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Wurundjeri
The Wurundjeri people, the traditional landowners used the river as a source of food and a source of materials -
First European to explore the Yarra
Charles Grimes is known to be the first European to explore the Yarra River. He was unsure about settling around that area. -
Melbourne settles
Melbourne eventually settles and public land sales were held shortly after -
John Dight
John Dight perchased Melbourne block 88 which included 26 acres of land along the Yarra River. -
Moving to Port Phillip
John Dight was in the flour mill business and had a mill near Campbell Town in New South Wales. In April he notified his customers that he was departing to Port Phillip -
First Steam Flour Mill
The first ever steam powered flour mill was built in Melbourne. Further on John Dight built his own Water powered mill using bricks sent from Tasmania. -
The Weir of Dight Falls
Dight used the river to power his mill. Water flowed along an inlet channel to turn a water wheel. In order to regulate flow or to ensure flow for times when river levels were low, Dight constructed a rough stone weir. -
A change of hands
The Dight family sold their flour mill business to Edwin Trennery in 1878, Trennery subdivided the land. -
New Comers
The original mill on the river bank remained unoccupied until 1888, when 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. -
Sold Again
The mill race was rebuilt in much the same position using bluestone blocks from Dight’s old mill building. This small enterprise was then sold to the Melbourne Flour Milling Company. -
The last change of hands
The mill changed hands for a final time in 1909 before it was destroyed by a fire. The ruins of the mill can still be found at Dights Falls today. -
Reconstructing the weir
The first documented reconstruction of the Weir was in 1918 when part of the timber weir washed away in flood waters. -
The Weir is a problem
In 1993 Melbourne Water, recognising that the weir was a barrier to fish migration constructed a rock fishway to allow the fish to move around the weir. 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.
