When I became a volunteer at the Mill, I had no idea of the huge amount of work that had created such a unique cultural icon from a very sad and dilapidated property.
To have had the foresight and vision of Kent Mayo, Peter Myers and Julie Porter, and others, to create a museum so unlike any others I have visited in Australia and overseas, was marvellous. It has stories to tell reaching all ages, not just a collection of labelled items.
I am not a gardener, but do like to work in gardens, so it was easy to gravitate from meeting and greeting visitors to mowing and weeding. The garden plays its part for visitors to the Mill and for functions, as well. The hardest job was to place the huge stones recovered from the well into their places under the arbour, moved on rollers as they were too heavy for a forklift. Then came tidying the back corner to display the Philips sign that Kent had rescued from Nelsons Saw Mill. Compost bins were installed for clippings and leaves from the garden and later we worked on a development around the Stables area. When Brian Duff offered to drive me to Uralla from Armidale and to assist in the garden, it was a great relief and a big help. Unfortunately, time and age has caught up with us both, so sadly it is time to stop. I wish that volunteers will carry on the success of the Mill into the future adding to the further development of Uralla.
I have been going to McCrossin’s Mill in Uralla for approximately ten years with Owen Croft to work in the garden.
This has been a very enjoyable time for me and I have seen a lot of improvement to the buildings and garden, and enjoyed being with the dedicated people who volunteer to run the Museum. I have also met many interesting visitors while we took a tea break and sampled the “bicky “ jar. Not only have I enjoyed all the Mill has to offer, but I have learnt a lot about gardening , particularly from Carmel Rieu who sometimes used to accompany us working in the garden. There has been a lot said about the Museum, but I think it was summed up very well by a comment in “The Millers’ Tales” newsletter that states that “the best thing about Armidale is Uralla”, written in the visitors’ book at McCrossin’s Mill Museum.
I wish all the volunteers all the best for the future!
