Mill closure goes against the grain

By GREGG WYCHERLEY

More than 100 years of milling grain in central Auckland has ended as one of the oldest operating flourmills in the country grinds to a halt.

Goodman Fielder is closing its Champion Flourmill in Fort St, ending the working life of the 112-year-old mill, which survived decades of consolidation, mergers, Government regulation and council attempts to have industry moved out of the central city.

One staff member, who had worked at the mill for decades, said he had seen many changes over the years, including a drastic reduction in the rat population.

"It was nothing in those days to kill 150 rats at a time - you hardly ever see a rat now."

A few tears were shed when the last load of grain was milled last Tuesday and even the pigeons, grown fat on spilled grain, seemed bewildered.

The pigeons were not alone, as angry staff discovered the company's secret plan to close the mill (codenamed Operation Jupiter) in June, only after reading of it in the Herald.

"It really got staff pissed off, especially when Alan Buckner [director of milling] denied it in the Herald," said the staff member.

"We smelled a rat - we knew there was something going on, but we didn't expect anything like that."

Some of the staff had worked at the mill for 20 or 30 years, and were uncertain about their futures. More than 60 have been laid off as the company relocates North Island milling to a more modern Mt Maunganui plant. Its Palmerston North mill will also shut.

The Auckland closure marks the end of milling at the site dating back to 1875, when Scottish immigrant John Lamb bought the Fort St property.

He commissioned prominent Auckland architect Richard Keals to design his building, and in 1888 opened Auckland Roller Mills.

After Mr Lamb's death in 1889 Auckland Roller Mills merged with Firth's Eight Hour Mill, trading under the name Northern Roller Mills.

David Verran, New Zealand history librarian at the Auckland Central Library, said the mill was established during "the Long Depression," which lasted from 1872 to 1896.

Although times were tough, the business was forward-thinking and modern, introducing a fully automated system and eight-hour shifts.

Auckland City Council heritage planner Tony Barnes said the mill was an important reminder of the type of industry that had now disappeared from the inner city.

The council had originally wanted to schedule four buildings on the site for protection, but following submissions from Goodman Fielder only the original 1888 mill was protected.

He said the 5500 sq m property had huge development potential because of its location in a residential zone and its size.

Stan Renwick, organiser for the Service and Food Workers Union, was sad to see the mill go.

"It was probably inevitable but still a real pity.

"It's definitely the end of an era - just another piece of Auckland history that we won't be seeing again."

No one at Goodman Fielder would comment.