The Archer Gallery, named after the famous winner of the first two Melbourne Cup races, who was trained at Jembaicumbene and who is buried here, is planned to open during 2010.
We have some artworks available now, please click here to view our current stock.
The gallery will showcase local artists alongside selected works from elsewhere in NSW and interstate. As restoration of the upper floors of the mill building is completed, two self contained artist's residences with studios will open allowing artists to participate in three month in-house workshops culminating with an exhibition of their work.
The gallery will incorporate 500 square metres of showroom space with excellent lighting and gallery hanging systems. The north side opens onto a grassy terrace overlooking the mill pond and the Jembaicumbene valley and wetlands. As part of the mill pond restoration a 16' undershot water wheel powering pumps is under construction for installation into the pond's water race, very similar to a water wheel that was operated here in the 1850s to power mining equipment.
Stage one of the mill restoration comprising important archaeological studies and identification of historical artefacts and the locations of outbuildings and ancillary structures has been completed. Part of this process comprised removal of the 1950s galvanised iron covered sheep yards and weather proofing the building, which has been partially open to the weather since 1885. Completion of these works has allowed the ground floor of the gallery to be completed and this will shortly be opened for special exhibitions whilst the second floor is prepared. Stage Two will see reconstruction of the engine house which will house a shop and function facilities.
Important missing elements including the 70 finely moulded window frames, removed when the flour mill closed in 1885, have been carefully hand made by Amish craftsmen in Pennsylvania, and random width flooring to match the original has been sourced from Amish lumber mills in Chicago. Several interesting components found during excavations including the engineer's bell, various drive wheels and milling machinery parts will be reinstalled as interpretive elements in the completed building. The Jembaicumbene Steam Flour Mill was built using the important miller's patternbook "The Young Mill-Wright & Miller's Guide" by Oliver Evans, first published in 1795. Using instructions from this guide it has been possible to identify all of the internal fittings of the mill and to see where each item was installed.
Space is booking quickly so please contact us should you be interested in showing when the gallery opens shortly.
The first of four large floors nears completion
The third and fourth floors will become two apartments with studios for visiting artists
The same floor as found
Oliver Evans 1795 Flour Mill plans used to build the Jembaicumbene Steam Flour Mills in 1859
