Singleton's Mill 1923

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IdentifierPhoto 00116Date1923Photographernot specifiedKeywordsSingleton's Mill Singletons MillHawkesbury RiverJames SingletonDescriptionIn the early days of the 19th Century, before electricity, steam power tended to dominate. One alternative, however, was the use of tidal power, where a water wheel was propelled by the incoming and outgoing tides. A familiar use for this type of energy was the flour mill. It was such a feature that gave its name to the locality now known as Singleton's Mill. James Singleton built the mill on the banks of Laybury's Creek and only some stone foundations now remain.
James Singleton was the son of William Singleton, a convict, and his wife, Hannah. He and his brother, Benjamin, had previously built a mill at Mill Creek, on the opposite side of the river. The NSW town of Singleton is named after Ben who was a member of the discovery expedition.
The mill at Laybury's Creek was a large wooden building, with a water wheel that was about five metres in diameter, with grinding stones each weighing a ton. Grinding stones were imported from France. Crops were brought by boat from the Macdonald River, Webb's Creek and Mangrove Creek. By the 1880s, the mill had become derelict.
James Singleton married Mary Rose, from a local Wiseman's Ferry family. He died in 1849 and is buried at Laughtondale.
The locality can be reached from Singleton Road, which is, however, narrow in places. It remains a beautiful location and a reminder of a past way of life.
Tom Richmond OAM 2021.

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PlaceSingleton's MillDocumentsSingleton's Mill, a historyPersonJames Singleton

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Contributed byTom Richmond

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Singleton's Mill 1923