Boyer Newsprint Mill, New Norfolk
Background
Until 1941 newsprint was made from long fibre softwood and Australia imported all its newsprint from overseas. Tasmania had an abundance of eucalyptus hardwood which was considered by experts to be unsuitable for making newsprint because of its hardness and shorter fibres. Twenty years of research and experiments eventually produced a viable process. With the backing of the capital city newspaper owners, construction of Australian Newsprint Mills’ pulp and paper mill began at Boyer near Hobart in 1938, and the first newsprint was produced on 22 February 1941, using 75% local hardwood and 25% imported softwood pulp. This production helped avert a shortage of newsprint during World War II. The Mill continued to make newsprint from hardwood for almost 70 years, changing to all softwood in 2009.
Equipment and Subsequent History
The company embarked on a first stage 100 tonnes per day mill which would then have the potential to proceed soon thereafter to 400 tonnes per day capacity.
The semi-rural location of the Mill and the isolation of its forests made it necessary for the company to provide homes for a high proportion of its employees. In the early 1950s, 325 homes and associated infrastructure were constructed adjacent to the old town of New Norfolk and 119 in Maydena.
It was not until 1952 that the No 2 Paper Machine was commissioned, bringing mill capacity up to 100,000 tonnes/year. Made by Dominion Engineering in Canada, the machine had a paper width of 5.9 metres and a speed of 450 metres per minute.
In 1969 the No 3 Paper Machine started up. It came from Beloit Walmsley in the UK, had a paper width of 6.6 m and ran at a speed of 760 m/minute. The mill capability grew to near 200,000 tonnes/year.
Between 1990 and 2005, Boyer’s production increased from 220,000 tpa to over 300,000 tpa. The transition to softwood newsprint was completed in 2009.
The Boyer Paper Mill has been recognised by Engineering Heritage Australia in 2021 as being of national engineering significance.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | National Engineering Landmark (NEL) |
| Award Date | November 2010 |
| Heritage Significance | First mill in the world to make newsprint from hardwood. Steel approach spans, the lift-span towers and the lift span are early examples of electric welding. Continued to use hardwood for 70 years. |
| Nomination Document | Nomination document. |
| Ceremony Report | Ceremony report. |
| Interpretation Panel | Interpretation panel. |
