Historical information

: Hume and Hovell discovered the area in 1824 and by the end of the 19th century the Kiewa Valley was transformed by logging, dairy and beef cattle properties and tobacco farms.
The logs could have been milled for timber at the State Electricity Commission's mill at Howman's Gap which provided a much needed source of timber for construction of McKay Creek Power Station which began construction in 1951 and also the camps and houses for the workers and their families
There was a need for housing and infrastructure for an increasing population of workers for the hydro-electric scheme as there was a general shortage of this commodity.
A timber mill was started in Tawonga by Mates, of Albury, in 1945, and electricity became available in 1946 the S.E.C. bought the mill, and enlarged it. In 1960 it was purchase by a local family, they also started a timber mill in Mt Beauty worked both until 1980 when they closed the Tawonga mill and enlarged the mill called Mt. Beauty Timbers Pty Ltd which employed approximately 50 people.

Significance

An historical pictorial record of the type of machinery and vehicles in use in the 1950’s to harvest and mill the logs from surrounding forested areas.

Physical description

1. Colour photograph of large logs being milled for timber at a timber mill
2. Colour photograph of heavy machinery being used to harvest large logs for milling