Green’s Sawmill
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Green’s Sawmill
A Timber Legacy at Villeneuve
James Green began sawmilling in Villeneuve in 1899, selecting a prime parcel of land rich with hoop pine. His mill became one of the largest in the district, eventually operating alongside his other ventures in Woodford and Brisbane. The Villeneuve operation remained active until 1926, with its legacy still visible through photographs and local records. This page captures the history of Green’s mill, its community, and its contribution to the timber industry of the region.
Ron Trim
Local Historian Recalls
James Green commenced sawmilling in Villeneuve in 1899. At the same time he was in partnership with George Seeney in Woodford. The Villeneuve sawmill operated until 1926.
It had three times the capacity of the Woodford sawmill.
Queensland Country Life photo 28th April 1900.
Green’s Sawmill Villeneuve
Establishing the Mill
James Green Begins Sawmilling at Villeneuve
James Green commenced sawmilling in Villeneuve in 1899. At the same time, he was in partnership with George Seeney in Woodford. The Villeneuve sawmill operated until 1926 and had three times the capacity of the Woodford sawmill.
By the beginning of 1899, James Green had secured a special lease on part of the Camping Reserve at Villeneuve, which he later purchased. He erected a large sawmill and began operations.
Green’s Mill and the Villeneuve Landscape
Green’s blocks at Villeneuve were full of good timber. It was told that when the mill started work, the teamsters only drew logs from Green’s blocks for two years before they had to cut elsewhere.
Green’s Sawmill was surrounded by the family home atop the hill and a cluster of workers’ houses and shops.
It became a hub of local employment and industry.
Green’s Sawmill c1910 with the Green family home on top of the hill, surrounded by workers homes and shops.
Photo courtesy of the Kilcoy District Historical Society.
Expansion to Brisbane
From Villeneuve to Wickham Street
James Green expanded his business beyond Villeneuve. In 1905, he took over a packing-case factory at Rosalie, Brisbane, and by 1908 had established his Brisbane headquarters on Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley.
He suspended his Brisbane operations in 1916 due to the war and retired as a timber merchant in 1918.
The Railway Connection and Closure
The End of an Era
When the railway was extended beyond Woodford, Green had a siding inserted near Villeneuve in 1914 to aid transportation. This siding fell out of use in 1926 when the mill closed. The Villeneuve sawmill may have been leased to Donald Miller from 1919 to 1925.
The plant was later sold to Thurecht Bros, marking the official end of Green’s sawmilling at Villeneuve.
Queensland Country Life, July 1905
c1905: Sawmill at Hopetoun
Green’s Early Mill
Before establishing his large-scale Villeneuve operation, James Green partnered with George Seeney in 1894 to run a small mill in Woodford. Their humble beginnings at Yatesville helped shape Green’s future in the Queensland timber industry.
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