Mayfield Mill

Moses Thomas built a steam powered flour mill on the Plenty River in 1855. In 1857 he added a water wheel, possibly because of competition from the two other water powered mills on the river which didn't have the extra cost of purchasing coal. 

When the Yan Yean Aqueduct over Plenty River was washed away on floods in 1878 repair work gave us a brief glimpse of  Thomas’s mill with the water wheel framed by the arch of the ruined aqueduct (State Library Victoria). the waterwheel is shows separated from the ill building, with the boiler chimney on the same side of the mill as the wheel. this would suggest the boilers were place close to edge of the escarpment, indicating there must have been a long drive train from the water wheel to the machinery.

During the second day of excavation we came across an archaeological surprise. Instead of an anticipated Spur or Bevel Gear at the end of the drive shaft off the ring gear for transferring the drive from the water wheel to the stones, we found what looked like parts of a crank and con-rod.

This might have been coupled directly to the flywheel of the steam engine. It would be very unusual since it involves converting the rotary motion of the water wheel into reciprocal motion and then back to rotary motion to drive the stones.

However, further excavation revealed the initial interpretation was quite wrong and that the counter-shaft had a spoked pulley on the end, probably about 1 - 1.5 metres diametre.

This indicates that the drive from the waterwheel was through pulleys and a leather belt to the upper level. Although there were not many small artefacts apart from very rusted nails, some small copper rivets with washers were probably from the drive belt, having been used to join the ends of the belt together.