Space and Structure at an Australian Timber Camp

Abstract

Remote timber camps were common in Australian forests and woodlands during the 19th and early-20th centuries. They usually featured accommodation, a boarding house for meals, and a tramline to connect the sawmill and camp to the outside world. Henry’s No.1 Mill was typical of such places. It operated between 1904 and 1927 in the Otway Ranges, southwest of Melbourne. Survey and excavation of the site in 1997 and 1998 yielded evidence of architectural layout and consumption practices. Spatial analysis of the mill examines the structure and pattern of housing, the nature and distribution of amenities, and movement between the site and nearby townships. Workers and residents were both isolated from and integrated with the wider world, continually negotiating the use of space within their homes, around the camp, and beyond.