Miranui Flax Mill

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.

Related Items

• Miranui Flaxmill employees of A & L Seifert's Flax-dressing Co. Ltd., c.1908 </ li>
• "Miranui Group" - senior men, c.1920 </ li>
• Horse drawn 'Flax Tram' loaded ready for the mill, c.1920's </ li>
• Hanks of flax fibre hanging on poles at washing shed, c.1920's </ li>
• Bales of flax fibre being loaded on to railway wagons at Shannon, c.1920 </ li>
• Horse drawn wagon loaded with bales of processed flax fibre Shannon, c.1920's </ li>
• Flax workers at 'Weka Mill', Shannon, c.1914 </ li>
• Miranui, Shannon, 1911 </ li>
• Page 10 - Flaxmilling - 6 b/w photos </ li>
• Page 11 - Flaxmilling - 7 b/w photos & 1 stereoview </ li>
• Employees of A & L Seifert's Flax-dressing Co. Ltd., Miranui, c.1910 </ li>
• Employees of A & L Seifert's Flax-dressing Co. Ltd., Miranui, c.1910 </ li>
• Flax Cutters, 'Miranui' Mill, Shannon </ li>
• Page 9 - Flaxmilling - 6 b/w photos & 1 b/w photo postcard </ li>
• Charles Lee, flax worker, wearing his "Sunday best" standing among the flax, 1928 </ li>
• Miranui Mill - cookhouse, billiard room & men's living quarters, 1920's </ li>
• "Miranui Group" - senior men, c.1920 </ li>
• Druids Hall, Shannon, decorated with flax for Miranui Ball, June 1925 </ li>
• Bert Seifert, son of Alfred Seifert, c.1980's </ li>
• Flaxmill at Miranui in Horowhenua, 1917 </ li>
• Cutting flax on the Makurerua swamp for the Miranui flaxmill near Shannon, 1917 </ li>
• Loading cut flax in Makerua, Nov 1917 </ li>
• Miranui in 2011 </ li>