John Darling and Son

Early years in Scotland

John Darling (23 February 1831 – 10 April 1905) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1831, second son of John Darling of Duns, into a family of modest means, and was educated at George Heriot's School. His father died when he was ten years, and he was forced to leave school, aged eleven years.^[4][5] His first job was as an office boy at the printing shop of Balfour & Jack, but lost that job after six or eight weeks. He next worked at Duncan Sinclair and Sons' type foundry "Whitford House", then at Alexander Wilson & Son, followed by James Marr, Gallie, & Co., where he worked for about 12 years.^[4] Several of his friends, including Alexander Dowie and Joseph Ferguson – later an owner of The Register – had emigrated to South Australia in 1851, and realising the lack of opportunities for advancement in Edinburgh, decided to follow them. He was not a wealthy man, and did not qualify for assisted passage, so it took some time before they emigrated.^[4]

Establishment of flour milling in Adelaide

Early in 1855 John Darling Sr., his wife and two sons arrived at Semaphore, South Australia in the "Isabella", sailing from Leith. Four days later he was working in the Rundle Street store of Berry & Gall. This job did not last long, but through a friend he soon found employment with baker Robert Birrell of Grenfell Street. This job lasted two years before he left to earn a living with a horse and cart, and at the same time helped set up his wife in a store adjacent to the Stag Inn on Rundle Street. This failed to attract much custom so they built a shop "Millbrook Store" on Glen Osmond Road, which slowly became profitable. Meanwhile, he had been approached by James Smith, of Giles & Smith, Waymouth Street who had a flour mill on West Terrace and in the five years in their employ learned the wheat and flour business. He then resigned from Giles and Smith, and in 1865 was trading independently.^[6] In 1867 he took over the sole management of the grain stores in Waymouth Street formerly owned by R. G. Bowen (later to become the factory of D & W. Murray).^[4]

In 1872 he made his eldest son John Darling Jr. a partner in the business, thereafter known as John Darling & Son, millers, grain, and general merchants. For thirty years the business grew steadily, the "Grain King" setting up branches throughout South Australia's wheat belt, buying up flour mills then establishing agencies in Melbourne in 1880^[4] and London, his company handling most of Australia's export grain.

John Darling Sr. retired from the business in October 1897, and he died of sudden heart failure at the family home "Thurloo" on Kent Terrace, Kent Town.

Other relatives

Leonard Gordon Darling AC CMG, known as Gordon, was Harold Gordon Darling's nephew. He was a businessman and philanthropist who helped to fund the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.^[9][10]

Site history

John Darling & Son purchased the Albion site in 1921 and opened their new roller mill on 10 July 1922. They purchased the site from Hugh Victor McKay, machinery manufacturer, who was well known as the owner of the nearby Sunshine Harvester Works. From early in its history, the mill operated night and day as the Darling family continued to make inroads into the flour export trade. Disaster struck in February 1926 when the mill building was destroyed by fire. It was announced the day after the fire, however, that the mill would be rebuilt. The rebuilding program commenced that same year and the new mill was completed and operational by 1927. This mill remains extant. The adjacent grainstore building was also constructed at this time in association with the mill building, as well as the rail sidings, loading platform and canopy.^[11]

Between 1927 and 1990 when the mill ceased operation, various buildings and features were added and removed from the complex as the needs of the mill operation changed and new technologies were developed. An MMBW plan of 1934 indicated the existence of three major buildings on the site during the first decade after the rebuilding of the mill in 1926, including the T-shaped brick mill building, the timber and iron grain store to the north, and a detached wheat storage-shed to the south (since demolished). Smaller structures included an amenities block to the north, water tank and pump house (all since demolished). Later additions to the site can be seen in a 1989 plan of the mill complex.^[11]

From 1939, additional buildings/features included the following:^[11]

• Reinforced concrete silos built 1939 and 1973, adjacent to the mill building;
• Office and laboratory of 1951 fronting Sydney Street;
• Former workshop, 1960s, modified 1981 and 2013,fronting Ferguson Street;
• Five steel flour bins added to the site in 1969, 1970 and 1984, adjacent to the mill building;
• Office building of 1971 fronting Sydney Street;
• Locker room of 1971 fronting Sydney Street;
• Maintenance Depot fronting Ferguson Street 1981.

Of this list above, only the reinforced concrete silos built 1939 and 1973 and the building fronting Ferguson Street remain at the site, with other buildings at the site cleared from c. 2013.^[11]