The first paper mill in New Zealand with a papermaking machine is believed to have been the Woodhaugh Mill which had commenced production by May 1876. This was situated on the Leith Stream in the south of the South Island.

In December 1873 Edward McGlashan went to Melbourne, Australia, apparently with plans to acquire the papermaking machine of Samuel Fieldhouse who had built a paper mill there in the early 1870's but was reportedly in financial difficulties. Fieldhouse is believed to have had a sixty inch papermaking machine from the firm of Redfern, Smith and Law of Bury, Lancashire, England. However McGlashen was seriously injured in an accident soon after arriving in Melbourne and the papermaking machine, together with the mill buildings were acquired by Samuel Ramsden. McGlashen returned to New Zealand and subsequently arranged for a Mr. Lynn of Sydney, New South Wales to construct a small papermaking machine for him. This was delivered to Dunedin, New Zealand in November 1875.

Sources:

Angus, John H. Papermaking Pioneers (New Zealand Paper Mills, Ltd., Mataura, N.Z., 1976)

Clapperton, R. H. The Papermaking Machine (Pergammon Press)

Sinclair, E. Keith The Spreading Tree, A History of APM and Amcor 1844-1989 (Allen & Unwin, North Sydney, N.S.W., 1991)

West, Craig Woodhaugh Paper Mill 1876-1936 (former City of Dunedin website)

Papermaking in New Zealand to 1900  |  Back to Home Page