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