Weekend Edition
Friday, February 6, 2009
INSIDE
IINSIDE TODAY: SUNDAY’S NARACOORTE RACE FIELDS & FORM GUIDE LIFTOUT
Development of the railway lands could reinvigorate a
Heritage icon BY ANELIA BLACKIE
Email: anelia@tbw.com.au
TO some it is nothing but an eyesore,
but to others the dilapidated old
Oatmill building south of the railway
track behind Centro Mount Gambier
is an unappreciated beauty.
Once a hive of activity where work-
ers hurried up and down wooden
staircases to check on machinery
which had the capacity to daily
produce eight tonnes of Blue Lake
Oatmeal – a brand everyone in South
Australia served on their breakfast
tables – the abandoned building now
shows potential for a new develop-
ment.
Patiently waiting to hear when
council’s rail land development will
start, current owner Tim Wilson plans
to renovate and lease it to anyone
with a good business idea.
“I have been approached by two
chefs who want to run a restaurant
from the building and just shortly
before Christmas someone asked if
they could turn it into a coffee shop,”
Mr Wilson said.
“When the rail land develop-
ment starts, it will be great to run
a business from here because the
development will be like a gateway
WEATHER Mount Gambier today - Dry. Early cloud. 36o – full report page 41
Ford FG Falcon Sports
4.0L 6-cylinder, 5-speed auto, sports suspension, 18” alloys,
window tint, cruise control, climate control, iPod integration,
Bluetooth phone. S167-AAB.
was $44,759
NOW $34,000
driveaway
KEEPING THE SOUTH EAST INFORMED SINCE
E 1861 $1.00 inc. GST
32 PAGES OF SPORT
MOUNTAIN
REAL ESTATE
THE SOUTH EAST’S MOST
BIKE
FRENZY
COMPREHENSIVE HOUSE BUYING GUIDE – Back page
BW491031
success of oat production.
The mill boasted state-of-the-art
machinery at the time; a multi-
tubular boiler, a patent kiln with six
pans (the only one of its kind in the
Commonwealth), oatmeal purifiers
and a separating machine.
Grain brought to the mill was shot
into a hopper on the ground floor
where the better class of grain went
to the kiln for a drying process before
it was carried by elevators to bins on
the top floor.
With that done, it was passed down
a shute to two pairs of under-running
hulling stones on the middle floor,
before the groats (grain after hull-
ing) went down a shute to the bottom
floor where it underwent a steaming
process and converted into rolled or
flaked oats.
Various extensions were added to
the back of the building as it passed
through the hands of many owners
pAn eyesore with business potential: The heritage-listed Blue Lake Oatmeal Milling building south of the over the years.
railway tracks behind Centro. Picture: MICHAEL GOREY. Mr Wilson’s father Les bought the
to the building.” zoning,” he said. officially opened with great ceremony old building in 1982 for almost $30,000
Because the building is heritage Regardless of whether the building in August 1903. and sold it to his son four years ago
listed it is protected from demoli- will boast a restaurant, coffee shop or Almost 100 people attending the when he needed more storage for his
tion, but it also means Mr Wilson is any other business, the history will opening ceremony during which the building contractor business.
restricted in how it can be renovated always add a special touch. owners, TH Williams and WF Webster, “People tell us all the time it’s ugly,
and what type of building materials The three-storey Blue Lake handed MP George Riddoch a pair we should knock it down, but we think
may be used in the process. Oatmeal Milling building was of gloves and led him to the engine it’s beautiful,” Mr Wilson said.
“It will be a council issue as to what constructed from white limestone, room where Mr Riddoch turned on
we can do with it, it depends on the relieved with red dolomite, and was the steam engines to start the future •Ghost busters, page 2.
TV GUIDE Pages 23-24 COMICS Page 28 CLASSIFIEDS Pages 29-35
Ford FG Falcon G6 Luxury Ford MA Mondeo TDCi Ford PJ Ranger Crew Cab XL 4x4
4.0L 6-cylinder, 5-speed auto, 17” alloys, cruise control, 2.0L 4-cylinder, 6-speed auto, dual zone climate control, 6 3.0L common rail Turbo diesel, 5-speed manual, air-con,
climate control, CD player, fog lamps, dynamic stability stack Sony CD, 7 airbags, 17” alloys, front & rear parking dual airbags, alloy wheels, alloy bull bar, bed liner, remote
control, reverse sensors. XTL-797. sensors, rain sensing wipers, hatchback. XTY-172. lock hubs, 3 tonne towing. S173-AAB.
was $44,701 was $41,515 was $46,780
NOW $34,000 NOW $35,000 NOW $39,990
driveaway driveaway driveaway
Jubilee Hwy, Mt Gambier. Phone 08 8721 3400
BW494833
Barry Stafford 0418 895 652, Paul Clark 0407 972 194 & Darren McPhail 0405 173 196