Chidlow Saw Mills

Parent Place or Precinct

26283 King Jarrah, Sawmills and Sawpit

History

Pit sawyer and ex-convict Henry Howe, who in 1873, worked in the vicinity of Chauncy Spring (site 184), is credited with having 1,920 acres (777 ha) set aside for pit sawyers on the northern boundary of Chidlow's Well. Following the opening up of the country by building of the Eastern railway, this was part of the move in October 1883, to create a Special Timber Area which covered almost the entire area of what is now the Shire of Mundaring. Besides Howe, and fellow sawyer James Markwell, those operating in the Chidlow area included John Symonds of the Oxford Inn (site 180), and George and William Sexton who, between 1886 and 1896, operated near Chauncy Gully. During the 1890s, the Sexton Brothers were also associated with timber cuttings or mills at Mundaring, Greenmount National Park (John Forrest National Park), and Parkerville. In 1896, when the Millars lease which the Sextons had worked expired, it was taken over by Dunton and Company. Froom February 1897, upstream from Dunton's mill, McCoy and Oudaille operated Chidlow's Well Saw Mill to fulfil a Government sleeper contract. The 17 men who worked there felled an average of 25 trees a day.
In September 1896, W.C. Forsyth, who had operated at Lion Mill (Mt Helena) from 1893 to April 1896, set up the Helena Saw Mill on Helena Brook, near the junction of what is now Great Eastern Highway and Gorrie Road. This Mill employed 18 men, and until 1899, was run in partnership with John Dunton. The mill became unprofitable and ceased operation around 1903, after which time it was purchased by the Perth Jarrah Timber Company. It was later resumed by the Crown for water catchment. From 1903-6, E.D. Forsyth, nephew of F.W.C. Forsyth, adn later secretary of the Greenmount Road Board from 1906-1933, operated the Avonholme Mill. This mill was the last to operate close to Chidlow, and by 1910 all the tall timber except for that on road verges had gone. The timber industry was left to the individual charcoal burners and sleeper and firewood cutters.

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