The dolomite walls of a historic flour mill have stood tall in the heart of Mount Gambier for more than 140 years, but developers want to knock them down to make way for a multi-million dollar commercial and housing project. 

Plans submitted by Mossop Construction to demolish the walls on the corner of Sturt Street and Bay Road have angered residents and historians who want to see the structure preserved.

The heritage-listed structure is more than 140 years old, stands 6 metres tall, and was initially built for a flour mill that operated at the site for many years. 

The facade is made of locally-sourced dolomite and limestone, which are key features of the landmarks and buildings in Mount Gambier.

A black and white photo of a brick flour mill, with horse and carts and men standing on the road in front.

The Mount Gambier Roller Flour Mill was built in 1885 at the corner of Bay Road and Sturt Street. (Supplied: State Library of South Australia)

Mount Gambier History Group president Megan McKenzie said she was disappointed that developers wanted to demolish the heritage icon.

“People accepted this was going to be a great new development for Mount Gambier,” she said.

“It was only when the application [to demolish the wall] came in that we were concerned.”

In the history group’s submission opposing the proposed demolition, it said the unsafe sections of the wall could be removed while the parts of greatest historical value were preserved.

“Many people realise that, if this goes, it’s just another part of our history going,” Ms McKenzie said.

“We’re not worried about the other things they put behind that facade; it is the facade that is so important and should be retained.”

A grey-haired older woman stands in front of a fence with a grey-blue wall with a significant warp behind it.

Megan McKenzie is disappointed by plans to demolish a heritage-listed wall. (ABC South East SA: Samuel O’Brien)

A long history of change

The site where the walls sit has been unoccupied in recent years, with a hardware store most recently occupying it.

Mossop Construction publicly released its proposal for the site in 2024.

It would include an 82-room hotel, townhouses and a commercial precinct.

The plans were approved by the Limestone Coast Southern Regional Assessment Panel in February last year, including the retention of the heritage-listed wall.

However, developers have lodged another application, stating that new assessments have found it structurally unsafe and seriously degraded.

A large white and blue hardware store in a heritage building

The site used to be home to a hardware store. (ABC South East SA: Eugene Boisvert)

According to documents available on the PlanSA website, the architects who assessed the wall said retention was “theoretically possible but would require an extensive and complex program of temporary and permanent structural works”.

The architects instead recommended reusing salvaged stones from the wall and incorporating them into the new design to highlight their heritage.

According to the development application, the repair-and-retain option could cost $2.25 million, while the demolition option was estimated at $118,000.

The architects said that partial retention of the wall by removing or isolating sections was not feasible, as it was “likely to compromise the remainder and create additional instability”.

Preservation a priorityOckert Le Roux sits in an open frame of a stone wall smiling, looking out.

Ockert Le Roux has made a submission against the proposed demolition of the old flour mill wall. (Supplied: Tim Rosenthal )

Mount Gambier photographer Ockert Le Roux said he was not convinced the developers were doing enough to preserve the wall.

Mr Le Roux has submitted to the Limestone Coast Southern Regional Assessment Panel, arguing against the demolition of the wall.

“It shouldn’t take that long, and it shouldn’t cost that many dollars to make sure [the wall] is safe and then incorporate it into the modern-day buildings,” he said.

“[The wall] has been coated in this awful grey paint for many, many years, so we don’t actually truly see the facade.

“If you peel that away, you’re sitting with that beautiful pink limestone that Mount Gambier is known for.”

While he was not against the broader development of the precinct, Mr Le Roux said he would like to see the wall’s heritage featured in the design.

“It has been vacant for quite some time; we’ve got a lot of these sites that sit undeveloped, and they just deteriorate,” he said.

“I think the treasure has been hidden for a very long time.”A grey-haired older woman is looking at a blue and red laminated paper sign outside a carpark on a rainy day.

Megan McKenzie says the facade should be maintained. (ABC South East SA: Samuel O’Brien)

The City of Mount Gambier said it would not lodge a submission regarding the application.

In a statement, council chief executive officer Paul Simpson said the council noted the assessment panel’s independence to make determinations in accordance with South Australia’s planning legislation.

“These are the legislated measures put in place by the South Australian state government to allow for the consistent application of development across our state, and [the] council respects these processes,” the statement said.

The ABC has contacted Mossop Construction for comment.

The public can make representations regarding the application on the PlanSA portal until midnight Tuesday, January 20.