At the cutting edge

With thanks to Malmsbury Historical Society.

Next time you find yourself outside Malmsbury Bakery, look down – the bluestone slabs in the footpath were made just down the road.

Although you wouldn’t know it now, a stone sawing factory once operated on the banks of the Coliban River behind Malmsbury Botanic Gardens.

The bluestone sawing works opened in 1874. Mechanical sawing meant stone slabs could be created with smooth faces on both sides.

While Victoria’s other bluestone sawing factory, at Footscray, was run with steam power, the Malmsbury plant used a turbine to run the machinery with water from the recently completed Coliban water race. 

The cutting process involved placing a frame with a series of parallel metal blades over a large block of stone.

The frame, driven by the water-powered turbine, moved back and forth, and as sand or crushed quartz was applied to the stone block, the blades (which had no teeth) ground into the surface. Water washed away the resulting sludge. Downward pressure, and more sand, enabled the blades to cut through the stone.

Malmsbury’s unique experiment in bluestone sawing continued until 1884 when drought forced the plant’s conversion to steam power.

Because of Malmsbury bluestone’s durability and workability, it has been used in buildings and structures far and wide, including in St Paul’s and St Patrick’s cathedrals in Melbourne. 

Now it has been designated a Global Heritage Stone Resource, recognising its use on several continents and its cultural significance.

✍️ Susan Walter, President of Malmsbury Historical Society.

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📘 History of Malmsbury, by Roslyn Stevens, can be purchased for $10 (plus postage) by emailing Malmsbury Historical Society. Alternatively, copies are available at Malmsbury Bakery and Malmsbury General Store.