FCV Sawmills
In 1920 the FCV purchased a sawmill near Nayook
The mill remaind in the original location until 1922 when it was moved two to three kilometres to the east. It remained at this new site until 1930.
See also: FCV Sawmill - Nayook West
The FCV established a new sawmill at Erica in 1940
From 1930 to 1940 there was no State Mill, but in 1940:
Financial statements for the Mill ceased to appear in FCV Annual Reports after 1966/67 so it probably closed around that time.
Why did the FCV get into sawmilling in the first place?
"At both sites the government decided to enter the sawmilling business because of issues with the industry. However the reasons were different.
At the Latrobe River (Nayook)site the reasons were:
- To prevent the Vic Hardwood Co holding a monopoly in the Powelltown area.
- To ensure a supply of timber for Public Works at a reasonable cost.
At Erica the reasons were:
- To keep up the supply of timber due to private sector failure to put in mills.
- To exploit the fire-killed timber in the Thomson Valley before it deteriorated and became useless for milling.
So the usual reason for establishing a mill (profit) was not the driving force. In the period 1930 to 1940 demand was low and there was no need for State intervention, so the FCV didn’t operate a mill in that time." (M McCarthy, 2020)