paterson inlet sawmilling, stewart island, new zealand. archaeological survey

Paterson Inlet Sawmilling(Sawdust Bay & Sawmill Bay)

Stewart Island/Rakiura

Archæological Surveyfor the

Department of Conservation

Southland Conservancy

P.G. Petchey

Southern Archæology Ltd

Dunedin

2010

2Paterson Inlet Sawmilling Archæology

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................3

Introduction................................................................................................................................4

General Geographic Description ................................................................................................4

Field Survey ...............................................................................................................................6

History of Sawmill Bay &Sawdust Bay Sawmills .....................................................................7

The Stewart Island Timber Industry ......................................................................................7

Previous Archæological Survey Work .....................................................................................11

2009 Archæological Survey .....................................................................................................11

Gallon’s Mill Site.....................................................................................................................12

Gallon’s Mill Site in 2009....................................................................................................13

McCallum’s Mill Site...............................................................................................................19

McCallum’s Mill Site in 2009 .............................................................................................22

Bullock’s Mill Site ...................................................................................................................25

Bullock’s Mill Site in 2009..................................................................................................27

Matthews’ & Collins’ Mill .......................................................................................................28

Matthews’ & Collins’ Mill, Tramway & Wharf in 2009 .....................................................28

Matthews’ & Collins’ Mill Boiler & Portable Engine .........................................................32

Swain’s Mill .............................................................................................................................34

Discussion & Recommendations..............................................................................................35

References................................................................................................................................37

Appendix A ..............................................................................................................................38


Acknowledgements

A number of people assisted with the preparation of this survey report. Rachael Egerton of the

Department of Conservation commissioned the survey and acted as field assistant throughout.

Heather Brooks, also of the Department of Conservation, also assisted throughout the survey.

The Dunedin Regional Office of Archives New Zealand gave permission to reproduce parts

of maps in their collection, and John Hall-Jones gave permission to reproduce images from

his book Stewart Island Explored.


Paterson Inlet Sawmilling

(Sawmill Bay & Sawdust Bay, Paterson Inlet)

Archæological Survey2010

P.G. Petchey

Southern Archæology

Introduction

This report was carried out for the Southland Conservancy of the Department of Conservation

(DOC) to record in detail the physical remains of sawmilling activity in the area of Kaipipi

Bay and the North Arm of Paterson Inlet, specifically archæological sites E48/44 (Gallon’s

mill site), E48/9 (McCallum’s mill site), the related features at the settlement and wharf site at

Kaipipi, and site E48/12 (Matthews’ & Collin’s mill). This work was intended to assist the

planning of track work near these sites, and to provide interpretation material at Gallon’s mill

site.

General Geographic Description

Stewart Island/Rakiura is the southernmost of New Zealand’s three main islands, lying 24

kilometres off the South Island, between the latitudes 46 and 48 degrees south (Figure 1). The

island has an area of 1,720 square kilometres (650 square miles), much of which is included

in the newly created Rakiura National Park.

There is only one permanent settlement, at Oban in Halfmoon Bay, although numerous small

cribs and huts are scattered about, including those used once a year by muttonbirders. The

population is generally about 400, although this increases significantly in the summer months.

A road network only exists around Oban, the rest of the island being accessible only by

walking tracks, by boat or by air, the latter restricted to places where landing sites are

available for helicopter or amphibious aeroplane.

The coastline is generally craggy and rocky, although Mason Bay on the west coast has a

sandy beach some seven miles long. There are several large natural harbours, including Port

William, Paterson Inlet, Port Adventure and Port Pegasus. The majority of the island is hilly

or mountainous, the highest peak being Mt. Anglem in the north (980m, 3,214ft), while Mt.

Allen in the Tin Range is 716 metres (2,459ft) high.

It is of note in the discussions below that the use of names for various inlets has varied

somewhat over the years. The present maps (NZMS 260 D48/E48) make a clear distinction

between Kaipipi Bay and Prices Inlet on the north shore of Paterson Inlet. Older maps show

what is now known as Kaipipi Bay as Sawmill Bay, and Prices Bay as Kaipipi Bay (see

Figure 2). In the discussion below ‘Sawmill Bay’ will be used when discussing sites in what

is now Kaipipi Bay as it is quite specific and avoids confusion.


Figure 1

Location of Kaipipi Bay and Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island


Figure 2

Map showing the main sites discussed in this report. The grid is based on NZMS 260

D48/E48. Names in parenthesis are earlier usages (see text). The main sites are numbered

as follows:

1 Gallon’s sawmill (E48/44)

2 Bullock’s sawmill (E48/45), McCallum’s tramway & wharf, Kaipipi settlement

3 McCallum’s sawmill (E48/9)

4 McCallum’s tramway across Sawmill Bay

5 Matthews’ & Collins’ sawmill (E48/12)

6 Matthews’ & Collins’ tramway, wharf and boiler & portable engine

7 Possible site of Swain’s sawmill (E48/10)

8 Sawmill site shown by Sansom (1982) but not visited

9 Whaling base

Field Survey

The field survey was undertaken by Peter Petchey of Southern Archæology and Rachael

Egerton and Heather Brooks of the Department of Conservation in September 2009.

The locations of the various sites were determined using a Garmin 12 hand-held GPS unit.

Detailed maps of Gallon’s and Matthews’ & Collins’ sawmill sites were made using

conventional tape and compass methods. Archæological features were photographed on both

film and digitally, and the negatives are held by Southern Archæology.

The survey was carried out before the change from the NZMS 260 to the Topo 50

topographical maps occurred, and so information in this report is presented in the earlier

format.


History of Sawmill Bay &Sawdust Bay Sawmills

The Stewart Island Timber Industry

The timber industry on Stewart Island started when William Stewart established a shipbuilding

enterprise at Port Pegasus in 1826, although all of the timber there would have been hand-cut and

pit-sawn. The first mechanical sawmill on the island was established in 1861 at Kaipipi Bay,

Paterson Inlet, by a man named Gallon. This was powered by a water wheel, and the first steam

powered mill was established nearby later the same year by John Bullock (Howard 1940: 196).

Over the following 60 years numerous mills were established around Paterson Inlet, Halfmoon

Bay and Horseshoe Bay, the last of which was the operation at Maori Beach that finally closed in

1931 (Howard 1940: 196-197). The distribution of mills was largely determined by the

distribution of economically millable rimu trees, which were found at lower altitudes at the

northern end of the island (Howard 1940: 190). By 1886, when much of Stewart Island was

proclaimed State Forest, the best of the timber had already been felled. Much of the island was

reserved for the protection of flora, fauna and scenery in 1906, and the only uncut forests open to

milling enterprises after that were in the coastal fringe from Port William to Mason Bay (Howard

1940: 193-195).

The history of samilling ventures is often complex, with companies changing ownership and

name, and licences changing hands. Recent research on the Maori Beach sawmilling operation

(Petchey 2009) has shown that the published histories are often incomplete. The milling

operations discussed below (ca. 1861 to ca. 1926) are earlier than the Maori Beach operation (ca.

1915 to 1931), and so the surviving documentary evidence is more sparse than that for Maori

Beach. In particular it can be difficult to determine exactly which sawmill sites were in use at a

particular date and by whom. The discussion below is as accurate as possible, but if more

historical information comes to light some interpretations may change.

Howard (1940: 191-192) has discussed the establishment of Gallon’s and Bullock’s sawmills,

and was of the opinion that although John Bullock had first proposed the establishment of a

steam powered sawmill capable of cutting “upward of 30,000 feet of superficial weekly” in

October 1860, it was Gallon’s water-powered mill that was actually operating first. Certainly,

both mills were operating close to each other in early 1861. The Otago Witness (13 April 1861:

101) reported in April 1861 that:

“About four miles up the west arm, in a beautiful bay (called by the natives Kepeepe

Bay), Mr. Gallon and Mr. Bullock have erected their saw-mills, which will find constant

employment for about seventy men…”

Another mention in the paper later in the year (Otago Witness 8 June 1861: 9) mentioned that

both mills were working, but also referred to “Bullock and Walker’s” mills, possibly suggesting

that Bullock had taken on a partner. When James Hector (1863: 448) visited Paterson Inlet in

1863 he did not visit the mills, but reported that:

“A boat visited us from the sawmills which are situated about five miles up Peterson’s

Inlet. There are two different establishments, and altogether a little community

comprising nearly a hundred persons.”

Sansom (1982: 30) stated that there was an original 1861 mill site that burnt down in 1863, to be

replaced by a new site further east, and she reproduced a map of Sawmill Bay ‘from an early

sawmiller’s sketch-map” (Figure 3). However, the information in this map does not entirely

agree with other more formal survey sources (see Figure 4), and combines features from different

1 Taken from the Southern News, March 23, 1861.


eras, as she shows the long timber bridge of McCallum’s tramline that was used until 1926 (see

discussion below).

Figure 3

Sketch map of Sawmill Bay, Kaipipi, from Sansom (1982). This map appears to combine

features from different eras, as the timber bridge and mill site are those of McCallum’s

operation of the early twentieth century. The “Old mill site” was possibly an earlier

location of either Gallon’s or Bullock’s mill, while the known locations of both of these

mills are not shown.


Figure 4

Detail of 1878 map of part of Block XV Paterson District (S.O. 1521) showing locations of

two old sawmills in Sawmill Bay. These are almost certainly Gallon’s Mill (left) and

Bullock’s Mill (Right). (LINZ)

In about 1864 Bullock opened another mill in Paterson Inlet, near Thule close to Halfmoon Bay.

Howard was of the opinion that the machinery from the Bullock’s old mill at Kaipipi was shifted

to this new mill, which then continued to operate until 1867 or 1868 (Howard 1940: 192).2 At

about that time both mills in Kaipipi closed down, although Gallon’s mill was soon reopened

under the management of Jabez Hay.

By 1878 both mills in Kaipipi appear to have been closed down, as a map drawn that year (S.O.

1521, see Figure 4) shows both sites as ‘old sawmills.’ In the early twentieth century both sites

were partially reused by a new sawmilling operation, known generally as McCallum’s Mill. This

new mill was established about 400 metres upstream from Gallon’s Mill, where the valley

widened out to a large flat. A tramway ran down the valley, across Gallon’s Mill site, and then

across the Sawmill Bay tidal flats to the peninsula where Bullock’s Mill had stood, where a new

jetty was also built. The exact date that this mill was established is not known, but it was there by

1911 (S.O. 4006). It is likely that it was actually established by John Bragg, and then passed to

McCallum & Co. John Bragg was born on Stewart Island, and was elected as a County

Councillor in 1902, and is recorded as having had sawmilling interests in Paterson Inlet

(Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Vol. 4: 892).

Two different mills were also established in what is now Prices Inlet, both by Swain. One was

near Swains Beach, and the second in Kidney Fern Arm (Howard 1940: 196). The machinery for

these mills came from an earlier mill at Ryan’s Creek (Howard 1940: 197).

In the North Arm of Paterson Inlet several mills were established, although details of their

establishments are hazy. Cullen and Clark set up a water-powered mill in about 1870, which was

later taken over by Hay (not Jabez Hay who took over Gallon’s mill) and converted to steam

power, and later sold to McPherson, Filmer & Co. (Howard 1940: 196). Another steam powered

2 However, Sansom (1982: 30) was of the opinion that it was Gallon that operated the Thule mill.


mill was operated by Matthews and Collins, although it was probably established by John Bragg,

and it closed during the First World War (Howard 1940: 197).

Figure 5

Detail of map of sawmill areas on Stewart Island held by DoC (Halfmoon Bay). This shows

similar information to a sawmill map held by Archives New Zealand.

Of relevance to this report are:

Section 32 (in black): Site of Gallon’s sawmill, later used by McCallum’s tramway.

Area 24 (in red): Bragg Sawmill Site 471 (Matthews’ & Collins’ Mill)

Area 25 (in red): Bragg Sawmill Site 651 (McCallum’s Mill)

More detailed historical accounts of individual mills are given below together with the relevant

archæological site descriptions.


Previous Archæological Survey Work

To date no detailed systematic archæological survey has been undertaken of the Stewart

Island timber milling industry, although the main mill and hauler sites have been recorded.

The site of Gallon’s Mill is actively managed by the Department of Conservation, and a

Conservation Plan (Bradley et al 1994) has been prepared. In 1977 Neville Ritchie (then of

the Southland Museum in Invercargill) recorded a number of the mill sites on the New

Zealand Archæological Association Site Record Scheme based on the descriptions given in

Howard (1940). The previously recorded sites in Paterson Inlet that are discussed in this

report and their imperial and metric site record numbers are summarised in Table 1. Updated

grid references are given in Appendix A.

Mill Imperial no. Metric no. Comments

Gallon’s S186/11 E48/44 Recorded in detail in 2009

Bullock’s S186/12 E48/45 Not visited

McCallum’s S186/13 E48/9 Visited in 2009

Matthew & Collins’ S186/18 E48/12 Recorded in 2009

Swain’s S186/14 E48/10 Visited in 2009

Swain’s (Kidney fern) S186/15 E48/11 Not visited in 2009

Hay’s S186/17 E48/53 Exact location not known

Table 1

Recorded sawmill sites

2009 Archæological Survey

The 2009 archæological survey visited five possible early sawmill sites; Gallon’s, Bullock’s,

McCallum’s, Matthew’s & Collins’, and Swain’s. Of these, Gallon’s Mill was recorded in

some detail and the site of the main mill shed at Matthew’s & Collins’ Mill was mapped,

while the others were simply inspected. The identification of Swain’s mill site was by no

means certain. Detailed mapping was carried out using basic tape and compass methods, with

hand-held GPS co-ordinates taken to record the overall location of each site.


Gallon’s Mill Site

NZAA Site No. E48/44 (S168/11)

Gallon’s Mill is significant as it was the first mechanical sawmill on Stewart Island, and it is

on the Rakiura Track and so is regularly visited by walkers. It is actively managed by the

Department of Conservation. The mill site is located astride a small stream that runs into the

north shore of Sawmill Bay. The 5 acre Section 32 Block XV Paterson District was surveyed

along the stream, and included the mill site. This property was an unregistered Crown Grant

(Southland Deeds Local Index).

As described above, the mill was opened in 1861 by Gallon. Although little is known about

the mill, and no photographs have been found, some small details of its operations can be

gleaned from newspaper columns. The Otago Witness on March 29th 1862 reported that the

mill continued in full work, and that shipments of timber were sent to Invercargill fortnightly

on the schooner Hawkhead. The best description of the milling operation was An Otago

Witness article on 11th July 1868, written when the mill was being reopened by the Hay

brothers of Invercargill after a short closure:

“Messrs Hay Bros, of Invercargill, are about to re-open the sawmill, known as

‘Gallon’s,’ at the head of Paterson’s Inlet, where they have a practically unlimited

supply of timber, and water power to drive the machinery for cutting it. One fact in

connection with the mills is worthy of especial notice. The dam built to obtain the

requisite fall of water, turns the stream above it into a kind of lagoon, stretching back for

about two miles through country well timbered to the water’s edge. Logs can, therefore,

be easily felled on the hill sides, rolled into the water, stapled and chained off into rafts,

and taken down to the mills at once. The saving between this plan and that of hauling

with bullocks will be very great.”

This description is extremely valuable, as it not only states that the mill was still water-

powered at this date, but it also describes part of the logging operation. The use of the mill

reservoir to transport logs would have had the considerable advantage of reducing the need to

construct tramlines through the bush, as logs could be floated down all the way to the mill,

which stood at the foot of the dam. However the easily accessible logs would presumably

have been quickly cut out, and it would have been necessary to transport logs from further

afield, so this advantage would have lessened over time.

The date that Gallon’s/Hay’s Mill finally closed is not known, although an 1878 map (SO

1521, see Figure 4 above) suggests that by this date it has ceased to operate as it was then

described as an ‘old sawmill.’ Closure was certainly prior to the establishment of McCallum’s

Mill upstream because the site of McCallum’s mill would have been underwater if Gallon’s

dam had been intact, and McCallums tramline cut through this dam. The history of

McCallum’s Mill is discussed in more detail below, but it was certainly in operation by 1911.

In summary, Gallon’s Mill operated through most of the 1860s, and possibly into the 1870s.

The mill was located close to the mouth of a small stream that ran into Sawmill Bay, part of

Kaipipi Bay. The mill was powered by a water wheel (almost certainly an overshot wheel, see

discussion below) fed by water from the reservoir. Logs were floated down to the mill on the

reservoir. There is no evidence as to how the logs were loaded aboard boats for transport to

markets, but presumably there was a wharf or jetty out into Sawmill Bay.


Gallon’s Mill Site in 2009

The site of Gallon’s Mill is shown in Figure 6. The mill site is located at the mouth of a small

stream that runs out into Sawmill Bay. The Rakiura Track crosses the mill site on a bridge, and

the tailrace for the water wheel passes under the bridge. The main elements of the site consist of

the earth and log dam, the waterwheel pit and tailrace, the revetted stream course and the site of

the mill itself. On both valley sides adjacent to the dam remains are the borrow pits that provided

the earth for the dam construction. Cut through the dam and site is the formation of McCallum’s

tramway that ran from McCallum’s Mill upstream (described in more detail below) down to and

across Sawmill Bay to McCallum’s wharf.

Figure 6

Tape and compass plan of Gallon’s mill site in 2009.

The mill site itself consists of a narrow flat area between the wheelpit and tailrace (on the west

side of the site) and the stream (on the east side). Both the tailrace and the stream bank have been

partially revetted with large rocks. It is possible given the size of the flat ground available (only 5

metres wide) that the mill was built out over the stream.


The wheelpit for the water wheel that drove Gallon’s Mill is approximately 10m long and 5.6m

wide. It is parallel to the main stream course, to which it is linked by a curved tailrace. At low

tide the race and pit are dry, but at high tide water flows back into them. The mill dam is located

15 metres upstream from the wheel pit. The dam was constructed from earth with a core of logs.

The centre of the dam has been breached and the base logs are now exposed in the stream bed.

The dam was originally 25 metres across the top (measured between two slots cut into the banks

for top timbers on the dam) and approximately 5m high (above the stream bed). McCallum’s

tramway was cut through the west side of the dam, and then ran through the middle of the mill

site.

Figure 7

A view into the wheelpit looking towards the dam (obscured by trees, right rear).


Figure 8

The tailrace running beneath the present Rakiura Track footbridge. Note the heavy rocks

used in the sides of the race.

Figure 9

The site of Gallon’s mill dam. The logs in the centre of the picture formed the base

structure of the earth dam


Figure 10

Close-up of the logs in the base of the mill dam.

Figure 11

The eastern side of the earth dam (centre), with a borrow pit (left).


Figure 12

A view looking along McCallum’s tramway where it cut through Gallon’s dam.

Erosion damage from stream flooding is visible in several places. The side of the wheelpit has

been partially washed away, and there is a washout on the streambank. This has been caused in

part by a tree growing from the bank immediately downstream of the damage. It is possible that

the mill site was artificially built up using earth taken from the borrow pits on either side of the

valley.

Figure 13

Erosion damage at Gallon’s mill site, where the earth overburden has been washed away.


Levels were taken across the site to determine the height of the dam and possible size of water

wheel that was used at Gallon’s Mill. Figure 14 shows the basic levels of the site and a very basic

possible reconstruction of the site operation. Several assumptions were made. Firstly, the top of

the waterwheel was probably not higher than the top of the dam, assuming an overshot wheel

was used. It is possible that a pitchback wheel was used, as these discharge water in the tailrace

in the same direction as the tailrace flow, and produce a smoother water flow and less drag if the

water level in the tailrace rises above the level of the bottom of the wheel. A pitchback wheel

would also probably not be higher than the top of the dam.

Secondly, the bottom of the water wheel must have been above the high tide water level, because

if the wheel did sit in water at each high tide this would slow it considerably and effectively

render the mill inoperable for a period everyday. Given these constraints, the maximum wheel

diameter would have been approximately 18 feet (5.5m). This is the size shown in Figure 14.

However, it was probably smaller than that, as the water level in the reservoir may not have been

right to the top of the dam all of the time. The photograph of the Old Mill Creek mill near

Halfmoon Bay in Sansom (1982, facing p. 64) shows that the water wheel at that mill was lower

than the roof of the mill shed, and therefore probably about the same size or slightly smaller than

Gallon’s wheel.

Figure 14

Simplified cross-section of Gallon’s mill site (above), and possible location of main mill

structures (below). Note that the maximum water wheel size is shown here, although it is

most likely that it was actually somewhat smaller.


McCallum’s Mill Site


McCallum’s Mill site is located upstream (north) of Gallon’s Mill site, on a large grassy flat

400 metres from the shore of Sawmill Bay. This flat would have been under the waters of

Gallon’s Mill reservoir when the earlier mill was in operation, meaning that it was probably

clear of large timber when McCallum’s Mill was established.

The exact establishment date of McCallum’s Mill is not known. Sawmill Site No. 651 was

granted to McCallum & Co. Ltd of Invercargill in 1920 (State Forest Service, Sawmill Site

651 correspondence, Archives NZ), but the mill almost certainly already existed at this date

as a note on the file refers to previous correspondence regarding the sawmill site and tramway

for Sawmill Area 459B, and this earlier file is now missing. An 1893 map of part of Paterson

District (SO 2854) shows the mill site pencilled in as an addition (Figure 15). The sawmill

map held by the Department of Conservation on Stewart Island shows Mill Site 651 to be

held by Bragg (see Figure 5), raising the possibility that John Bragg built the mill, and it was

taken over and/or enlarged by McCallum & Co. McCallum & Company’s entry in the 1905

Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Vol. 4: 859) makes no mention of the company owning a

Stewart Island mill. However, a 1911 map (SO 4006) shows ‘McCallum’s tramway” to the

wharf inked in as part of the original linework (Figure 16). This strongly suggests that the

mill and associated tramway had been built and were in the ownership of McCallum & Co. by

1911. A government survey in 1907 reported that the company was operating only 5 mills at

that date, down from 9 listed in the 1904 Cyclopedia (Mahoney 2006: 23). This potentially

further narrows down the McCallum operation of the Kaipipi Mill to between 1907 and 1911.

The licence for the sawmill area was surrendered in November 1926 by the Port Craig Timber

Co., Ltd. (formerly McCallum & Co., Ltd) (State Forest Service, Sawmill Site 651

correspondence, Archives NZ).

Figure 15

Detail of 1893 map of part of Paterson District (SO 2854), showing Section 32 (Gallon’s

Mill site) inked in, with McCallum’s Mill site (Sawmill Site 651) pencilled in as a later

addition. (LINZ)


Figure 16

Detail of 1911 plan of part of Kaipipi Road extension (SO 4006), showing McCallum’s

tramway and jetty. (LINZ)

Unlike the earlier Gallon’s Mill nearby, McCallum’s Mill was steam-powered, and was

serviced by a bush tramway network. The mill was linked to its wharf by a tramway that led

down the stream valley, cut through Gallon’s old dam, and then crossed the eastern arm of

Sawmill Bay on a timber trestle to reach to promontory upon which Bullock’s Mill had earlier

stood. This small promontory was the location of a number of houses and even a tearoom

(Sansom 1982: 32), and was connected to Oban (Halfmoon Bay) by the Kaipipi Road (now

used as a walking track).

Figure 17

This view is captioned as McCallum’s Mill at Kaipipi. But is hard to reconcile to the

known site of McCallum’s sawmill. (Auckland Weekly News, reproduced in Hall-Jones

1994)


Figure 18

McCallum’s tramway, looking out into Sawmill Bay from close to the site of Gallon’s

Mill. A footbridge that once crossed Sawmill Bay is visible in the background.

(Sansom 1982)

Figure 19

McCallum’s wharf at Kaipipi. This was also the site of a tearooms, and the end of the

Kaipipi Road. (Sansom 1982)


Figure 20

McCallum’s tramline across sawmill Bay from the mill site to the Kaipipi wharf.

Looking back towards the mill end of the tramway from the promontory on which the

wharf and Kaipipi settlement were situated. (Sansom 1982)

McCallum’s Mill Site in 2009

The sites of McCallum’s sawmill and wharf were both visited in 2009. The mill site is

reached by following the stream up from Gallon’s mill site for about 400 metres, whereupon a

large open and somewhat boggy flat is reached. Various mounds and pieces of equipment

(such as a iron tank) indicate that this was the site of McCallum’s mill. This area also would

have been the largest open extent of the reservoir behind Gallon’s dam. The exact location of

the mill was not determined, although it seems most likely that it was on the higher ground at

the south-western end of the flat.

Figure 21

Iron tank on the site of McCallum’s sawmill.


Several hut sites were found on the rising ground around the edge of the flat. These were

marked by cut terraces and/or bottle glass.

Between the flat and Gallon’s mill site some evidence of McCallum’s tramway was observed.

Where it passed through Gallon’s dam (see Figure 6), and for a short distance upstream, the

tramway passed through a cutting. But for most of the rest of the distance along the valley it

was on a timber trestle, a few posts of which remain standing (Figure 22).

Figure 22

Standing post from McCallum’s

tramway trestle upstream from Gallon’s

mill site.

Figure 23

The site of McCallum’s tramway across Sawmill Bay, Kaipipi, in 2009. This is an almost

identical view to the historical view in Figure 20.


Figure 24

The view back towards the promontory from the pile of stones where the end of

McCallum’s wharf once stood. Figure 19 shows the buildings that once stood here.


Bullock’s Mill Site


Very little is known about Bullock’s mill other than it was established in 1861 and was steam

powered. Howard (1940) discusses whether Bullock’s or Gallon’s mill opened first, and

cautiously favours Gallon’s primacy. Bullock’s mill was steam powered, at least some of the

machinery probably coming from Melbourne, as after an accident in March 1862 replacement

parts had to be ordered from that town (Otago Witness 29 March 1862: 7). The date of closure

is not known, although in about 1864 Bullock opened another mill in Paterson Inlet, near

Thule close to Halfmoon Bay. Howard was of the opinion that the machinery from the

Bullock’s old mill at Kaipipi was shifted to this new mill, which then continued to operate

until 1867 or 1868 (Howard 1940: 192).3

There is some uncertainty about the location of Bullock’s mill. Sansom (1982: 30 & facing

p42) states that an early mill was established in 1861 and burnt down two years later, and the

first site is shown in her map (reproduced here as Figure 3). However, an 1878 map (SO

1521, see Figures 4 and 25) shows a mill site, apparently consisting of a mill building and

wharf, on the south-eastern end of the small promontory on the eastern shore of Kaipipi Bay

that was later the location of McCallum’s tramway terminus and jetty, the small Kaipipi

community and the end of the Kaipipi Road. This is certainly not Gallon’s mill, which is

shown on the same map, and therefore is highly likely to be Bullock’s, unless an as-yet

unknown third mill was operating in the Bay. An undated sawmill map held by Archives New

Zealand shows the same old mill site, together with a tramline running to the north-east

(Figure 26), and the 1886 compass traverse of the foot track from Oban to Kaipipi (Figure 27)

shows the same tramway, and old jetty, and the Kaipipi footbridge (which is also visible in

Figure 18). It is of note that this map shows a ‘cut track to upper mill,’ but which mill that

might have been is not known.

Figure 25

Detail of 1878 map (SO 1521) showing ‘old sawmill’ on the promontory in Sawmill Bay

(now Kaipipi Bay). This was later the site of Mccallum’s wharf and the Kaipipi

settlement. (LINZ)

3 However, Sansom (1982: 30) was of the opinion that it was Gallon that operated the Thule mill.


Figure 26

Part of an undated sawmill map of Paterson District, showing an old saw mill and tramway

on the promontory in Sawmill Bay. (Archives New Zealand, CAMP/D106/8c/219/3

Paterson District- Sawmill Map)

Figure 27

Detail of compass survey of foot track from Oban to Kaipipi Bay by George Watson,

March 1886. (Archives New Zealand, DADE/D206/223b/D2144 Compass

Survey…Paterson District 1886)


Bullock’s Mill Site in 2009

The Old Mill Site shown by Sansom was not visited in 2009. At the peninsula site nothing can

with certainty be associated with this mill, as the archæological features visible today on the

promontory relate to the later use of the area by McCallum & Co., and the Kaipipi settlement,

and are discussed above under McCallum’s Mill. It is likely that there will be sub-surface

evidence on the promontory of Bullock’s mill.


Matthews’ & Collins’ Mill


The details of the establishment of this mill are not certain. Howard (1940: 196) simply states

that this steam-powered mill was operated by Matthews & Collins, and that it closed during the

war of 1914-1918. Sansom (1982: facing 41) gives 1916 as the date of closure. The 10 acre

Sawmill Site No. 471 was surveyed in 1904 for John Bragg (Plan of Sawmill Site No. 471,

Block XV, Paterson District, 1904. Archives New Zealand), and the map showing sawmill areas

held by DoC on Stewart Island (see Figure 5) also shows this area as being held by Bragg, along

with the site of what was later McCallum’s mill (see above). The same map also shows that the

timber in the neighbouring area was sold to Matthews, and then when the licence had time

expired in 1911 it was transferred to McCallum & Co.

It therefore seems most likely that the mill was established in or before 1904 by John Bragg, and

was later sold to Matthews & Collins, and closed during the 1914-1918 war.

Figure 28

Matthews’ & Collins’ sawmill at about the time it closed during the First World War.

(Sansom 1982)

Matthews’ & Collins’ Mill, Tramway & Wharf in 2009

Archæological evidence of Matthew’s and Collins’ milling operation includes the remnants of

their wharf, the line of their tramway between the mill and wharf, and some evidence of the mill

site and its associated buildings and huts. However, the best-known features are the two boilers

that sit in the inter-tidal zone in Sawdust bay. Figure 29 shows the main features at the sawmill

site as they were recorded in 2009.


Figure 29

Plan of Matthews’ & Collins’

sawmill site in 2009. Tape &

compass survey.

The mill site is located beside a stream approximately 300 metres from the shore of Sawdust

Bay. The site of the main mill buildings consists of a cut terrace (10m by 7m) adjacent to an

overgrown scatter of bricks. The terraced area has a drain cut across one end, and an iron shaft

(Figure 30) appears to be all that remains of the mill machinery. The pile of bricks is probably

the remains of the boiler installation, an interpretation supported by the presence of a broken

cast-iron firebar. The mill boiler is now sitting on the shoreline near the wharf site (see

discussion below), but it is of a type that would have been mounted in a brick setting.

Figure 30

Small section of iron shaft and guide wheels at Matthews’ & Collins’ sawmill site.


Figure 31

Cast iron boiler bar at Matthews’ & Collins’ sawmill site. The location of this bar beside a

pile of bricks probably marks the location of the boiler house at the mill.

The sites of several huts and other buildings can be found scattered about, and bottles and other

items are evidence of the men who worked at the site.

A tramway formation leads into the mill site from the logging areas from the north-east (see

Figure 29), and the tramway line from the mill site to the wharf runs down the valley, crossing

the stream several times. This tramway is difficult to follow for most of its distance as it appears

to have been built on timber trestles that have now rotted away. However, at one place near the

shore it runs in a well-defined cutting (Figure 32). The Department of Conservation intends on

routing the Rakiura Track through this cutting.


Figure 32

The cutting for Matthews’ & Collins’ tramway.

Immediately after this cutting the tramway crossed the stream again, and then crossed the tidal

inlet at the head of the stream. A steam boiler and a portable steam engine have been dumped

into this inlet, probably having been pushed off the timber trestle. These are discussed in detail

below. After the inlet the tramway passed through a low saddle in a slight promontory, then ran

out onto the timber wharf. A number of the old wharf piles are still standing in line, although

they are becoming very rotten at their bases.

Figure 33

Matthews’ & Collins’ wharf out into Sawdust Bay. The large amount of waste timber

dumped off the side of the wharf can be seen. (Auckland Weekly News, reproduced in Hall-

Jones 1994)


Figure 34

The remains of Matthews’ & Collins’ wharf in Sawdust Bay in 2009. This is almost the

same view as Figure 33.

Matthews’ & Collins’ Mill Boiler & Portable Engine

The two steam boilers that are sitting in the inter-tidal zone are shown in Figures 35 and 36. The

reason why these were dumped into the tidal inlet when the effort had been taken to remove them

from the mill site nearly to the wharf is not known.

The large boiler (on the left in Figure 35) is a multi-tube steam boiler designed to be mounted

within a brick structure, and was probably the main mill boiler that powered the mill machinery.

It is 11ft 10 in long and 4ft 2in diameter. It was almost certainly mounted in the brick structure

described above at the mill site, powering a one or two cylinder steam engine that drove the

saws. A similar (although larger) boiler survives at the Maori Beach sawmill site, together with

its steam engine (Petchey 2009).

The other unit is a Clayton & Shuttleworth4 single cylinder portable steam engine (Figure 36).

Although this type of engine was often mounted on wheels, this example has mounts for bolting

to timber baulks on its rear axles, indicating that it was mounted on a timber structure. It may

have been used as a hauling engine, as one of the two log haulers at Maori Beach was

constructed using a converted portable engine (Petchey 2009: 28). It is 10ft 11in long overall,

and has a 10.25in cylinder bore. The flywheel, crankshaft and most of the moving parts have

been removed. Despite its long immersion in the tidal inlet, it still retains some of its timber

boiler cladding.

4 Several castings carry the manufacturer’s name.


Figure 35

The boiler (left) and portable engine (right) sitting in the inter-tidal zone in an inlet in

Sawdust Bay at low tide.

Figure 36

The Clayton & Shuttleworth portable engine at Sawdust bay in 2009.


Swain’s Mill


Swain’s first mill at Kaipipi was a steam plant moved to the site from the mill at Ryan’s Creek,

and then later moved to a new site nearby in Kidney Fern Arm (Howard 1940: 196). Howard

described the site as being ‘in the bay opposite the depot in the Ross Sea Whaling Company,’

and included a view of the site taken in 1921 (Figure 37). This showed a single cylinder portable

engine standing amongst the debris of the abandoned and dismantled sawmill.

Figure 37

Swain’s mill site in 1921. (Howard 1940)

An attempt was made to relocate this site in 2009, using Howard’s description and photograph.

A flat area was found on the shore of the bay, opposite the old whaling base, that was flat and

had a track or tramway leading to it. Several bricks were observed along the shore. There was no

sign of the portable engine or any surviving large milled timbers. At present this identification

must be regarded as tentative. The co-ordinates of the site are given in Appendix A.


Discussion & Recommendations

The sawmill sites and features discussed in this report provide a good insight into the early

sawmilling industry on Stewart Island. This survey was only a brief overview, and each of the

milling operations described here could be the subject of a more detailed investigation. In

particular, no attempt was made to trace the bush tramway networks that typically radiate out

from such mill sites. Recent work nearby at Maori Beach (Petchey 2009) has shown that such

work can provide a great deal of detail about historic sawmill operations. A number of accounts

have stated that McCallum’s Kaipipi tramlines almost met the Maori Beach tramlines, so an

extensive tramway network is sure to exist in this area.

All of the sites discussed here have potential for public interpretation, as they are on or are close

to the route of the Rakiura Track, and therefore visited on a regular basis. Gallon’s mill is of

particular interest as it was the first mechanised mill on Stewart Island, and enough evidence

survives at the site to enable it to be meaningfully interpreted. Identifiable features include the

wheelpit, tailrace, mill dam and stone revetment. The cutting for McCallum’s tramway through

Gallon’s mill dam can tell a story of change in the local milling industry, with the larger

McCallum operation overlying the earlier water-powered enterprise. The walking track to the

end of the Kaipipi promontory also passes over a cutting for McCallum’s tram (the intervening

distance across Sawmill Bay having been crossed by a wooden trestle), and while this cutting is

presently unmarked, potential exists for these two areas to be tied together in interpretation

material. The whole of this small promontory has archæological potential, with building sites and

cultural plantings present. A detailed archæological survey of this area has not been carried out,

but could be valuable for management of the area in future. At present any earth moving on the

point should be avoided if possible.

The site of Gallon’s sawmill itself has a number of major issues, the most pressing being erosion.

Several sections of the streambank at the mill site and one side of the water wheel pit are

suffering from erosion. This has in part been caused by a tree growing in the stream bank,

causing flood waters to back up and eddy, and this tree had now been cut back. The areas of

damage should ideally be recorded photographically, and then repaired using soil brought in

from outside the site (not taken from the historic borrow pits). A readily identifiable barrier

(geotextile or similar) should be placed beneath and new material, so that the archæological

integrity of the undamaged part of the site is not confused in the future. The surface of Gallon’s

mill site is also somewhat muddy, and increased visitation could cause erosion problems. The

installation of a boardwalk from the existing track up to the dam site should be considered.

The site of Matthews’ & Collins’ mill, tramway and wharf are also potentially very informative.

Although the mill site is not easy to find and is some distance off existing tracks, the presence of

the mill boiler and the portable engine in the inter-tidal zone near the remaining wharf piles

makes it a potentially useful site for public interpretation. The tramway cutting and wharf

represent the transport network of the operation, the mill boiler powered the sawmill itself, and

its is very likely that the Clayton & Shuttleworth portable engine was used to haul logs from the

bush, thus representing the actual logging operation. The use of part of the tramway formation

for the Rakiura Track has interpretation potential, particularly with the close proximity of the

boiler and portable engine, allowing visitors to get a brief but informative glance at the history of

the area. Once again, earth moving in the proximity of the historic features should be avoided,

although the greatest amount of archæological evidence will be at the mill site, which is well

away from both the present and proposed Rakiura Track alignments.

In particular the following recommendations are made:

• Archæological Authorities from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust will be required

for any ground disturbance at sites that pre-date 1900. These include Gallon’s mill site


and the promontory at the end of the Kaipipi Road (the probable location of Bullock’s

mill site).

• At all other historic sites (that post-date 1900) any activities that may affect the site will

not need an Archæological Authority, but should still follow relevant DOC processes

including the preparation of an assessment of effects and the involvement of a suitably

qualified heritage specialist.


References

Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives.

Bradley, K., Egerton, R., Hockly, W. (1994) “Gallon’s Sawmill, Conservation Plan.”

Department of Conservation, Southland Conservancy.

Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Volume 4, Otago & Southland. The Cyclopedia Company Ltd.,

Christchurch.

Department of Conservation (Southland Conservancy) Database of archæological sites.

Hall-Jones, J. (1994) Stewart Island Explored. Craig Printing C. Ltd., Invercargill.

Hector, J. (1863) “ Geological Expedition to the West Coast of Otago , New Zealand.” Otago

Provincial Government Gazette, VI, 1863.

Howard, B. (1940) Rakiura. A History of Stewart Island, New Zealand. A.H. & A.W. Reed,

Dunedin & Wellington.

Mahoney. P. (2006) “Western Southland: Timber & Tramlines.” Department of Conservation.

Otago Witness (Newspaper, Dunedin) 1861, 1862, 1868

Petchey, P.G. (2009) “Maori Beach Sawmilling, Stewart Island/Rakiura.” Report by Southern

Archæology for the Department of Conservation.

Sansom, O. (1982) In the Grip of an Island. Early Stewart Island History. Craig Printing Co.

Ltd., Invercargill.

Southland Deeds Local Index. LINZ, Dunedin.

Maps & files held by Archives New Zealand, Dunedin Regional Office.

• DAFU/18285/D311/42d/ 23/7/5, Sawmill Site 651, McCallum & Co.

• CAMP/D106/38g/S471, Sawmill Site No. 471, John Bragg, 1904.

• CAMP/D106/8c/219/3 Paterson District- Sawmill Map n.d.

• DADE/D206/223b/D2144 Compass Survey of Foot Track from Oban to Kaipipi,

1886

Map & Plans

Land Information New Zealand. All SO numbers are for Southland Land District.

SO 1521 Part of Block XV Paterson District. J. Hay, Feb. 1878

SO 2854 Part of Block XV Paterson District, H.R. Dundas, Sept. 1893

SO 4006 Kaipipi Road extension through Section 1, Blk, I, & Section 191, Blk. XV

Paterson District, P.B. Macdonald, May 1911.


Appendix A

GPS co-ordinates of sites recorded in 2009.

Note that these co-ordinates are based on the New Zealand Map Grid as shown on the NZMS

260 E48/D48 map, NOT the new Topo 50 series of maps.

Site NZAA number GPS co-ordinate Comments

Gallon’s mill E48/44 2133710/5356671

Bullock’s mill E48/45 2134276/5356384

McCallum’s mill E48/9 2133530/5356914

McCallum’s tram E48/84 2134236/5356473 Cutting on promontory

Matthews’ & Collins mill E48/12 2131226/5356751

Matthew’s & Collins boilers E48/83 2131047/5356592 Wharf & boilers

Matthews & Collins wharf E48/83 2130944/5356520 Wharf & boilers

Swain’s mill E48/10 2132004/5355184 Not certain ID

paterson inlet sawmilling, stewart island, new zealand. archaeological survey

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