Mill and Millhouse

Item details


Name of item:	Mill and Millhouse
Other name/s:	Byrnes Mill
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Manufacturing and Processing
Category:	Mill (Grain) - Corn
Location:	Lat: -35.3509165114 Long: 149.2350975990
Primary address:	Morrisett Street, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620
Parish:	Queanbeyan
County:	Murray
Local govt. area:	Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Ngambri

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	11		DP	815597
LOT	12		DP	815597

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Morrisett Street	Queanbeyan	Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional	Queanbeyan	Murray	Primary Address
49-58 Collett Street	Queanbeyan	Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional	Queanbeyan	Murray	Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private	26 Mar 99
	Private

Statement of significance:


	Byrne's Mill is very significant as the sole surviving mill building in the Canberra-Queanbeyan district, at least six other mills having functioned in the area at various times. The building, together with the adjacent millhouse, is also the only substantially intact nineteenth century industrial site in Queanbeyan. The mill and millhouse are significant in demonstrating the adverse effects that the coming of rail services exerted on the majority of manufacturing industries in rural centres. The mill, owing to its massing, general design and the form of its openings, is a good example of a late nineteenth century flour mill. The two buildings form part of an important remnant nineteenth century streetscape in Collett Street, linking with another nineteenth century building, Hibernia Lodge, situated further north along the street
	Date significance updated: 06 Aug 07
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Construction years:	1883-
Physical description:	The mill was built for Martin Byrne who was a prominent landowner, hotelier and businessman in Queanbeyan. Byrne had nursed the idea of establishing a mill since 1870, but it was not until 1883 that he made a start. He let the building contract to an experienced Sydney mill builder, William Crispin, who in turn subcontracted much of the work to local builders Thomas Jordan and Thomas McCauley. Crispin would have designed the mill and supervised its construction, while Jordan and McCauley carried out the actual building work. The building, constructed of brick laid in English bond, was completed in September 1883 at a cost of 3,500 pounds. It was originally equipped with a fifteen horsepower engine and three pairs of elevators, while a freestanding smokestack 60ft (18.3m) high stood beside the building. Operations began in December 1883, with the mill's two employees soon producing forty bags of flour per day. Martin's son, James, managed the mill, while he and his family lived next door in the two storey mill house which had been built at the same time as the mill. With the arrival of the railway in Queanbeyan in 1887, cheaper Sydney flour became available in the town. Two years later, construction commenced of another mill near the new railway station in Oaks Estate. Realising that he could no longer compete, Byrne closed the mill down in 1889 and put it up for sale. It was subsequently used for many years and by different people as a store for farm produce. At some point, it was bought by J B Young's and used for storage. For the last decade or more, the building has housed a restaurant. James Byrne continued to live in the mill house until his wife's death in August 1902. The mill house was then occupied as a residence by William Hill, by Reginald Tetley in the period 1937-52 and by Archibald Campbell of Lanyon. It then passed to J B Young's and was used by the company as a residence for its employees. The building has housed crafts stores and a bookshop since the early 1980s. Byrne's mill was one of six to have operated in the Canberra-Queanbeyan district at different times. The mill building is a three storey brick structure with a corrugated steel gable roof. Window heads (of brick) are slightly rounded and there is a hoist and door to the top storey. High up in the gable ends of the building are what appear to be attic windows. The mill house or former manager's house is a two storey brick building with a corrugated steel roof. The roof is a gable with a skillion to the rear. Decoration includes rendered quoins and well crafted gothic bargeboards. The front of the building features a cantilevered balcony to the upper floor, complete with filigree work and a convex iron roof. Windows to this front facade are round arched with label moulds and there is a fanlight over the front door. The mill and mill house were identified as places to be kept by all three community workshops organised by the AHC in Queanbeyan in 1990 to investigate social significance, local significance and a community's sense of place.


Current use:	Restaurant
Former use:	Flour Mill

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	Processing wheat and other grains-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Industry-Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods	Manufacturing foodstuffs-

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Produce a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register	00363	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former	00363	08 Mar 85	52	1076
Local Environmental Plan	3	16 Oct 98	148	8341
Local Environmental Plan - Lapsed		30 Aug 91

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Tourism		2007	Mill and Millhouse	View detail
Tourism	Attraction Homepage	2007	Mill and Millhouse	View detail

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5045727
File number:	S90/05128 & HC 32931

Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained in the State Heritage Inventory is correct. If you find any errors or omissions please send your comments to the Database Manager.

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