Emu Brewery
Encyclopedia
The Emu Brewery was a brewery
in Perth
, Western Australia
, which traced its history to the first decade of the colony
. Founded in 1837 by James Stokes as the Albion Brewery, it was located beside the Swan River on a block bounded by Mounts Bay Road
, Spring Street and Mount Street. The business changed hands — and names — several times, until its ultimate acquisition by competitor the Swan Brewery
in 1927.
New brewery buildings were constructed over the years. The most notable of these was an imposing Art Deco
building erected between 1936 and 1938. This building continued to be used to produce Emu-brand beer until the late 1970s, when production was shifted to a new factory in Canning Vale
. Emu beer continues to be produced as a brand of Swan Brewery owner Lion Nathan
.
drinkers. Governor
James Stirling
believed that the construction of a local brewery may reduce the Colony's drunkenness problems by allowing the men to drink beer instead of spirits.
Scotsman James Stokes had arrived in Western Australia in 1834 at the age of 24. He saw the opportunity in the market for a brewery, and investigated potential sites. Surveyor-General John Septimus Roe
had set aside a small triangular lot for use as a brewery; this block was bounded by Spring Street, Mount Street and St Georges Terrace
. Stokes preferred the much larger block across Spring Street, which extended almost all the way to the riverfront. The site was more suitable because it featured a natural spring
, there was a sufficient different in elevation to enable the use of gravity in the brewing process without the need for a large tower. The proximity to the river also made river transport an attractive option. Stokes bought this land from George Leake, and was operating his brewery by 1837. Although the brewery was named the Albion Brewery after the ancient name for Great Britain
, it was more popularly known as Stokes' Brewery. It was the colony's first major stand-alone brewery.
At the time, darker beer varieties were popular in Britain, however Stokes believed that the pale ale
s that were being exported to India would become popular locally. Contrary to what Governor Stirling had hoped, Stokes began distilling spirits at the brewery in 1838.
In 1839 Stokes mortgaged the brewery site back to the original owner, Leake, to fund the purchase of the adjacent block. There, he built himself a house; around this time he also bought the small portion of river frontage immediately in front of the brewery from the government for £
13/5s
/-. In the same year, Stokes also formed a partnership in land and commission agents with Dubois Aggett, however in 1840 Aggett maimed himself while attempting suicide, and Stokes severed the partnership.
1840 also saw the market for Albion Brewery's beer fall away due to a sluggish economy. It did not escape Stokes' attention that duties
were levied on imported spirits, but not on those produced locally. Seizing upon the business opportunity, he imported a large still
and expanded the brewery's distillery. The Government responded to this by imposing a tax on locally produced spirits as well, leading Stokes to stop Albion's distilling efforts.
.
Along with other local businessmen, Stokes successfully lobbied for the transportation of convicts to Western Australia to help alleviate the chronic labour shortage. It has also been speculated that he saw it as a potential new market for his beers, believing that the convicts would have less discerning tastes.
Stokes returned to England in 1857, where he married his cousin Julia. He returned to the Swan River Colony with his pregnant wife, however she died after giving birth. Stokes quickly lost his interest in brewing and died in 1861. The brewery continued to be operated by Henry Saw and William Meloy, who had worked in the business for many years and to whom Stokes had bequeathed interests in the business. Saw died in November 1870, and since Meloy did not want to remain in the operation, the lease over the brewery was advertised.
John Maxwell Ferguson took over the lease, and in 1872 recruited the German expatriate
brewer William Mumme. Over the following decades, the business changed hands several times.
In 1887, a new brewery building was constructed on the site. The brick structure was imposing, featuring blind brick arches, and was topped with a Mansard-roofed
tower containing a 10000 gallons (45,460.9 l) tank.
After the successful initial public offering
of the rival Swan Brewery
, the Stanley Brewery felt the pressure to follow the same path. In 1905 the business re-formed as the Stanley Co-operative Brewery Ltd, and had former politician Michael O'Connor
as chairman of its board of directors
. This new company was majority-owned by the Stanley Brewery Co Limited.
The Emu Brewery had been turning out beer of variable quality, and only managed a quarter of the output of the Swan Brewery. However, the recruitment of Ernest Terry in 1909 led to a turnaround in the fortunes of the newly renamed Emu Brewery Ltd. The brewery became profitable once more, and even won awards for its beers at the Royal Agricultural Show
, which dismayed the traditional award winner, Swan. Emu continued to compete with Swan by introducing Emu Bitter, a bottom-fermentation beer to compete with the bitter beer Swan introduced in 1923.
During the 1930s, a significant amount of land was reclaimed
from the river, and the brewery lost its river frontage. Also, between 1936 and 1938, a new brewery building designed by Perth architectural firm Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown was constructed on the site. Constructed in the Art Deco
style, this new building replaced the old Stanley Brewery building.
The building was built from reinforced concrete and steel, and was visibly divided into two halves: one with windows to allow in a maximum of daylight, and the other with no windows at all, to exclude daylight. A central tower housing a lift
and staircases delineated the two areas. A border frieze
at the top of three of the building's sides depicting different stages in the brewing process was designed by John Oldham and executed by sculptor Edward F. Kohler. An image of the 1938 building featured on Emu beer labels for over fifty years.
The Emu Brewery continued manufacturing on the site until the late 1970s, when production of both the Swan and Emu brands was shifted to a factory in Canning Vale
. After this, the Emu Brewery building was left derelict. In 1991, the Emu Brewery was the "last major industrial structure" in Perth's central business district.
Despite having been placed on the Register of the National Estate, the complex was allowed to fall into disrepair. The Art Deco Society of Western Australia was set up in 1987 to lobby for the protection of Perth's art deco heritage, including the Emu Brewery. After heritage minister Jim McGinty
refused to place the building on the Western Australian Register of Heritage Places, the building was demolished in late 1991. Subsequent plans to build high-rise offices or apartments on the site have consistently fallen through, leading to the site being labelled "seemingly jinxed".
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, which traced its history to the first decade of the colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
. Founded in 1837 by James Stokes as the Albion Brewery, it was located beside the Swan River on a block bounded by Mounts Bay Road
Mounts Bay Road, Perth
Mounts Bay Road is a major road in Perth, Western Australia, extending southwest from the central business district along the north bank of the Swan River, at the base of Kings Park...
, Spring Street and Mount Street. The business changed hands — and names — several times, until its ultimate acquisition by competitor the Swan Brewery
Swan Brewery
The Swan Brewery is a brewery located in Perth, Western Australia. It was founded in central Perth in 1837. From 1879, it occupied riverside premises below Mount Eliza, displacing an official "Aboriginal institution" which recognised traditional use of the land by indigenous people.The brewery...
in 1927.
New brewery buildings were constructed over the years. The most notable of these was an imposing Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
building erected between 1936 and 1938. This building continued to be used to produce Emu-brand beer until the late 1970s, when production was shifted to a new factory in Canning Vale
Canning Vale, Western Australia
Canning Vale is a large southern suburb of Perth, and is located 20 km from the Perth CBD. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Canning and the City of Gosnells .-History:...
. Emu beer continues to be produced as a brand of Swan Brewery owner Lion Nathan
Lion Nathan
Lion Nathan National Foods is the parent company created in October 2009, into which Lion Nathan and National Foods were merged. It is fully owned by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited...
.
Albion Brewery: 1837–1848
In the early 1830s, the Swan River Colony was in its infancy and did not have a substantial local beer industry. Preachers from the Temperance League lobbied against the drunkenness prevalent in the Colony, however the lack of locally produced beer meant that they focused their attention on spiritsDistilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
drinkers. Governor
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
James Stirling
James Stirling (Australian governor)
Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
believed that the construction of a local brewery may reduce the Colony's drunkenness problems by allowing the men to drink beer instead of spirits.
Scotsman James Stokes had arrived in Western Australia in 1834 at the age of 24. He saw the opportunity in the market for a brewery, and investigated potential sites. Surveyor-General John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
had set aside a small triangular lot for use as a brewery; this block was bounded by Spring Street, Mount Street and St Georges Terrace
St Georges Terrace, Perth
St Georges Terrace is the main street in the city of Perth, Western Australia. It runs parallel to the Swan River and forms the major arterial road through the central business district....
. Stokes preferred the much larger block across Spring Street, which extended almost all the way to the riverfront. The site was more suitable because it featured a natural spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, there was a sufficient different in elevation to enable the use of gravity in the brewing process without the need for a large tower. The proximity to the river also made river transport an attractive option. Stokes bought this land from George Leake, and was operating his brewery by 1837. Although the brewery was named the Albion Brewery after the ancient name for Great Britain
Albion
Albion is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island or England in particular. It is also the basis of the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...
, it was more popularly known as Stokes' Brewery. It was the colony's first major stand-alone brewery.
At the time, darker beer varieties were popular in Britain, however Stokes believed that the pale ale
Pale ale
Pale ale is a beer which uses a warm fermentation and predominantly pale malt. It is one of the world's major beer styles.The higher proportion of pale malts results in a lighter colour. The term "pale ale" was being applied around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with coke, which resulted in a...
s that were being exported to India would become popular locally. Contrary to what Governor Stirling had hoped, Stokes began distilling spirits at the brewery in 1838.
In 1839 Stokes mortgaged the brewery site back to the original owner, Leake, to fund the purchase of the adjacent block. There, he built himself a house; around this time he also bought the small portion of river frontage immediately in front of the brewery from the government for £
Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
13/5s
Shilling (Australian)
The Australian Shilling was a coin of the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalization. The coin was minted from 1910 until 1963, excluding 1923, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1938, 1947, 1949 and 1951...
/-. In the same year, Stokes also formed a partnership in land and commission agents with Dubois Aggett, however in 1840 Aggett maimed himself while attempting suicide, and Stokes severed the partnership.
1840 also saw the market for Albion Brewery's beer fall away due to a sluggish economy. It did not escape Stokes' attention that duties
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
were levied on imported spirits, but not on those produced locally. Seizing upon the business opportunity, he imported a large still
Still
A still is a permanent apparatus used to distill miscible or immiscible liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor...
and expanded the brewery's distillery. The Government responded to this by imposing a tax on locally produced spirits as well, leading Stokes to stop Albion's distilling efforts.
Stanley Brewery: 1848–1908
Eventually the market situation improved for Stokes to the point that in 1848 he opened a new brewery on the site to replace the old Albion Brewery. The Stanley Brewery opened on 1 November 1848, selling what it described as a "nutritious body ale superior to any imported", costing £4/– per hogsheadHogshead
A hogshead is a large cask of liquid . More specifically, it refers to a specified volume, measured in either Imperial units or U.S. customary units, primarily applied to alcoholic beverages such as wine, ale, or cider....
.
Along with other local businessmen, Stokes successfully lobbied for the transportation of convicts to Western Australia to help alleviate the chronic labour shortage. It has also been speculated that he saw it as a potential new market for his beers, believing that the convicts would have less discerning tastes.
Stokes returned to England in 1857, where he married his cousin Julia. He returned to the Swan River Colony with his pregnant wife, however she died after giving birth. Stokes quickly lost his interest in brewing and died in 1861. The brewery continued to be operated by Henry Saw and William Meloy, who had worked in the business for many years and to whom Stokes had bequeathed interests in the business. Saw died in November 1870, and since Meloy did not want to remain in the operation, the lease over the brewery was advertised.
John Maxwell Ferguson took over the lease, and in 1872 recruited the German expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
brewer William Mumme. Over the following decades, the business changed hands several times.
In 1887, a new brewery building was constructed on the site. The brick structure was imposing, featuring blind brick arches, and was topped with a Mansard-roofed
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
tower containing a 10000 gallons (45,460.9 l) tank.
After the successful initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
of the rival Swan Brewery
Swan Brewery
The Swan Brewery is a brewery located in Perth, Western Australia. It was founded in central Perth in 1837. From 1879, it occupied riverside premises below Mount Eliza, displacing an official "Aboriginal institution" which recognised traditional use of the land by indigenous people.The brewery...
, the Stanley Brewery felt the pressure to follow the same path. In 1905 the business re-formed as the Stanley Co-operative Brewery Ltd, and had former politician Michael O'Connor
Michael O'Connor (Australian politician)
Michael O'Connor was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1901 to 1904.- Early life :...
as chairman of its board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. This new company was majority-owned by the Stanley Brewery Co Limited.
Emu Brewery: 1908 onwards
The Stanley Brewery's most popular brand of beer was an ale sold under the "Emu" trademark. In order to ensure that drinkers knew from which brewery the Emu brand came, as well as to avoid confusion between the Stanley Co-operative Brewery Limited and its similarly named holding company, the company was renamed on 6 March 1908 to the Emu Co-operative Brewery Ltd.The Emu Brewery had been turning out beer of variable quality, and only managed a quarter of the output of the Swan Brewery. However, the recruitment of Ernest Terry in 1909 led to a turnaround in the fortunes of the newly renamed Emu Brewery Ltd. The brewery became profitable once more, and even won awards for its beers at the Royal Agricultural Show
Perth Royal Show
The Perth Royal Show is an annual show held in Perth, Western Australia at the Claremont Showgrounds. It features informational exhibits, agricultural competitions and display animals, a fairground and rides, and showbags. It has been held for over 100 years and is organised by the Royal...
, which dismayed the traditional award winner, Swan. Emu continued to compete with Swan by introducing Emu Bitter, a bottom-fermentation beer to compete with the bitter beer Swan introduced in 1923.
Acquisition by Swan Brewery and subsequent history
On 3 February 1927, the brewery's directors approached the Swan Brewery to sell Emu's assets. Swan proceeded with this acquisition of the Emu Brewery, and continued to operate it as a separate business from Swan's own operations. Arthur Jacoby was appointed as the general manager of both breweries.During the 1930s, a significant amount of land was reclaimed
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
from the river, and the brewery lost its river frontage. Also, between 1936 and 1938, a new brewery building designed by Perth architectural firm Oldham, Boas and Ednie-Brown was constructed on the site. Constructed in the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style, this new building replaced the old Stanley Brewery building.
The building was built from reinforced concrete and steel, and was visibly divided into two halves: one with windows to allow in a maximum of daylight, and the other with no windows at all, to exclude daylight. A central tower housing a lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
and staircases delineated the two areas. A border frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
at the top of three of the building's sides depicting different stages in the brewing process was designed by John Oldham and executed by sculptor Edward F. Kohler. An image of the 1938 building featured on Emu beer labels for over fifty years.
The Emu Brewery continued manufacturing on the site until the late 1970s, when production of both the Swan and Emu brands was shifted to a factory in Canning Vale
Canning Vale, Western Australia
Canning Vale is a large southern suburb of Perth, and is located 20 km from the Perth CBD. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Canning and the City of Gosnells .-History:...
. After this, the Emu Brewery building was left derelict. In 1991, the Emu Brewery was the "last major industrial structure" in Perth's central business district.
Despite having been placed on the Register of the National Estate, the complex was allowed to fall into disrepair. The Art Deco Society of Western Australia was set up in 1987 to lobby for the protection of Perth's art deco heritage, including the Emu Brewery. After heritage minister Jim McGinty
Jim McGinty
James Andrew McGinty is an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2009, representing the district of Fremantle. He was Labor Party leader and Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 1996...
refused to place the building on the Western Australian Register of Heritage Places, the building was demolished in late 1991. Subsequent plans to build high-rise offices or apartments on the site have consistently fallen through, leading to the site being labelled "seemingly jinxed".
External links
- Heritage Register of Western Australia entry on the Emu Brewery
- Historical photographs of the brewery in the State Library of Western AustraliaState Library of Western AustraliaThe State Library of Western Australia is located within the building known as the Alexander Library Building, in the Cultural Centre of Perth, Western Australia....
Pictorial Archive