Information
William Gibson and his sons began sugar-growing operations at their Hemmant plantation ‘Clydesdale’ in 1866, and their original poor results were attributed to the mill rather than the crop. They tried a horse-mill with moderate results from 1869 before purchasing a steam mill in 1871. Various improvements were made to this mill over the years, including the installation of machinery from Clydesdale, Glasgow, in 1880, from which the mill then took its name. During that year the mill was processing cane from about 230 acres in the local area. The was sold and closed by 1883 as the Gibsons set up operations in more productive sugar country near Bundaberg.
Citations
Queenslander, 17 July 1880; The Friends of Balmoral Cemetery newsletter, volume 3, no.2, ‘The Gibson Family’, September 2004, pp. 4-5.
Image Citations
Gibson’s first sugar mill, Hemmant. From Queensland Agricultural Journal, 1930, collection of Fryer Library, UQ.
Map References
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