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Miranui Flax Mill

Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T17:03:06+00:00
Miranui Flax Mill, Shannon, operated from 1907 to 1933
User references2002.081

Miranui is the Maori word for 'Big Mill'. This mill had seven flax striping machines, and was said to be the largest flax mill in the Southern Hemisphere.

At its peak Miranui operated day and night and employed over 200 men. It was the most successful flax-milling company in New Zealand, and the mill was a showpiece of the flax industry. Alfred Seifert, managing director and the major shareholder, was the driving force behind this venture. He helped design the mill, and proved that the development of swamps for flax-milling through systematic large-scale drainage was economically viable.