WC Thomas & Sons Flour Mill (Former)

The WC Thomas & Sons Flour Mill (Former) at 1 McRobert Street, Newport is of local historic and technical significance to the City of Hobsons Bay.

Historically, it is significant for its strong associations with the firm of WC Thomas &Sons, which was one of the major milling companies during the mid-twentieth century in Victoria. It is also significant as one of the few surviving early twentieth century flour mills in Melbourne still used for its original purpose, falling between the late nineteenth century mills of Kimpton and Brunton and the 1920s Albion mill at Sunshine of John Darling, in technology and date, which illustrates an important transitional period after roller plants became the norm when the increasingly competitive market meant that constant improvements to efficiency were required to stay in business. As a major industrial complex, it demonstrates the development of Newport and Spotswood as important industrial areas during the first half of the twentieth century and the influence of the railways upon the location of industry in this area. (AHC criteria A4, B2 and H1)

Technically, it is significant as one of the earliest intact mill complexes in Melbourne with others such as Kimpton's having been drastically modified and for the documented use of new milling technology in this complex, using new power sources as soon as they had proved themselves to be viable and quickly adopting bulk storage and handling methods. It is especially notable for the riveted iron bulk wheat silos, which are possibly some of the earliest of their type in Melbourne. (AHC criteria B2 and F1)

Group

Manufacturing and Processing

Category

Flour Mill