Mill Manager’s Residence

Jarrahdale’s timber industry flourished in the late 1800s, and the Mill Manager’s Residence is a reminder of this golden period for the original township.

Historical information

The Residence was built in the early 1880s for Neil McNeil, whose company owned the original sawmill at Jarrahdale. Although six sawmills owned by the same company would be built in the district between 1870 - 1900, the house was constructed about a quarter mile (402 metres) from the very first No 1 mill, which burnt down in 1887.

It was the second such residence built in the town, but the first house no longer exists. It was located further up the valley.

McNeil, who was based in Melbourne, would visit frequently before he moved to Perth in the early 1890s. This was a trip of no small effort, as the only way to travel to WA at the time was by sea. McNeil would sail into Albany and then board the mail coach to Perth, alighting at the 36^-mile mark. He would be met with a horse and buggy, and in this way travel the ten miles into Jarrahdale.

The Jarrahdale mill was one of the most successful in the state, and the residence reflected that status - it was the best house in the area for many years. The residence had a permanent housekeeper and, when the company expanded and a manager was appointed in 1902, McNeil gave the house to them as ‘the Manager’s house’. It was inhabited by many managers in the decades that followed.

 

Physical description

The Mill Manager’s Residence is a large, single-storey bungalow-style building with a hipped roof and spreading verandah, set low in the valley overlooking the Gooralong Brook. There are several outbuilding, including a former laundry and a utility shed.

Present day

Today, the Mill Manager’s Residence is located near by a bush reserve, the re-growth of forest that once fed the mills of Jarrahdale. It is a reminder of the heyday of the timber industry that build the township and often the subject of interest for locals and visitors who visit the reserve to enjoy the trails and natural beauty of the region.

People of SJ

Neil McNeil, Esquire

Neil McNeil born in Scotland in the mid-1850s. When he was around 5 years old, the family moved to Ballarat, Victoria. McNeil's father owned a railway construction business, and Neil went into the same line of work. As a young man he became a railway engineer, then took on contracting and the management of the family business. Railway contracts were what first brought him to WA in 1882.

As he built the lines through Pinjarra and Bunbury that would transport WA timber to port, McNeil became convinced that jarrah was the ideal building material. He established a timber company and, by 1889, employed hundreds of men. The company went through several amalgamations, changing names frequently as it expanded - names including Neil McNeil Co, Rockingham Railways, and Millars Timber & Trading Co Ltd*. By 1912, McNeil owned Karridale Mill as well as Jarrahdale, two of the most successful mills in the state.

In 1892, McNeil bought a large block of land in Peppermint Grove and built a home for himself and his new wife, whom he had married on a trip to Britain in 1890. Jessie Alexandra Laurie (or Lawrie) was from Ayr, Scotland, and records suggest she may have been around 16 at the time of her marriage.

The McNeils’ new home, The Cliffe, was constructed entirely out of local jarrah. However, the local board did not approve of timber homes – they banned their construction in the suburb immediately afterwards. The house still stands today and is on the heritage list.

McNeil was a savvy businessman with many interests. He invested early in WA’s gold rush (1890s). Using the profits from his shares, he built the Surry Chambers and McNeil Buildings in Perth, and the Phillemore Chambers in Fremantle. He also bred high-quality carriage horses and established a 'very fine' apple, pear and stone fruit orchard. Although he and Jessie never had children, he was a generous benefactor to Presbyterian Ladies’ College.

McNeil died at home after a long illness in 1927, aged 70. He is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery. Jessie appears to have lived out her remaining years in England.

*Millars Timber Company lasted until the 1971 when it was bought by Inchcape PLC. Bunnings purchased it in 1983.

Further reading and references

Coy, N. J. (1984). The Serpentine: A history of the Shire of Serpentine–Jarrahdale (p. 107). Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.

Fall, V. G. (2022). The mills of Jarrahdale: A century of achievement, 1872–1972: A history (3rd ed.). Linellen Press.

From Hooves to Highways. (n.d.). Neil McNeil. 

Birman, W. (1974). McNeil, Neil (1855–1927). In Australian Dictionary of Biography (Vol. 5). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.