The history of NF McDonnell and Sons
THE NF McDonnell & Sons sawmilling business has been in existence for 65 years and is now into its fourth generation of family involvement.
During those 65 years the company has been involved in log hauling, harvesting, road transport, farming and sawmilling and today, in 2013 is one of the major players in the softwood milling industry in the South East of South Australia.
As young boys Les McDonnell and Jim Sanderson sit on logs at the mill site in the Grampians
1943
The business was founded by Newman McDonnell and his two sons Don and Les when in 1943 the softwood forests at Mount Burr were devastated by fire and it was through this tragic event that Newman, Don and Les took a team of workers from their home in Cobden Victoria to begin milling the burnt timber for the Southern Trading Company which had contracts with the Woods and Forest Department (now ForestrySA).
1944
They arrived in 1944 and their "Bush" mill was one of many they established in the coming decade. The move was a success and later, as the business grew other mills were established at Millicent, then Kalangadoo and later along the Hundred Line Road near the state border, east of Tarpeena.
An overview of the Kalangadoo mill in the mid 1940s
1946
NF McDonnell & Sons was established as a company in January 1946 with Newman and sons Don and Les equal shareholders.
1947
In 1947 McDonnells won their first log licence and this was the forerunner to establishing a much larger mill at Kalangadoo.
Les is driving this load of flitch which was bound for Gambier Pine Industries, Mount Gambier in the late 1940s
1973
In 1973 Don and Les took over running the company after it was incorporated and Newman took a back seat role.
As the company expanded into road transport and farming sons of Don and Les joined the business.
1983
Following the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 McDonnells became involved in a joint venture with Ken Carter of Carter Holt to export wood chips to Japan. It involved using the burnt timber from Ash Wednesday and McDonnells became the first Australian timber operation to export wood chips to Asia. Today that business still survives and is an important aspect to the company’s business.
1993
In the coming years Ian gradually began to take more responsibility in the company and along with other family members became an equal partner with Don and Les in 1993.
2007
After Les stepped down in 2007 Ian and his brother Anthony became third generation owners when they bought out their Uncle Don and father Les’ share and other family members.
2011
In June 2011, the fourth generation of the McDonnell family, Ian’s son Shaun, became a director of the company.
Throughout the 65-year history of the NF McDonnell & Sons business is been a large employer and at its peak during the falling, harvesting and log hauling days it employed more than 200 people. Today there are about 85 employed at the Suttontown Mill.
NF McDonnell and Sons over the years has built a very strong and loyal customer base with some customers trading with the company for over thirty years. McDonnell’s are well placed in the market to confidently move into the next phase of growing their business for the next generation of family members.
Newman McDonnell in this famous pose in the mill yard of the Suttontown mill
Timber stacks at the Kalangadoo mill. At the rear is a row of small huts which housed some of the mill workers. The hut on the extreme left was the home of the Wischki family.
Newman busy at work sharpening a saw at the Kalangadoo mill
Alfie Lakuts is at work on a blitz crane log truck at the Kalangadoo mill
Les is pictured in front of this K5 International truck loaded with 8ft logs bound for the family's Millicent Mill in the mid 1940s
An ex-US Military NR Mack truck which was converted to a log truck. It operated out of the Suttotown mill and was used to cart logs to various mills in the district
