Castlemaine Brewery, Western Australia

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Castlemaine Brewery
IndustryAlcoholic beverage
Founded1896
FounderHoward Newman Sleigh (Sleigh and Co.)
Defunct1927
Headquarters
East Fremantle, Western Australia
,
Australia
ProductsBeer
OwnerSwan Brewery

The Castlemaine Brewery was opened in 1896 by Howard Norman Sleigh[1] at Riverside Road in East Fremantle, Western Australia[2] and boasted a successful trading history until 1927 when the company was taken over by the Swan Brewery.

History[]

The brewery in the 1900s

The Castlemaine Brewery was established in 1896 by Howard Norman Sleigh (1870-1957), with John Hugh Gracie (1855-1927) as head brewer. Sleigh, who was born in Bristol, emigrated to Australia in 1888, with his father Hamilton Norman Sleigh, an English Brewer. Sleigh was previously involved in establishing the West Australian Brewery at Barndon Hill (now known as Burswood), leaving the business in mid-1896. The West Australian Brewery became the Swallow Brewery in 1905, and in 1912 the Red Castle Brewery until it closed in 1953. Gracie, who was born in Tasmania, was the chief brewer at Cascade Brewery prior to moving to Western Australia.[3] The brewing equipment was sourced by Sleigh from a former brewery at Koondrook on the Murray River in Victoria.

In 1901 the partnership, Sleigh and Co., was dissolved with Sleigh moving back to Melbourne. The Castlemaine Brewery was purchased by Gracie and Walter Frederick Walkley (1872-1936).[4][5] In 1906 they purchased the nearby Phoenix Brewery.[6][7] In 1910 Walkley returned to South Australia.[8] In 1912 Gracie, the managing director of Castlemaine, retired.[3] Castlemaine acquired a number of local hotels, including the Commercial[9] and Beaconsfield Hotels in 1920,[10] the Oddfellows Hotel in 1922,[11] and the Richmond Hotel in 1925.[12][13]

In 1927 the Castlemaine Brewery Co. was purchased by the Swan Brewery[14] for £29,065 and 32,500 Swan Brewery shares.[15] Swan subsequently closed the brewery, employing the majority of the workforce at the Perth operations.[16]

The former brewery building was demolished to make way for the construction of the Stirling Traffic Bridge, linking Fremantle to North Fremantle.

Beers[]

  • Castlemaine Bitter Ale
  • Penguin Pale Ale
  • Invalid Stout

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Advertising". The Daily News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 26 May 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  2. ^ "Western Australia Directory" (PDF). 1900. p. 316. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  3. ^ a b "The Late Mr. John H. Gracie". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 3 March 1927. p. 14. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Advertising". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 3 January 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Land Report". The Sunday Times. Perth: National Library of Australia. 2 February 1902. p. 16. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  6. ^ "The Castlemaine Brewery". Western Mail. Perth: National Library of Australia. 25 December 1906. p. 81. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  7. ^ "Advertising". The Daily News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 17 November 1906. p. 19. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  8. ^ "Obituary". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 29 August 1936. p. 14. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  9. ^ "Commercial Hotel – Place Number: 00921". inHert. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  10. ^ "Beaconsfield Hotel – Place Number: 14890". inHert. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Oddfellow's Hotel – Place Number: 01004". inHert. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  12. ^ "An Ancient Hostelry". The Mirror. Perth: National Library of Australia. 31 October 1925. p. 12. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Hotel Changes". The Mirror. Perth: National Library of Australia. 3 October 1925. p. 12. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Brewery Merger". The Daily News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 7 March 1927. p. 1 Edition: Home (Final) Edition. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Agreement Signed". The Brisbane Courier. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 3 March 1927. p. 11. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  16. ^ "Eastern States Beer". Perth Gazette. Perth: National Library of Australia. 11 March 1931. p. 8. Retrieved 22 August 2013.

External links[]

  • Deutsher, Keith (1999). The Breweries of Australia: a History. Lothian. ISBN 085091986X.
  • Walton, Kerry (March 1988). Breweries of the Swan River Colony. Wine Life. Vol. 1. p. 32. ISSN 0819-3541.
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