Builders Brick and Tile Supply Co.

F.A. Harris started a pottery works at Clifton Hill in about 1872 winning awards at the Melbourne and Philadelphia Exhibition of 1875. Three years later he started a new steam powered plant in Raglan Street near Hotham Street, South Preston, which he called the Builders' Brick and Tile Supply Company. The products included flower and chimney pots, fire bricks and pressed white and red bricks. Housing for the workers was provided in Raglan St near the kilns. He initially prospered to the point he could build a substantial mansion 'Baruna' in 1892. However, he was ruined in the depression, his company went into liquidation and in 1895 and Barunah was seized by the Bank of N.S.W.

The brickworks site in South Preston was redeveloped for residential use in the 1930s, with the clay pit becoming Cochran Reserve.

State Brickworks Wonthaggi

In order to provide building materials for new construction, and experiment with coal mined at Wontaggi State Coal Mine, the State Brickworks was commenced in about 1909. However, the lack of local orders and the cost of cartage, the brickworks had financial difficulties and was sold off in 1914. this is despite the coal mines having been opened by the state government specifically to supply steam coal for ther locals, and the same government having control over railway cartage fees. State Brickworks bricks were stamped SCM, for the State Coal Mine which controlled it.

State Coal Mine brickworks (Andy Orr)

 

Chimney Specials

Special bricks were made for a number of purposes, such as plinths, chamfered corners, moulded widnow and door jams. Some of the more precise shapes were required for building circuar chimneys to fine tollerences, including curved and tapered bricks, sometimes with different arcs used fur chimneys which taper, tighter curves at the top and almost straight sided at the bottom. some tapered bricks might have been cut after pressing, but before firing, but many machine brickworks has a range of special moulds for the various shapes. The special curved and tapered chimney bricks appear to be a fairly late development, with earlier tapered bricks being hand-trimmed either before or after firing including the rubbed sandstocks of building arched lintels.

Curved chimney brick from Oakleigh Plaster works c 1946 (from David Beauchamp)

Tapered chimney brick 1946 (David Beauchamp)

Wire-cut, extruded, perforated bricks

3 hole perforated and 5 slot hollow

Most of the name bricks in Victoria are soft mud sand-stock moulded or semi-dry pressed. In each case a reverse of the frog, with the negative of the name impression, is screwed down to the bottom of the mould. The other main method of forming bricks is extrusion, where a screw forces the clay through a die.

While dry-pressed bricks were the norm in 19th and early 20th century Melbourne, extruded bricks, often involving repressing, were common in Sydney. Modern brickmakers are more likely to use extruders due to the speed of manufacture.
Such machines have been available since the earlier 19th century, and extruded bricks have featured holes through the body for as long. Problems with even burning slow drying and distorting of solid extruded bricks (which require a larger water volume in the clay) led to the use of dies which left holes in the finished brick. Three hole and ten hole bricks have been common in the past, but a diverse pattern of perforations have been employed.

However, perforated extruded bricks did not become common in Victoria until the second half of the twentieth century.

Darley Firebrick Co

 A brick works was established at Bacchus Marsh in 1893 by a partnership between Mr. Thomas Akers and William Wittick. In 1898 builder David Mitchell, joined the consortium to fund operations. The local clays were found to be suitable for high quality firebricks and so with additional money for expansion in 1902, the Darley Firebrick Company Pty. Ltd. was formed on the 9th of May, with David Mitchell the majority shareholder.

 

The  company changed its name to Darley Refractories Pty. Ltd. in 1982 after it purchased the South Yarra Firebrick Company, leaving Darley the only producer of firebricks in Victoria. Over 100 different shapes were made, including tongue and groove shapes for gas-tight seals.

Early Darley c1930s

Modern 1980s note code numbers

 

Ordish Fire Brick Co

The Ordish Fire Brick company was established in Dandenong by W. P. Ordish in about 1890. Ordish sold the business in 1922 and died in 1930, but the works appears to have continued production to about 1975, the company having merged with Newbold from Lithgow NSW in 1960.

As fire bricks were destined to be used for complex shapes such as kilns, flues, boiler settings, furnaces, etc, and they would weaken if cut or shaped after firing, they tended to be made in very diverse shapes such as arch voussoirs, key stones, chamfered edge, etc.

As fire bricks were a higher value product with less competition than normal bricks, they tended to be transported greater distances. Ordish bricks have been found in Tasmania.

Two Ordish firebricks - '26' denotes type

South Yarra Brick Co

The South Yarra Fire Brick Company was founded by Robert ‘Daddy’ Davies. It was the last of a number of brickworks to operate either side of Chapel Street near the Yarra river.  It appears to have been the successor to the Australian Gas Retort and Fire Brick Manufacturing Company Pty Ltd (sometimes stamped AR & FB Co.) established in 1869, and operated in Chapel Street South Yarra until the late 1930s, which manufactured fire clay goods, supplying to such companies as the Metropolitan Gas Co Ltd and Victorian Railways and Government.

 

The  South Yarra Fire Brick Co Pty Ltd operated in Chapel Street South Yarra from around 1940, manufacturing and selling a wide range of medium and high duty fireclay products and a range of refractory, airsetting and heatsetting cements, castables and mouldables.

South Yarra and Newbold (NSW) fire bricks

 

Standard house brick - assumed by the South Yarra Fire Brick co

 

Austral Brick Co

The Austral Brick Company was founded in 1908 in Sydney NSW, by a group of investors and builders and became a major brickmaker by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. the company expended in the later 20th century to take in Nubrick and Clifton, and still operates in several states, with its Scoresby works the largest brick manufacturer in Victoria. Most Austral bricks in Victoria are likely to have come from the post 1970s.

East Mitcham Brick Co.

It is somewhat difficult unravelling the Mitcham brick undertakings. Edgar E. Walker founded and later owned the Australasian Brick, Pipe and Tessellated Tile Company in Mitcham in 1885, (renamed the Australian Tessellated Tile Co. in 1895) which  began operations south-west of the Mitcham railway station in 1886. The Mitcham  Brick and Pottery Co was established in 1886 (also known as Staples brick), while the East Mitcham Brick Company advertised its prospectus on 27 August 1888, and was operating by 1889 from another site near the railway line. The East Mitcham company had difficulty in getting shareholders to pay their calls, and went to court in 1890, possibly winding up shortly after.

A.T.T Co Mitcham - probably 1930s

Oakleigh Brick Co

John and Henry Goding commenced brick making on a site in Stamford road Oakleigh, on the 27th of April 1885, but the works seems to have operated spasmodically, closing down for an extended period in 1910.

Also called the Oakleigh Brick and Tile Company, and in 1917 a revamped company recommenced operating with H.F. Young, formerly of the Northcote Brick Company as  Managing Director. as an indication of the close associations between the various brick companies, shares in the new Oakleigh brick company were held by a number of other brickworks including Hoffman Brick and Potteries Ltd, Augustus Henry Holzer, Co-operative Brick Company Limited, City Brickworks Company Pty Ltd, Northcote Brick Company,  and the New Northcote Brick Company Ltd.

In March 1957 the company purchased land in Bolinda Road Campbellfield, for a brick pit from which clays which burnt to the typical cream brick colour of the 1950s and 60s, common around Melbourne. In 1965, Clifton Brick Holdings took control of the Oakleigh Brick Company Pty Ltd. , but by the late 1970s, the works ceased production although the Company itself was not wound up until 1985.

Oakleigh cream, c 1950s

1920s? red

1930s clinker

Clifton Brick

The Clifton Brick Company took its name from its owner David Clifton, and had a quarry in St. Georges Road Preston, now the Ray Bramham Gardens. It was formed in 1890, but closed down for several years during the depression before being bought by W. and A. H. Angliss and restarted in 1907. James A Gamble was manager of the Clifton brickworks in 1913, probably brother of Joseph Gamble of the South Preston Brickworks. 

The Preston pit closed in about 1943, but Clifton had other brickmaking interest. In 1952 they took over Hoffman brickworks, and in 1965 acquired a controlling interest in the Oakleigh Brick Company Pty Ltd although the individual brick stamps continued to be used on their bricks. Subsequent mergers saw Clifton and Nubrick form the Austral Brick Company.

1950s with prominent frog screw

1970s barred frog

Brick and Pipe Industries

Brick and Pipe Industries were formed in 1963 though the amalgamation of a number of works including. By the 1970s it was the largest brickmaker in Australia. Its main brick pit and factory was and still is in Craigieburn Road Wollert, while its head office in Melbourne was Nubrick House in William Street.

Preston Brick & Tile

The Preston Brick and Tile Co. Ltd. was established in 1886 by Messrs. James Holden, Phipps, Jelfries and Thorburn. The works was located on Raglan Street, between Hotham and Collier Street and operated until at least 1935.

The company appears to have first advertised in 1885, in the Mercury and Weekly Courier (Thu 28 May 1885  Page 1), a newspaper distributed in Collingwood and Fitzroy, probably reflecting the limited market in Preston itself.

In 1890  David Clifton established a brickworks on St George's Road Preston. The works operated spasmodically through the first half of the 20th century, finally closing in 1960 when Glifton bought the Brunswick Brickworks and sold off the Preston equipment. 

The 50 metre deep clayhole became a rubbish tip which when filled became  the Ray Bramham Gardens in St George's Road.

Wilsmore Brickworks

Robert Wilsmore, and his brother,  J. B, Wilsmore, were described as brick manufacturers in 1887. A prospectus was issued in for the company in 1888 and the works was erected adjacent to Cornwell's Pottery on Albert Street West Brunswick. However, the company appears to have foundered and in 1893, it was put in the hands of liquidators. The works seems to have ceased altogether by 1894.

c1890 note backward 'S' in Wilsomre

Spear

Frederick Spear Senior commenced brickmaking in Victoria Road Camberwell in 1857 and was manager of the Hawthorn Brickworks in Camberwell Road until his death in 1884. Frederick jnr managed the works to at least 1915, although in 1904 the City Brickworks Co was described as 'Late A. Spear & Sons'

Fred Spear and Harold Spear both seem to have been associated with the Co-operative Brick Company, Toorak Road, and City Brick Company, which built and owned cottages they occupied in1909-10.

There was another F Spear Brickworks (around 1913) in St. Peters Sydney often spelt 'Speare', while Frederick W Spear is also recorded as Manager of the Adelaide Brickworks in about 1915.

Auburn Bricks

There was an Auburn Brickworks in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and America, but they do not seem to have been related in any way. The Auburn Brick, Tile & Pottery Company was set up in Princes Road, Auburn, a Sydney Suburb in 1905, taking over the business of the Duck River Brickworks.

Transport of bricks interstate was rarely undertaken because of the high cost. Brickworks tended to supply to local catchments, although when prices fell and competition increased, they would often undercut each other.

the Melbourne Auburn Brickworks was established in Auburn Road Hawthorn in 1909. the pit is now John Gardiner Reserve. Like Glen Iris, the company was hindered by Council bylaws preventing blasting, but continued to operate into the 1950s.

c1930s brick from Melbourne city Abattoirs

Glen Iris Brick Co.

The Glen Iris Brick Tile and Terra Cotta Co Pty Ltd purchased a site straddling Gardiners Creek in Malvern and Camberwell on 5 March 1912, but a combination of the council and the brick cartel blocking access, they instead leased land in Watt St Thornbury of St Georges Road for a brick pit.

The Glen Iris company also obtained a brick pit and works in Oakleigh east of Stamford Road (opposite the Oakleigh Brickworks site) in the 1930s, and later in Templestowe. Glen Iris issued a number of commemorative or dated bricks including a 1954 Royal Tour brick and 1956 Olympic Games brick.

The Glen Iris Company was bought by Boral in 1970. Northcote council and the state government transferred the Thornbury site to Aboriginal Advancement League by 1982.

c1915 early form


1930s? impressed letters with tally mark

1940s raised letters

1954 Royal Tour Brick

1955 raised letters

1950s coat of arms

1956 Olympic

1960s bar frog

Box Hill Standard Brick

The Haughton Park Brick Company Ltd. was created aroudn 1880, with a works off Elgar Road, Canterbury. In 1886 the company changed its name to the Box Hill Brick Co Ltd., but it foundered in 1891 and suspended production in 1892. New owners took over in1905, although production did not recommence until 1911. Production increased in 1913 and the name was changed to the Standard Brick & Tile Co. Ltd.

1886-1912, but more likely 86-92 & 1911-12

1913-1940 (from a 1920s factory in Coburg

The brickworks were taken over by the Co-operative Brick Company in 1938, but it shut down production 1942 -1946. In 1952 the works was converted to electricity, and later taken over in 1966 by the Brick & Pipe Co. who ran the brickworks until August 1988, when the plant was shut down for good.

City Brick

The City Brick Co. Pty. Ltd. was established in about 1900, erecting a Hoffman kiln, and brick press building on Tooronga Road near Gardiners Creek. The company appears to have been associated with the Malvern Brickworks. the Manager of the works in 1905-7 was F Spear, who appears to have gone on to establish his own brickworks.



Their bricks are embossed with a wide shallow frog and the letters "CITY", sometimes with tally marks including small letters between the I and T, while some have "C B".

 

 

The Tooronga quarry was closed in 1983 with the company relocating to Scoresby from 1963. The firm was taken over by Boral in 1985, and the Tooronga site subsequently redeveloped.

 

Blackburn Brick Co.

The Blackburn Brick Co. was established off Whitehorse Road and Alfred Street Blackburn near the railway in about 1890, but soon closed due to the impact of the depression. It re-commenced operation in 1892, possibly when it was renamed the Blackburn Brick & Tile Co.) and operated sporadically over the next year. In 1893 the company contracted to supply 4,000,000 for construction of the Hobsons Bay main sewer.

It became associated (like many Melbourne Brickworks) with the Co-operative Brick Co Pty Ltd. in about 1926. the Co-op was taken over by Brick and Pipe Industries Pty. Ltd in 1966.

Brickworks Lane exists of Whitehorse Road Blackburn indicating the location of the former brickworks.

From a c1930s factory in Abbotsford

A probably later centre bar version

Footings of the 1890s Bellenden homestead Wheelers Hill

MMBW Sewerage Plan showing Blackburn works and clay hole 

Barkly Brick Co.

The Barkly Brick Company was established by at least 1909, and erected presses and kilns in started a  clay pit on Weston Street Brunswick, extending to Barkly St. This may have taken over the site of William Grey's Barkly Brickyard of about 1859. John Grant was manager and Graeme R Ferry (of Ferry's Pottery) and  Frederick Thomas Hickford, were among the directors.

The works was also known later as the New Brunswick Brick and Pottery Co Pty Ltd in about 1957-9. Operations continued until about 1962, when the quarry hole was filled (with rubbish as usual). Subsequently the Barkly Square shopping centre was built on the brickworks site, and the land over the clay pit became car parking.

Two bricks from a c 1920s house in Brunswick

Gamble Brick Co

Joseph A Gamble originally started his brickmaking career with his Gamble Brick and Tar Paving Works in Glenlyon Road South Preston, which was operating by at least 1886. This works was still in operation in 1889, but was almost completely destroyed by a fire on 14 July 1892. Gamble does not appear to have recovered from this and in 1893 he was made insolvent. An auction was held on the premises on 22 February 1896.

Gamble eventually recovered from the loss of the Preston works to form a new company in 1912, "The New Gamble Brick and Quarrying Co Pty Ltd" and despite the commencement of World War Two, he purchased a property in Ferntree Gully Oakleigh win 1914 with the intention of commencing brickmaking. The works was operating by January 1916.

The New Gamble Company went into liquidation in March 1955, and in 1960 it was bought-out by Brick Industries Ltd. Under the new management the company was prosperous for a while, selling over 10,000,000 in 1975. Production ceased in 1982 and the works were demolished, with the site was converted to warehousing and the brick pit, which had been used as a council waste tip, was redeveloped into a public park, Reg Harris Reserve.

In the 1980s, brickmaking machinery from Gamble's Ferntree Gully Road works was installed as a sculptural feature in Brickmakers Park on the site of the Oakleigh Brick Company quarry hole in Stamford Road.

Gamble's brick presses and edge runner mill in Brickmakers Park Oakleigh

 

 

John Glew

John Glew learned the brickmaking trade from Thomas Manallack at his brickworks in Phillipstown  from 1849. He soon set up his own brickmaking business in Hodgson Street Phillipstown and then moved to Barkly Street East when the clay pit was worked out in 1860. He purchased Poheman's Paddock Brickmaking Company in 1866, and in 1871 opened another brickworks in Essendon. Each of these appears to have produced bricks of quite different character and colour. Glew retired in 1884, but his Weston Street brickworks continued to operate to at least 1906.
 Glew played an important role in enabling the development of the polychrome brick architectural style in Melbourne having been the first  to produce 'fancy white bricks' in the colony. Glew also produced white clay square pavers with 'J G' stamped on the bottom similar to some bricks.

 

Unprovenanced

Arndt's South Preston Brickworks

Gottleib Arndt was one of the earliest brickmakers in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in the 1850s. He operated claypits near Hotham and Raglan Streets with Henry Walkerden as Manager. Walkerden and his brother were also associated with a brickworks in Oakover Road Preston in the 1880s.

In 1888 Arndt's works was taken over by the Melbourne and Suburban Property and Agency Company Ltd., and in July 1889 by the South Preston Patent Brick and Tile Company, which did not survive long after the collapse of the land and  building boom. 

The Raglan St. site appears to have been acquired by the Glen Iris Brick Company as councillor and mayor James Adams, the General Manager of the Company, donated the site to Preston Council. The clay pit was filled as a tip and became the Florence Adams Playground.

Shepparton Brickworks

There may have been brickyards in Shepparton as early as 1858, but by the 1880s, there are regular newspaper references (including to a boy drowning in the flooded claypit) to the 'Shepparton Brickyard' in Knight St., which was operated by Drysdale from about 1880, Pomberton around 1900 H Thompson in 1914-16, and Tuttle from 1916-17. 

In about 1920 the Erskine Brothers (M. J. & A. G.) started the Shepparton Brick and Tile Co Pty Ltd., taking over the old brickyard and manufacturing dry pressed machine bricks with both "SHEPPARTON"; "ERSKINE" on the frogs. It appears that they were produced to a very similar pattern throughout this period, and bricks were sold in a number of regional towns as well as constructing a large part of post-War Shepparton. The works closed down in 1973, and the quarry hole was used as a council tip before being restored as 'Brickworks Park' off the boulevard, in 2006.

Shepparton bricks are stamped both "SHEPARTON" and "ERSKINE", with most being a soft orange-brown colour. the Shepparton stamp are believed to be later (c1940s-70s)