We have recently scanned a collection of 42 drawings of extensions to the McColl Timber Co sawmill at Onehunga dating from 1918 to 1922. These came to the society from the late Alan Bellamy. The company was located directly in front of the Onehunga Railway Station, with a private siding accessed by a turnout alongside the platform.

The company was established in 1903–4 by Wellington entrepreneurs James Fulton and Tudor Atkinson as the Auckland Veneer & Timber Co, with Alexander McColl, former secretary of the Mountain Rimu Timber and Taupiri Sawmill companies as a director and the manager. The company also acted as the Auckland branch of Atkinson and Fulton’s Taupo Totara Timber Co. Apparently it was a planing mill only. When the TTT moved its branch to Newmarket McColl took over ownership of the Onehunga company and in 1918 he commissioned Fulton to design extensions to mill the then trendy new radiata pine.

Download copies of the scans can be obtained from archivist Graeme McClare for the usual charges of $10 each for members or $15 each for non-members.

Below is an example of one of the drawings:

The complete list:

AVT Coy Onehunga, Jockey Pulley for Band-saw Belt, JE Fulton 2-2-14 altered 8-22.tif
Bandmill Sheet No.3 Onehunga, James E Fulton 19-12-19.tif
Bolter plan No.1, James E Fulton 6-5-19.tif
Bolter plan No.2, James E Fulton 23-5-19.tif
Bolter plan No.3, James E Fulton 23-5-19.tif
Bolter plan No.4, James E Fulton 22-5-19.tif
Compression Shaft Coupling, Cast Iron, JE Fulton 26-6-18.tif
Drawing No.1 Onehunga Sawmill Breast bench, James E Fulton 11-22.tif
Drawing No.2 Onehunga Sawmill (Breast bench), James E Fulton 17-11-22.tif
Log Hooks in use, James E Fulton 23-9-19.tif
Log Hooks, James E Fulton 23-9-19.tif
McColl Timber Coy’s Mill at Onehunga, Alternative Designs for Proposed Band Mill, Designs 1,2 & 3, James E
Fulton 3-12-19.tif
Mill sheet No.19 McColl Timber Coy’s sawmill at Onehunga, Log turner rigging [blueprint back notes], James
E Fulton Engr 16-9-19.tif
Mill sheet No.19 McColl Timber Coy’s sawmill at Onehunga, Log turner rigging [blueprint], James E Fulton
Engr 16-9-19.tif
Mill sheet No.19 McColl Timber Coy’s sawmill at Onehunga, Log turner rigging, James E Fulton Engr
16-9-19.tif
Mill sheet No.21 McColl Timber Coy Onehunga, Arrangement of Band saw rollers, James E Fulton Engr
29-10-19.tif
Removable stay A of mild steel for McColl Timber Coy’s boiler at Onehunga Auckland from design required
by the Inspector of Machinery, James E Fulton 29-11-19.tif
Sheet 9 Wire Rope Pulleys, James E Fulton 11-7-18.tif
Sheet 10 Cast iron clevis for ½” dia wire rope, James E Fulton 13-7-18.tif
Sheet 17 Onehunga Sawmill roof trusses, James E Fulton 5-4-19.tif
Sheet No.1 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension, James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.1 Onehunga Sawmill, Framing for Twin Saw, JE Fulton Engineer 29-8-19.tif
Sheet No.2 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension, James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.2 Onehunga Bandmill Proposal, James E Fulton 17-12-19.tif
Sheet No.2 Onehunga Sawmill, Framing for Twin Saw, JE Fulton Engineer 29-8-19.tif
Sheet No.3 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension, James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.4 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension, James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.4 Sawmill Addition to Planing Mill, Shewing Proposed Position of Pacifc Log Bench, Edger & Band
Re-saw, James E Fulton 6-22.tif
Sheet No.5 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Crab coupling with 3 claws, James E Fulton 4-7-18.tif
Sheet No.5 Onehunga Sawmill Trailer Trolly Behind No.2½ Saw Carriage for Large Logs & Sketch of Proposed
Spring Bufer, James E Fulton 6-22.tif
Sheet No.6 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension Mill Roof, James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.6 Onehunga Sawmill Shewing 2nd Engine & Altered Position of Re-saw, James E Fulton Engineer
9-22.tif
Sheet No.7 Onehunga Sawmill Roof Trusses Over Band Re-saw, James E Fulton Engineer 9-22.tif
Sheet No.7 Sawmill Material, James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.8 Saw Guide, James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.11 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension – Three ironbark rollers for bench at circular saw, James E
Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.12 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension, James E Fulton 7-18 altered 3-19.tif
Sheet No.13 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension [cancelled by Sheet 14], James E Fulton 7-18.tif
Sheet No.14 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension [cancelled by Sheet 15], James E Fulton 8-18.tif
Sheet No.15 McColl Timber Coy’s Sawmill Extension [cancels sheets 13 & 14], James E Fulton 8-18.tif
Sheet No.18 Log hauler & turner, James E Fulton C&ME 6-19.tif
Sheet No.20 parbuckling for Onehunga Mill, James E Fulton 19-9-19.tif