The Flax Mill Museum

The Flax Mill project is one of four projects the Trust announced at its launch that it would establish or support, others were the Schools’ Packs, the Millennium Forest Project and the St Helena Museum.

The Flax Industry provided a vital phase of the Island’s history until its collapse in 1966. During the period the flax industry prevailed there was no other industry what so ever and none since that has been sufficient to sustain the island’s economy. The industry was first established in 1874, abandoned after only a few years, it was later re-established in 1907.

The raw material for the flax industry was leaf fibre from the plant, Phormium tenax, commonly known as New Zealand flax. St Helena was probably the first place outside of New Zealand to try to establish a flax industry. New Zealand flax thrived on St Helena as is still evident today; flax from abandoned plantations dominates the uplands vegetation.

The First World War brought a period of significant economic growth for the industry. Despite the danger from transporting cargo by sea, fibre from St Helena continued to reach England where demand and prices escalated. More flax was planted and private mills were developed. However, there was a sharp down turn post war and the industry suffered. Flax now had to compete with Sisal, cultivated in East Africa in the 1920s and 30s and later with man-made fibres which proved cheaper alternatives. The Flax industry eventually collapsed in the 1960s by which time it had become impossible to pay a decent living wage and the British Post Office had stopped using string made from flax fibre which removed another market for the prduct.

The National Trust initially proposed to restore a Mill in the country as a working museum, and one of our members agreed to donate the machinery. However, this idea was found to be impractical, due to the huge investment required to restore one, if it could be secured, the cost of maintaining it and keeping it open, and the small number of tourists who might access it. The mills were not all conveniently situated or on the usual tourist trails. The National Trust negotiated with the St Helena Government and agreement was given for the use of part of one of the early flax mill buildings situated in Jamestown. It is conveniently situated in town close to the St Helena Museum and will be easier to manage than a country venue. The building, the old “Pipe Building” is compact with the original engine intact.

Funding was identified from the Bryan Guiness Trust and the first phase of work was completed at a cost of £5,080.97 in 2006.

A local building contractor has cleaned the building, chipped and painted the internal walls, plastered and painted the new dividing wall (between us and the Prisoner Rehabilitation Centre), repaired the floor and laid a new wooden floor, and cleaned the Robey and Co. Lincoln steam engine which was sent to St Helena in 1895 and whose original purpose we haven’t yet found out. Advice from a visiting steam engine buff will now enable the correct cleaning and maintenance of the engine.

The Education Office was extremely helpful in allowing one of their members of staff time off to give us assistance in designing the interpretation boards. A frenzied period of activity with Ryan Moyce, a qualified graphic designer, produced the first drafts and the text should be completed by the end of June.

A partial reconstruction of one of the flax stripping machines has been made and will be housed on one wall of the museum with a mural depicting an old flaxmill. The reconstruction of a scutcher is now going ahead. The Trust is most grateful to Brian Turpin who, with support from Nick Thorpe, has undertaken this work voluntarily.

Structurally the only other work that is needed is to restore a circular window above the entrance. The SHNT has sought the support of the Tourist Office’s Heritage Sites Working Group for funding of the repair from a limited fund they hold for Heritage sites projects.

Audio-visual equipment in the form of a DVD Surround sound and monitor was secured from a Good Government Fund under-spend identified to the Trust by the Staff Officer to the Governor.

The Flax Mill Museum opened to coincide with an Art and Culture Festival in December 2006.