Mills Erwin Violet. Mills Erwin Violet. Mills Erwin Violet. Mills Erwin Violet. Mills Erwin Violet.
1951 – 1984
“Upway” Kojonup Location 8327
At the age of 16 in 1951, Erwin Alfred Mills (the eldest of 11 siblings) travelled down the Rabbit Proof Fence from Cunderdin with his father Erwin Gordon Mills in search of a new farm. He purchased 4500 acres (1820 ha) of new land for £-/5/6 ($0.56) per acre (later sub-divided and part transferred to his brother Byron) from the lands department. In addition he purchased part of the Rabbit Proof Fence (built in 1906) for £90 ($180.00) per mile to preserve it from being removed by the government.
Clearing with the Army Tank & Bulldozer.
The family began clearing the land with a Stuart Mark III Army Tank which was purchased from Bridgetown and was driven back through the main street of Katanning back to Nyabing. Each year approximately 400 acres (160 ha) of bush was rolled down with the Army tank. A big Salmon Gum was chosen out of the bush, cut down and towed behind the tank. However some bigger trees couldn’t be cleared with the log so the tank would bump them down; clutch pushed in or it would climb the tree. Later, in summer, the piece was burned.
Harvest time – Fordson Power Major Tractor.
Half of the farm was cleared with the tank and, five years later, two bulldozers and an anchor chain were used for clearing the remainder of the farm. Each cleared paddock was fenced with jam posts from the Cunderdin farm. Erwin grazed Merino sheep that he bought from Quartermaine’s and cropped the land using a Fordson Power Major tractor. In his first year of cropping along the Rabbit Proof Fence it was eaten by kangaroos. The next year he purchased his first .22 pump action rifle from the sale of kangaroo skins. When establishing the farm the locals knew the Mills family were down as they would drive through town with a truck load of jam posts, kangaroo dogs and children.
First house on Nyabing Farm.
Erwin lived in a tent for 12 months down in the creek before he and his father built the first house of timber in 1952 which began its life as a house in Kalgoorlie (1902); and later dismantled and rebuilt on the Cunderdin farm in 1930 and then dismantled again and brought to Nyabing. It was nicknamed the ‘honeymoon cottage’.
Christine, Peter, Vi, Erwin, Michelle, Carol & Paul Mills
In 1960, he married Violet Harper (Vi) from Maddington, a suburb of Perth, and they began their family life on the farm named “Upway”; named because all the towns around the area ended in ‘up’. In December 1960, Vi and Erwin had a daughter named Christine Myra who now lives in Albany. In 1962, they had a son named Erwin Paul (Paul) who now runs the family farm. In 1963 Peter David was born who now lives in Albany.
In 1966 a new brick and tile house was built further up the hill and, in 1969, Carol Patricia was born who now lives in Albany. In 1975, Susan and Michelle Reeves were fostered into the family after their parent’s death. Their brothers, Tony, Craig and Kelvin Reeves were fostered by Erwin’s brothers.
All of their children attended Nyabing Primary School. As the kids grew up they had to find ways to occupy their time since television was limited to two hours in the evening while the Southern Cross lighting plant was running. So they had a lot of different pets including kangaroos, dogs, cats, calves, lambs, and chooks while Vi bred dachshunds (sausage dogs) for several years.
Restored 1927 T Model Ford
Erwin and Vi with Restored 1926 Whippet Overlander
At semi-retirement in 1984 the couple moved to Albany where Erwin restored old vehicles, tractors and stationary engines and Vi did volunteer work with Silver Chain and fundraising; while Paul and Peter ran the farm. Erwin Alfred Mills passed away in July 2010. Vi is retired in Albany with family and friends.
MILLS, Erwin Paul (Paul) & Robyn Louise
1962 – Current
Millstone Park”
Kojonup Location 8296 and 8327
Paul Mills was raised on ‘Upway’ farm attending Nyabing Primary School for year 1-7. He went to Albany Senior High School for his first half of secondary schooling boarded at Albany Residential College. And for the remaining years he attended Katanning Senior High School and boarded at the residential college. He left school after year 10 to work on the farm with his father.
He met Robyn Featherstone from Pingrup in 1980 and were married in 1983 and moved onto the farm. In 1989 they purchased a 1000 acre (404 ha) block along side Paul’s father’s farm from Owen Mills. Paul and Robyn farmed the family home; “Millstone Park” and “Upway’.
The Mills Family
Back: Paul, Angela, Erwin, Front: Alison, Ashleigh & Robyn
They began their family in November 1984 with a son named Erwin Robert who is now working in Albany. In 1986 they had their first daughter, Angela Rose, who is now a country primary school teacher. Later, in 1988, Ashleigh Renae was born. She now owns the Ashleigh Renae Hair and Beauty Salon in Katanning. In 1990, Alison Rebecca was born and she now lives in Perth and works in hospitality. The children attended their years of schooling at Nyabing Primary School and Katanning Senior High School.
The farm runs a third each of cattle, sheep and cropping. Paul has spent much of his farming time up-grading the fences, catchments and dams that were initially built by his father. The farm has been re-fenced for the second time upgrading plain wire wooden post fences to steel post and cyclone fences. Due to extensive land clearing causing salinity problems on some parts of the farm, Paul and Robyn started planting back trees to make nature strips and stock shelters from 1999 – 2008. Something that has always been important on the farm are the stock dogs. Many of our dogs have been good watch dogs, kid’s pets, stock workers, and control vermin on the farm. Here are some of our memorable stories of our dogs living and working on the farm at Nyabing.
Moochie (black/ white collie kelpie)
Moochie was like one of the kids (Paul’s generation). He used to play basketball and retrieve tennis and golf balls. He was a social dog who would bring rocks and cans and put them on travellers’ feet wanting them to play. He ended up with very few teeth. He loved guns but hated thunder storms and would end up under beds. When catching a sheep he would bring the sheep back to the ute so that it would circle the vehicle and come round into the open door onto the seat. One day while out in the paddock Moochie rounded up a kangaroo and chased it into the open door onto Erwin’s lap.
Moochie II (kelpie)
Moochie II was Paul’s first dog. He was afraid of oncoming traffic while riding up front in the ute. So Paul and Peter used to hold him up to make him watch. Yet he never got over his fear. He spent a lot of time with Paul and Peter down developing a block at Gardiner; sleeping at the foot of the bed at night and chasing kangaroos by day.
Choco (red cloud kelpie)
Peter’s dog Choco was a big red dog who was a good terminator of cats, rabbits, rats and foxes. But he couldn’t help getting caught in the fox cage on every occasion. You could hear his barks for help and he was always embarrassed when released. He had attitude when he was chastised for jumping off the ute before he was needed during sheep work, and would turn his back and ignore you when he was needed.
Rusty (Scottish Collie)
Paul’s dog Rusty started off as a townie in Pingrup but fitted into farm life well being a good sheep dog. He was also a good children’s dog and used to tow the kids along on their bikes. He was special because he was golden in colour and had one green and one blue eye. One day Rusty fell off the ute at 80km going round a corner and survived with just grazing. From then on all dogs were chained on.
Jaspa (red cloud kelpie) current dog
The current red dog Jaspa, nicknamed brown bear, is a good intimidating watch dog. He enjoys chasing off salesmen and stock agents. He likes to chase feral cats up trees so they are easy to shoot with a four-ten shot gun. When he catches sheep he takes out the front leg, rolls the sheep onto its back and holds it down with a satisfying grin.
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