 1993 Melbourne Water, recognising that the weir was a barrier
to fish migration constructed a rock fishway to allow fish to move
around the weir. Whilst considered best practice at the time, the
rock fishway way was only partially effective and the Dights Falls
Weir continues to act as a major barrier to native fish migration
in the Yarra River.
