Fairfield, Lower Hutt
Flock mill
Flock mill
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[alt\=View of weir and mill with water wheel\|thumb\|The flock mill with water wheel prior to the 1901 fire](/wiki/File:Flock_mill_-_Waiwhetu_Stream_ca_1910.jpg "Flock mill - Waiwhetu Stream ca 1910.jpg")

A flock mill was established in 1898 in Fairfield, adjacent to the Waiwhetū Stream at the intersection of what is now Rumgay Street and Riverside Drive. It used a weir in the stream and a [breastshot water wheel](/wiki/Water_wheel%23Breastshot_wheel "Water wheel#Breastshot wheel") as a source of mechanical power. The flock mill operated for around 50 years, but was the subject of litigation in 1909\-1910 that was heard in the [Supreme Court](/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_New_Zealand "Supreme Court of New Zealand") over the effects of the flooding caused by the construction of the weir in the stream.


What are the effects of constructing a weir in a stream?