THE first stage in the redevelopment of the historic Treamin’s Mill is now underway.
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The historic site, which has featured on the Bathurst landscape since 1859, was sold in May, 2015 for an undisclosed sum.
The mill complex includes a four-storey industrial building, grain silos and associated structures, the Victoria Stores and the area that contains Bedwells Feed Barn.
Measuring a significant 8522 square metres, with three street frontages – Havannah, Keppel and Manilla streets – the mill currently houses 20 tenants.
Owners Stephen and Glenda Birrell have grand plans for the site and are determined to bring many historic features back to their former glory.
First on the couple’s list is the Victoria Stores building on Keppel Street.
The two-storey building recently housed the Keppel Street Laundry, and sits next to the Victoria Hotel.
Built in 1884, the building was once a general store and bakery that used flour produced in Tremain’s Mill.
Mr Birrell said he has hired contractors to restore the building to what it once looked like.
“We’re putting the verandahs back on and putting the original cedar windows back in,” he said. “We’re replacing all the iron work.”
Mr Birrell is already in talks with a baker to move into one of two ground floor shops.
Once renovated, the site will also have room for an alfresco dining area, and he said it would be wonderful if the new baker used flour milled at Tremain’s once the mill is up and running again.
For the level above, there is enough room for two high-end apartments.
Mr Birrell also wants to ensure the Victoria Stores building is painted in its original colour and has hired a forensic painter to determine what that colour was.
I’m probably more excited about it [now]. It was a long process, but getting the DA approved was great.
- Tremain's Mill owner Stephen Birrell
“I’m thinking there will be 30 layers [of paint] to find out what the original colour was,” he said.
Despite extensive searching, Mr Birrell has been unable to locate any of the original cast iron verandah panels from the building, and said without these he will not be able to create the same style.
He said the panels were removed sometime in the last 30 years and has asked anyone who might now where a panel is to contact him so he can have a mold cast to make new ones.
“I only need one panel to cast from,” he said.
For the rest of the mill site, Mr Birrell has five distinct areas planned – a marketplace, an open space, events space, museum and the verandah area which contains the Victoria Stores building.
More than 18 months might have passed since he purchased the mill, but Mr Birrell said he is very excited about the future.
“I’m probably more excited about it [now]. It was a long process, but getting the DA approved was great,” he said.