Times Gone By: Blaze destroys sawmill

'The Fire Brigade was soon on the spot and did good work, but the fire had too good a hold to allow them to make any headway'

Paulette Flint searches through the draws of microfiche at the Gladstone Genealogical Society. Picture: Matt Taylor GLA190818GENE

1894: A little child, named Queenie Earls, aged 1 year and 11 months, fell down a well 30 feet deep at Milton Station and had her neck and arm broken, besides suffering other injuries of a terrible nature.

1930: One of the worst fires experienced in Gladstone occurred today when Messrs H.A. Skyring and Sons' sawmill was practically demolished.

The main building was completely destroyed.

All that escaped destruction was a small section of the building used for storing timber.

Much valuable timber, worth more than 1000 pounds, was destroyed.

The origin of the fire is unknown. Nobody was at the mill at the time.

The fire brigade was soon on the spot and did good work but the fire had too good a hold to allow them to make any headway.

To make matters worse, there was hardly any water in the mains but by fixing the Dennis pump to the mains a good stream was obtained.

Later the engine was shifted to a dam, where three good streams were secured.

The mill, which commenced operations in 1901, employed approximately 20 men and was one of the main secondary industries of Gladstone.

In addition to the men directly employed, a large number of timber getters and teamsters were dependent on the mill for their livelihood.