Kropp’s Sawmill
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Kropp’s Sawmill
An Enterprise at the Foot of Mt Archer
Brothers William (Bill) and Stanley (Stan) Kropp established a sawmill on their 160-acre property in Villeneuve, working with local teamsters to haul timber down from Mt Archer. Initially successful, the mill struggled due to the low popularity of blackbutt timber and ultimately closed following a fire in 1942.
Ron Trim
Local Historian Recalls
After the two large mills at Villeneuve were closed, the Kropps started a mill not far from where Seeney’s mill had been. Bill Kropp and his brother Stan had a large quantity of blackbutt trees nearby on Mt Archer and they hauled it down and began milling. Unfortunately blackbutt was not popular and the enterprise did not last long.
Early 1900s: Bill Kropp’s team at Kilcoy
From Oakey Creek to Kilcoy
The Kropp family originally came from Ipswich to Villeneuve, and on the way they stopped at Oakey Creek. Another creek in that area was named after them. Later they built a mill there, with Bill and Stan’s nephew, Lionel Kropp was in charge at that time but the distance from a viable market ruined the business. The Kropps later moved to Kilcoy and opened another mill called Kilcoy Soft and Hardwoods. This mill has now also gone.
Timber from the Mountain
Bill and Stan Kropp lived on Portion 159v in the Parish of Byron, a 160-acre homestead where they worked as teamsters before establishing the sawmill. At one time, they employed five local men and two bullock team drivers. The milled timber was transported to Villeneuve Station and sent to Brisbane by rail, with Marsdens among their major buyers.
Kropp Property at the foot of Mt Archer
Lionel Kropp
Lionel Kropp recalls
‘My Uncles, Stanley and Billy Kropp, had a little sawmill at the foot of Mt Archer. They brought the timber down – had a big property on top of Mt Acher. So I went over and asked if I could get a job at the mill and they put me on.
I was there for a long while. I learnt to run the (kero) engine. I learnt to do the saws and I learnt to look after the mill. They said I’d better take the mill over, which I did.
My grandfather came to my aid – he helped me buy the mill so I could run it. We got the timber off the mountain with bullock teams – 22 bullocks sometimes. I drove the bullocks on the top of Mt Archer. Once the timber was milled, we took it to Villeneuve Station, put it on a railway truck and it was sent to Brisbane.’
The Fire That Ended It All
‘One Saturday afternoon (we used to work till dinner time on Saturdays), I went over to clean all the mill up – put the sawdust in the elevator and ran it out to where we piled it and burned it. Anyhow, I went home and I could see smoke coming up from the mill. I had a bicycle back then so I rode back to the mill. The elevator belt had caught fire and had carried it right down into the mill. Billy Kropp saved the motor and some of the benches by putting water on it from the tank. He cut a hole in the tank and and he used the water there and saved some of the machinery. There was no fire brigade in those days, so it burnt right down.’
From – ‘Pioneers of the Kilcoy Districy’ By Kilcoy Historic Society
From TROVE: The Courier Mail 23 October 1936
William George Kropp (Bill) (1887-1970)
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