Gippsland Times (Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Thursday 29 April 1937, page 4


DEVELOPMENT OF TIMBER INDUSTRY Mount Elizabeth Sawmill The Mount Elizabeth sawmill owned by Messrs. Collin's Bros. is again cutting to full capacity. During Easter the engineers were busy installing a dduble twelve-inch engine which drives all the machinery with ease. The steam log winch has also been removed to a new forest, the tramline lengthened and new landing erected. The yard is full of logs and there is a long line of them lying end to end along the bush track. Some years ago this forest was opened up by the Gippsland Timber Co., which cut a track into it and erected a mill at the river, but little timber was cut. The earthworks for a tram-line into the messmate forest are completed and the line is soon to be laid. As the winch is in the ash forest only, it will not be long before the mill can cut orders for either kind of timber. There are some very tall ash trees many of which have 100 to 120 ft. of clean barrell. This timber is light and strong and some of it has been used in motor bodies while the messmate is heavier and usually used for bridge timber. There is not a bullock on the mill as the steam winch hatils the logs from the stump to the landing and three horses draw the logs on a tramline downhill to the mill. Before the winch was removed it used to draw right into the mill yard. Mr.' Ronald Smith of Bruthen, has just erected a manager's house on the mill site, as it is expected there is sufficient timber available to keep the mill going..