DRUMMOND'S STEAM MILL, TOODYAY

James Drummond (c1787-1863), botanist and plant collector, was the first European settler in the Toodyay Valley after arriving in the colony as a part of Governor Stirling's official party. He selected Location U4 in 1836 and took up his grant in 1838.
James, his second son, settled on the property and built a cottage. In 1856 he built the steam powered mill and milling commenced in January 1857. In 1872, floods destroyed the miller's house at the mill and the mill was threatened.
In 1873 James Drummond Jnr. died from exhaustion and pneumonia after fighting a bushfire and his mill was bought by the Dempster Brothers.
Flour from the mills of both Charles Edward Dempster and Daniel Connor won awards at the Melbourne International Exhibition which ran from 1880 to 1881.
By 1886 the steam mill had been sold to George Throssell, The building was demolished in 1924.

Presumably this photo dates from after the 1880s when the mill was still operating and before (or around) ca1900 when a photograph held by the State Library of WA (066167PD) shows similar broken windows and apparent derelict condition.