OLD MILL

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 94, 15 January 1943, Page 6

OLD MILL

Court To Decide Ownership

Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, January 13. Steps to establish the ownership of the old Avindmill iu Symonds Street, Avhicli has been in doubt for over a year, will probably be taken a M he . the Supreme Court in Auckland, jv ben the various claims of next-of-kin of Uniate owner, Mr. James Partington, antother interested parlies will be put before Air. Partington announced that provision had been made in his will for tire bequeathing of the mill and surrounding properties, stated to be valued at about fIOO.OOO, to the City ot Auck laud for use as a park. When be died in November, 19-11, the original of this will could not be found, but his solicitor stated that -Mr. Partington bad made another will as late as 1910, also bequeathing Hie land to the city. The original documents hare never been traced, however, and it is not known if either is valid, In searching tliroiign liis house, which adjoins the old null, toe noliee discovered bundles of banknotes to the value of £2350 bidden in odd corners. AH Hie taels of Hie case are to bo placed before the Court. Should cither of the wills be found to be valid, the properties will pass Io the city council, subject to certain conditions. If, on the other hand, it is proved that Mr. lartmgton died intestate, it will be left to the Court to decide bow the estate should bo divided among the next-of-kiu. Meanwhile the old windmill, which was old when Auckland was still young, and which is still one of the city's best-known landmarks, awaits its fate in eerie silence. Hemmed in between modern business Imuses. Hie old biscuit, factory and the brick house adjoining, remain as they were when Mr. Partington died. 'l’hev are now rapidly becoming over-run with ivy ami weeds. Inside the factory arc tlie rusted remains of machinery first used for stamping biscuits sent, to soldiers in tlie Maori Wars. T’he mill itself, built of bricks from the day soil oq. whieh it stands, is still in remarkably good repair. and till recent years was iu working order.