A model mill on display

Henderson's first sawmill has been brought back to life at Mill Cottage, writes Kylie Munro
A model of Henderson's first sawmill will be the centre of an interactive historical display aimed at educating school children about the suburb's beginnings. The 2sq m miniature mill will be one of three models to go on display at Henderson's Mill Cottage in Sel Peacock Drive. Built by former Henderson resident Charles Fuller, the mill model depicts everything from the water wheel which powered the saws to the chimney stack which drove the mill when it switched to steam operation about 1854. West Auckland Historical Society president Trevor Pollard says resource consent is being sought to build a showroom at the cottage to house the model. A working model of a kauri tripdown, a constructed dam which, when triggered, would collapse and with the force of the water send logs downstream, will also be on display. The water wheel replica, which has sat idle on site for nine years, will also soon be turning and powering wooden lathes. Trevor says the aim is to have school and other interested groups tour the cottage, the site of the original mill, to get a feel for what the former mill was like and understand the cornerstone of Henderson's foundation. Built by Henderson pioneers Thomas Henderson and Henry MacFarlane, the mill ran from 1849 to 1868. ''The mill was the formation of Henderson,'' says Trevor. ''When the kids can see how it was instead of you just telling them, it registers more.'' Charles, a former engineer, says he started building the replica about 1999 following a detailed survey of the mill site. Made from wood, plastic and glass, the model took about five years to finish. ''It used to be housed in a little shed in Green Bay and no one saw it,'' says Charles. ''I wondered where it would end up and I would not have it anywhere else.'' Trevor says the showroom is expected to cost more than $30,000 to build. He will seek a grant from the Waitakere Trust. ''I hope by the end of the year to have a spade in the ground,'' says Trevor.