Connor's Mill

Connor's Mill is a steam driven flour mill located on Stirling Terrace in Toodyay, Western Australia. The mill is still operational; the Shire of Toodyay protected the then dilapidated building in 1975 and established the Toodyay Tourist Centre. It is now one of the town's main tourist attractions. History The mill was built in 1870 by local builder George Hassel for Dan Connor, a store owner. It was the third built in the Toodyay district. The mill originally had a shingle roof, no turret and a slide from the first floor doorway to wagon height. This was used to slide bags of flour onto the wagons waiting below. Little is known about the internal workings of the mill. The original grind mill is seen on the lawn outside. The grindstone machine was originally from Newgain and donated by Langley Lefroy and initially owned by the Twines. The big wheel drive mechanism was originally from the mill at Northam. During the 1880s Charles Marris leased and eventually bought the mill, operating it until the turn of the century. The flour produced was of very high quality, presenting the established Drummond and Monger mills with good competition. In 1870, flour from the mill won an award at an exhibition in Melbourne.