Crankmill

 

When was it built?

The Crankmill was built as a grain store (granary) in 1827.  The Royal Engineer, Lieutenant Lugard was in charge.  The actual structure of the original building is unknown because the diagrams of the roof supports that were made at the time would not have held up the roof.

 

Its uses during the Second Settlement

The Crankmill was used as the back store until 1835 when the new Commissariat Store was completed.  It was then used as a military barracks to house extra troops and their families and a fireplace and chimney were built.  In 1837, they moved out into the New Military Barracks and crankmill machinery was installed to grind corn.  The watermill could not grind all the corn needed because it did not have a reliable source of water.  One hundred men sentenced to “hard labour” were used to move the grinding stones on the crankmill as a form of extreme punishment. 

 

Plans were drawn up to remove the crankmill machinery and replace it with a treadmill.  To allow this, the walls were made much higher but the treadmill machinery was never installed because it was “lost” overboard as it was being unloaded at the pier.

 

The Crankmill with a lighter

Its uses during the Third Settlement

The building was gutted by fire late in the 19th Century.  From the early 1900s, whaling boats were stored in it and the wide entrance in the western end was cut to allow the boats to be carried in and out more easily. 

 

The Crankmill became a ruin after World War II and the remains of the machinery were removed before 1960.  Some of it is in the Norfolk Island Commissariat Museum.

 

Its uses today

Today it is a ruin.  An old lighter boat outside reminds us of one of its previous uses.

 

DAA KRAENKMIL

Wat taim dem bild et?

Dem bild daa  Kraenkmil aes wan grien stor (graenari) iin 1827.  Daa Roiyal Enjiniya, Luutenent Lugaad wos iin chaaj.  Wi kaa wata kaina  strakcha wos iin daa orijinl bilding said dem daiyagraems o’dem ruuf saports dem wud bii se mek et orf a daa taim wudnt bii se hoel ap daa ruuf.

 

Wathen yuus et fe iin daa Sekan Setelment

Dem yuus daa Kraenkmil fe daa baek stor tal 1835 wen daa nyuu Kohmisiehriyat Stor se dan.  Dem den  yuus et fe wan militri baeraks fe haus ekstra truups en dems faemlis en dem bild wan faiyaplies ena chimni.  Iin 1837, dem shef aut gen daa Nyuu Militri Baeraks en em Kraenkmil mashiinri wos pat iin fe graina korn. Daa wortamil kaa grain orl dem korn said naewa haed wan relaiabl sors o’ worta.  Dem yuus wan handred mien huu bin sentens et tu “haad liehba” fe muuw dem grainden stoens orn daa krenkmil aes d’ wases kaina panishment. 

 

Dem did dror apa plaens fe tek wieh dem kraenkmil mashiinri en pat iin wan tredmil.  Fe duu dieh, dem mek dem worls mach haiya bat dem tredmil mashiinry naewa instorl et said  lors oevabord wen dem teken et orf aet daa pier.

 

Aa Kraenkmil lorgnf’ wan laita

Wathen yuus et fe iin daa Therd Setelment

Daa bilding ban daun liet iin daa 19th Sentyuri.  Fram d’ erli 1900s, dem wiel boets bin kiip et iin en dem kat iin daa waid entrans iin daa wes en soe el kaali iin en aut dem boets  welaut. 

 

Daa Kraenkmil kam es ruuen aafta Werl Wor II en dem tek wieh de laas o dem mashiinri for 1960.  Sam owet es iin daa Norfuk Ailen Cohmisiehriyat Myuusiium.

Wieh yuus et desdieh

Desdieh es ruuen.  Wan oel laita boet autsaid remain aklan wathen bin yuusa yuus et for.