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.