A photograph of Powelltown Mill prior to its closure and sale in 2004.
The sawmill was co-owned by Jack Cuthbertson and processed hardwood.
Jack Cuthbertson was a timberman and sawmiller who went on to land clearing, land developing and establishing dairy farms in the district. Together with his business partner Ray Richards, they were at one stage the largest private sawmillers in Australia.
Their partnership also included establishing three quarries, earth moving, excavation and road construction.
Jack focused on the earthmoving side of the business, and brought one of the first bulldozers to the Buln Buln Shire in 1945.
Jack was very generous in supporting community organisations, and often gave generously of his time, labour and equipment. The Drouin football oval and Bellbird Park oval were constructed by Jack.
"Drouin Constructions" had as its yard on the land of the old bakery in Drouin, where the present-day Coles supermarket and carpark are located.
The Cuthbertson-Richards partnership employed 400 people at the peak of its 52-year history.
Jack died at the age of 93 and, in 2015, a memorial to him was set up in Civic Park, Drouin. The huge rock on which the plaque is set, is from one of his quarries at Yallourn North.
Photograph and information courtesy of Stories of Drouin, a cooperative oral history project between The Committee for Drouin, 3BBR FM and Drouin History Group to preserve local stories.
Hear the story of Jack Cuthbertson as told by one of his daughters Lorraine and son Peter at storiesofdrouin.com.au