Kaihiku flour & oatmeal mills, Kaihiku, New Zealand 🌍

Kaihiku (#nz1544)

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 110, 10 May 1866

KAIHIKU FLOUR AND OATMEAL MILLS.
R. DOULL begs to inform the public that his Kaihiku Flour Mill is now finished, and that he is prepared to receive Wheat for Grinding at 1s. per bushel. He expects that his Oatmeal Mill will be finished iin about a month hence; He will always have on hand a stock of Flour at a Moderate Price to supply Stations, Up-Country Settlers, and the public generally.

Bruce Herald, Volume IV, Issue 188, 27 November 1867

BIRTH.
DOULL. - At Kaihiku Mill, on the 19th instant Mrs Robert Doull of a son.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1914, 18 February 1868

A correspondent informs us that the late floods throughout the Province have been lightly felt comparatively speaking, in the districts of East and West Clutha. The downfall of rain was excessive, and every little creek and rill became rapidly increased in dimensions; but the general upland and broken nature of the country offers no natural facility for the cumulation of flood water in any locality, and hence the settlers were nearly all happily freed from loss and danger by inundation. The only immediate damage to crops has been in the neighborhood of the larger streams. Along the banks of the Puerua and Kaikiku, the low-lying flats in many places were flooded to a depth sufficient to saturate many acres of cut grass and early grain, the crops being in several instances floated away, and irretrievably damaged; and at Major Richardson's, some few sheep were drowned. The Kaihiku stream rose very rapidly, and fiooded the wide-spreading flats on the western bank for a considerable distance. Doull's flour-mill and homestead were completely surrounded by water, and the basement floor of the mill flooded for several hours, causing some loss and much inconvenience to the proprietor.

Bruce Herald, Volume v, Issue 236, 4 November 1868

ROBERT DOULL, KAIHIKU FLOUR & OATMEAL MILLS, BEGS to inform the public that he has fitted up a first-class Silk-dressing machine, and is prepared to supply (the trade) excellent Flour on moderate terms. OATMEAL ALWAYS ON HAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2751, 30 November 1870

A fatal accident to a child of about two years of age occurred at the flour mill of Mr Doull, at Kaihiku, last Wednesday. It appears that the child in question had been allowed to amuse itself about the mill, and whilst doing so, had unfortunately fallen in amongst the machinery. It was taken out in a dreadfully mangled condition, and survived the accident only a few minutes.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5117, 12 July 1878

SATURDAY, 13th JULY, At 12 o'clock. IMPORTANT SALE OF PROPERTY BY AUCTION.
MACLEAN BROTHERS will sell by auction at their Rooms, Manse street, on the above date, on account of R. Doull Esq.,
That very desirable farm, comprising - 154 acres, and being sections 1, 3, and 5, block LXXXII, Clutha district. situated WITHIN ONE MILE OF KAIHIKU RAILWAY STATION. This valuable farm is divided into four paddocks all very substantially fenced. Ninety acres are rich riverbank land, the remainder being on a geutle slope, and all exceedingly rich. It is intersected by the main road to Port Molyneux, and has district roads as boundaries on two sides.
Also, KAIHIKU MILL, and grounds extending to 14 acres, on which are also erected good dwelling-house and outhouses. Terms very liberal. Full particulars on application to Messrs NIMMO & BLAIR, Princes street; Or to THE AUCTIONEERS.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 211, 26 July 1878

We have to report the sale to Mr David Christie, Warepa, of Mr Robert Doull's property, being sections 1, 3, and 5, block LXXXII, Clutha district, 154 acres, at L1175; and to Mr J. W. Newson, of the Kaihiku mill site, 14 acres, at Lll 10s per acre.

Looks like the new purchaser had no use for the milling machinery: Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 231, 13 December 1878

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, At 12 o'clock. FLOUR MILL MACHINERY. At Kaihiku.
C CHRISTIE Has received instructions to sell by public auction on the premises, Kaihiku, the whole of the valuable Flour Mill Machinery, lately in use by Mr Robert Doull, who has left the district, comprising — 1 Pair French Burr Flour Stones, latest improvements 1 18 feet Reel, for silk, and case 1 18 feet Screw Conveyer 1 Flour Dresser 1 Hoisting Gear and Pulleys 1 Water-wheel and intermediate shaft 1 Pair Wheat Fanners 1 Pair Oatmeal Stones, with hopper and case complete 1 Pair Oatmeal Fanners 1 Avery's Weighing Machine.
C. CHRISTIE, 940 Auctioneer, Balclutha.

Reminiscences many years later recall the death of a child at the mill, by drowning - it was either a very unlucky mill, or the story of the child injured in the machinery has been misremembered: Bruce Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 4, 18 January 1909

Warepa Revisited.
THE CHANGES OF 40 YEARS.
(Written for the Bruce by J. C.).
...
Out in the open, starting from the Kaihiku stream below Glenfalloch was Mrs George M'Neil's place - "Widow" M'Neil, as she was commonly called then. Below her was Doull's mill. Mr Robert Doull was then gristing for the farmers, and I recall hearing about one of his young children who got into the mill lead and was carried by the current under the mill wheel and was drowned.

Associated people

• Robert Doull