Keir’s Sawmill

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Keir’s Sawmill

Bellthorpe’s Timber & Fruit Case Legacy

The Keir family has been part of Bellthorpe’s landscape since the early 1900s. In 1945, Hector Menzies Keir began sawmilling on the family property, laying the foundation for what would become the Bellthorpe Box and Timber Company. From hauling logs with horses and a repurposed Reo bus to delivering thousands of timber fruit cases around the country, the Keirs built a proud legacy of resilience, hard work, and innovation. This page captures the full story of the mill’s journey, shared through the words and photos of David Keir and his family.

Keir Road before it was named Keir Road.
Photo Courtesy David Keir.

A Family’s Early Settlement

David Keir (1854–1933) came to Bellthorpe—then known as Bellford—from New South Wales in about 1907 with his wife Martha and their children. They were part of the original ‘Bellford Settlement’ of NSW families.

The First Mill Begins in 1945

My father, Hector Keir, started his first sawmill in about 1945 further down the back of the property from where the most current one had been. It was run by a Titan engine out of an old two-cylinder tractor which was kerosene and petrol driven. He later bought a Southern Cross from Nugget Brooker (Brooker’s Case Mill Woodford), and in around 1948 the second sawmill was built closer to his home at the front of the property.

Hands-On Operation & Horse Power

With the exception of a few stints working at other sawmills for short periods of time, and a year at Gatton College, David Keir has spent the past 84 years at Kooringa, Keir Road, Bellthorpe. The Keirs did their own cutting, hauling, and snigging. Timber was cut by crosscut saws and pit saws and was hauled by a team of horses. At one stage, with no horses available, they used a repurposed Reo bus with an 18-foot wheelbase to haul timber.

Brothers Lionel and Hector Keir sawing a log.
Photo Courtesy David Keir.

Stan and Hector Keir working in their Blacksmith shop.
Photo courtesy David Keir.

Becoming Bellthorpe Box & Timber Company

Hector and David became partners in HM & DRL Keir.

Upon Hector’s passing, David continued alone and renamed the business Bellthorpe Box and Timber Company. Employing up to ten men, the mill supplied timber fruit cases to places like Humpty Doo in Darwin and pineapple bins to farms across Queensland.

Cutting for Homes & Harvests

Timber was also supplied for building purposes. David’s brother Hux used Keir timber to construct Housing Commission homes in Ipswich. The sawmill played a vital role in both agriculture and local development.

The Industry Changes and the Mill Closes

With cardboard and plastic replacing timber in the fruit industry, the demand for wooden cases declined. Bellthorpe Box and Timber Company closed its doors in 2000, marking the end of an era for the Keir family’s sawmilling legacy.

Keir’s property, Kooringa. Bellthorpe.
Photo courtesy David Keir.

Photos by David Keir

This image slider features a mix of historic and recent photographs, generously shared by Mr David Keir. Captured across decades—including photos from as early as the mid-1900s to more recent shots from 2016—these images showcase the legacy of the Keir family, their sawmill at Bellthorpe, and the enduring spirit of a proud local industry.