Davis, Binnie
& Co Sawmill
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Davis & Binnie Sawmill
An Ambitious Operation in Early Woodford
In the early 1910s, the partnership of Norman Meredith Davis and William Smith Binnie established one of Woodford’s more ambitious sawmilling operations. The Davis & Binnie mill was located beside the railway turning loop and stood out as the only mill in the area to operate two shifts daily. Though short-lived, its innovative infrastructure and operational scale made a lasting impact on the district.
The Binney and Davis mill opened in approximately 1912 and closed in about 1916.
William Smith Binnie (1851-1915)
Early Beginnings and Location
In 1910, Norman Meredith Davis, a colliery proprietor, and William Smith Binnie, an engineer and master of ironworks, entered the sawmilling industry together. They acquired land in Woodford for a sawmill and also established a city office in Queen Street, Brisbane, later moving it to Creek Street.
Their mill was constructed beside the railway turning loop in Woodford, a prime location for efficient timber transport. Known for its scale and efficiency, Davis & Binnie’s mill was the only one in the district to operate two full shifts per day.
Water Solutions
The mill’s water needs exceeded what the on-site wells could provide. To keep the boiler running, the partners installed a pump on Monkeybong Creek, situated behind Dr Rankin’s house. A pipeline was laid across Archer Street and continued through an easement near 139 Archer Street to deliver water to the mill.
An office for the mill was located in a house on Margaret Street. This same house would later become the long-term home of Wally Clarke, and today, the site is occupied by the Woodford Retirement Village.
The Retirement Village, Margaret Street, Woodford
Closure and Legacy
The Davis & Binnie business was dissolved in 1915, and the mill closed shortly thereafter, around 1916. Despite its brief operation, the mill demonstrated innovation and scale, and remains a notable part of Woodford’s early industrial heritage.
Ron Trim
Local Historian Recalls
“The mill was built on land beside the railway line turning loop. It was a large mill, and the only one in the district that worked two shifts a day.
Water for the boiler was a problem as wells there did not produce enough water, so they installed a pump on the creek (Monkeybong) and crossed Archer St and down through an easement near 139 Archer Street.
The house that Wally Clarke lived in on Margaret Street for many years, had been the office of this mill.”
Davis & Binnie Sawmill, Woodford (c.1910s)
W. and G. Thornton standing atop a log, pulled by H. Beanland’s team.
Image courtesy of the Woodford Historical Society.
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