Deanmill, Western Australia
| Deanmill Western Australia |
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 Deanmill
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| Population: | 405[1] |
| Established: | 1914 |
| Postcode: | 6258 |
| Area: | 1.15 km² (0.4 sq mi) [2] |
| Location: | 5 km (3 mi) from Manjimup |
| LGA: | Shire of Manjimup |
| State electorate: | Blackwood-Stirling |
| Federal Division: | O'Connor |
Coordinates: 34°15′54″S 116°04′26″E / 34.265°S 116.074°E
Deanmill is a historic timber town located in the South West region of Western Australia, near Manjimup. Its postcode is 6258.
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[edit] History
After the Government Trading Concerns Act 1912 was passed in December of that year, several State-operated businesses were established.[3] One of these was State Saw Mills, which commenced with purchasing the South-West Timber Hewers' Co-operative for £80,000.[4] Construction on the State's Number 1 sawmill, later called Deanmill, began in 1913, as did construction of the Number 2 and 3 mills at Big Brook, later called Pemberton.[4] The mills cost an estimated £138,000,[4] and were to provide timber railway sleepers for the Trans-Australian Railway.[3] Construction of the mills was delayed by heavy rainfall, and the railway sleepers were delivered late.[4] Other problems included shipping disputes and the Commonwealth government's price for sleepers.[4]
State Saw Mills created a township surrounding the Number 1 mill, called Deanmill after a construction engineer named A. Dean.[4] They followed accepted practice at the time of placing a timber mill in a valley with accommodation and other facilities close by.[4] Deanmill Primary School was built in 1914 by the Public Works Department in association with State Saw Mills.[5] The school initially consisted of a single classroom, administration building and shed, all constructed out of timber.[5]
[edit] Today
Deanmill currently consists of the sawmill, mill houses, the Deanmill Workers' Club, the Deanmill Football Oval and part of the Deanmill Tramway and Heritage Trail.[2]
Premier Geoff Gallop visited Deanmill in December 2002 when the State government was compiling its Forest Management Plan, to start in 2004.[2] The Government entered into negotiations with Sotico to provide a guaranteed volume of jarrah sawlogs over 10 years, to maintain the timber industry in the area.[2] Sotico was a subsidiary of Wesfarmers, which sold the company in 2004.[6]
Several assessments have been made regarding the environmental impact of the sawmill and associated activities. A 2004 assessment by Wesfarmers showed arsenic contamination in and surrounding a drainage channel to Lefroy Brook.[6][7] The WA government accepted responsibility for the issue, as State Saw Mills used arsenic to treat timber in the 1920s.[7] Wesfarmers accepted responsibility for groundwater and soil contamination with creosote, and the clean-up cost was shared by Wesfarmers and the State government.[7]
[edit] Demographics
The rural district which includes Deanmill had 405 residents as of the 2006 Census, 50.4% males and 49.6% females.[1] The median age of persons in Deanmill was 39 years old, and 90.9% of residents were Australian citizens.[1] The most common answers for occupation included labourers (27.4%), managers (18.4%), technicians and trades workers (12.4%), professionals (10.9%) and sales workers (9.5%), and the most common industries were log sawmilling and timber dressing (16.4%), school education (9.0%), growing of fruit and tree nuts (8.5%), farming of sheep, cattle and grain (4.0%) and State Government administration (3.5%).[1] The median weekly household income was $821, compared with the Australian average of $1,027.[1]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Deanmill (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC53696&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ^ a b c d "Manjimup Landvision & Land Assessment" (PDF). 2003-12-19. Archived from the original on 2007-09-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20070901174435/http://www.manjimup.wa.gov.au/policies_and_documents/planning/lps_2003_20013/lps_final_section6_5.pdf/file/at_download. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ a b "Register of Heritage Places - Pemberton-Northcliffe Railway & Railway Station" (PDF). 2006-09-07. http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/P-Q%20-%20A-D/04637%20Pemb%20to%20North%20R'Way%20&%20Stn%20(P-AD).PDF. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Register of Heritage Places - Pemberton Timber Mill Workers' Cottages Precinct" (PDF). 2003-08-15. http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/P-Q%20-%20A-D/Pemberton%20Timber%20(I-AD).PDF. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ a b "Register of Heritage Places - Deanmill Primary School". 2001-08-29. http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/viewplace.html?place_seq=37760&offset=0&view=description. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- ^ a b "Wesfarmers Social Responsibility Report 2004". 2004. http://www.wesfarmers.com.au/investor_relations/Social_Report/sr04/09/index.html. Retrieved 2008-01-06.[dead link]
- ^ a b c "Austasia Aquaculture FISHeNEWS, story from The West Australian" (PDF). 2004-08-07. http://pdf.quickviewonline.com/466/466_20050701124004.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
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