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Charles Grimes
Charles was the first European to explore the Yarra river. He led his survey party to the Yarra Falls (Dights Falls). -
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The Dight Falls
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Melbourne's settling
Melbourne was eventually settled. Land was sub divided and the first public land sales were held shortly after. -
John Dight
John Dight purchased Melbourne block 88, which included 26 acres of land along the Yarra River at the Port Philip land sales held in Sydney. -
John Dight's buisnesses
John Dight was already in the flour milling business and had a mill near Campbell town in New South Wales -
Dights first steam powered mill
The First steam powered mill was constructed in Melbourne in 1841. Dight built his water powered mill, soon after, from bricks over from Tasmania. -
The changing ownership of Dights Mill
The Dight family's mill and land along the Yarra had changed hands a number of times in the mid and late 1800's. -
The family abandoned flour milling
The Dight family abandoned flour milling in 1864. -
Edwin Trennery
The Dight family sold the property to Edwin Trennery in 1878.
Trennery subdivided the land. -
Mill left alone
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 in associated with buildings at this site. -
Rebuilding the Mill
The mill race was rebuilt in much the same position using the bluestone bricks 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. -
Changing hands again
The mill changed hands the final time in 1909 before it was destroyed by fire. The mill race and ruins of the mill can still be found at Dights Falls today. -
Repairs
The first documented reconstruction occurred in 1918 when part of the timber weir washed away in flood waters. The weir was rebuilt -
A glims into the past
Dight falls is a very important part of Melbourne's history now. You can still come and see Melbourne's culture at the Dight falls next to the Yarra river.
