Castlemaine Brewery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Castlemaine Brewery
Location	787 Hunter Street, Newcastle West, City of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Built	1874–1876
Architect	Oswald Lewis
Owner	Newcastle City Council
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name: Castlemaine Brewery (former); Regional Museum
Type	state heritage (built)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	312
Type	Brewery
Category	Manufacturing and Processing
Builders	Messrs Laing and Wylie; supervising architect Mr G.H. Cox
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The Castlemaine Brewery is a very old building in Newcastle West, Australia. It was once a place where drinks were made, then a museum, and now it has apartments. This historic building was designed by Oswald Lewis. It was built between 1874 and 1876.

Over the years, the building has had many different lives. It was known as the Pink Elephant Markets and later the Newcastle Museum. Today, it is called the Quest Newcastle West serviced apartments. Because of its long and interesting past, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.

What is the history of Castlemaine Brewery?

The story of the Castlemaine Brewery begins with the Wood Family. They arrived in Newcastle in 1856. In 1868, the Wood Brothers became agents for Castlemaine Ale. This was a drink made by Edward Fitzgerald in Victoria.

Building the Brewery

A fire destroyed the Wood Brothers' store in 1874. After this, plans were made for a new brewery. Oswald Lewis was the architect. Construction began in 1874 and finished in 1876. The new brewery opened its doors that year. It used water from a well on the site. The drinks made there were considered very high quality.

In 1878, the brewery was made much bigger. People said it was one of the best in Australia. This expansion helped the company make more drinks. The company name changed a few times over the years.

Changes and Challenges

In 1887, a new company was formed. It was called The Castlemaine Brewery and Wood Bros. and Company. This new company took over the brewery business. Joseph Wood and others became the first directors.

The Castlemaine Brewery bought another company, the Great Northern Brewery, in 1891. This was done to stop competition. The brewery faced tough times in the 1890s. There was an economic downturn and strikes.

In 1897, a big problem happened. Production stopped for four months because of bacteria in the brewery. The company had to completely renovate the building. During this time, they used the Great Northern Brewery for making drinks. After the renovations, production returned to Castlemaine. The Great Northern building was then used for other things, like laboratories.

By 1898, the renovations were complete. The brewery was able to produce a lot of drinks. However, competition from other companies in Sydney grew.

Modernization and New Uses

In 1911, the brewery made more big changes. They installed almost all new equipment. This also meant major changes to the building's structure. These improvements helped increase the quality and quantity of drinks made.

More improvements were made in 1912. A new bottling department was built. This was needed because more people wanted the company's products. The company also bought hotels to help sell their drinks.

In 1921, a company called Tooth and Co. Limited bought the Castlemaine Brewery. The brewery continued to operate until mid-1931. It closed because of the Great Depression. This was a sad time for Newcastle. Many people lost their jobs.

After the Depression, in 1938, Tooth and Co. used the building as a depot. This meant it became a storage and distribution center. All the old brewing equipment was removed. Garages and new buildings were added for handling packaged drinks.

This depot continued until 1974. Then, Tooth and Co. moved their operations. The site was sold and became the Pink Elephant Markets.

From Museum to Apartments

In 1988, the building got a new life. The Newcastle Museum opened in the former brewery. The building was restored for this purpose. The museum stayed there for 20 years.

In 2008, the Newcastle Museum moved to a new location. The old brewery building was empty again. In 2014, plans were approved to turn it into apartments.

Finally, in 2017, the Quest Newcastle West serviced apartments opened. This brought a new purpose to the historic Castlemaine Brewery building.

What does the Castlemaine Brewery building look like?

The Castlemaine Brewery is a large and interesting building. It has changed a lot over time.

Original Brewery Building

The main part of the building was originally a four-story tower. It had two-story sections on each side. The tower had a special roof with a central vent. There were many windows on each floor. A covered walkway, called a verandah, was at the front. This verandah was later partly enclosed to make an office.

Over the years, the tower was made bigger. New windows and vents were added. In 1911 and 1912, changes were made inside the building. These changes helped add new tanks for making drinks. Later, in the 1920s, some of the roof features were removed. In 1938, many internal changes were made. This was to turn the building into a storage depot.

Wood Street Building

This part of the building is two stories tall. It was built in two stages between 1878 and 1885. It has brick walls and a metal roof. The ground floor was made of concrete. The first floor was timber.

Originally, this section was used for malting. This is a step in making drinks. Later, in 1897, the ground floor became a cold storage area. More changes were made in 1911 to improve the brewing process. An office and laboratory were also added. In 1938, some openings in the walls were bricked up when a new garage was built.

Other Important Sections

• Condenser Tower: This tall brick tower was likely built in 1878. It has a square shape and a pyramid-shaped roof. It was first used for malting. Later, it was changed into a condenser tower. This tower helped with refrigeration.
• Bottle Store and Office: This section has two stories for bottling equipment. It also has a single-story part for offices. The office section has a fancy triangular design over the entrance. The two-story part has a curved roof and a round window.
• Bottle House: This was added to the Bottle Store in 1914. It was also changed in 1938. A large new section was added in 1960.
• Vehicle Garage: This was built in 1938-1939. It was a single-story building for trucks and cars. It also had workshops and storage areas.
• Courtyard and Awning: In 1912, the loading area was enclosed with brick walls. In 1938-1939, a steel roof was added over parts of the courtyard.
• Covered Cask Platform: This was a raised platform with a metal roof. It was built in 1938.
• Oil Store: A small wooden shed built in 1938 for oil storage. It became a candy shop in 1974.
• Return Beer House: A separate brick building built in 1938. It was used for draining returned empty containers.

Why is Castlemaine Brewery important?

The Castlemaine Brewery is very important to the history of New South Wales. It is a well-known landmark in Newcastle. It is special because of how carefully it was built and changed over time. Even with many additions, the building kept a similar style. This makes it a unique industrial building.

The original brewery was built in 1874. Big additions were made in 1878, and again between 1911 and 1914.

The Castlemaine Brewery shows how breweries developed in New South Wales. It also shows how important brewing was in Australia's early industrial growth. In the past, many towns had their own breweries. But over time, bigger companies bought them out. This led to fewer, larger breweries.

The building also looks very impressive. It has a strong, simple design from the 1800s. It has been a major part of Newcastle's skyline for a long time. The additions made in the early 1900s were done in a way that matched the original design. This is rare for industrial buildings.

Images for kids

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  Boiler at Castlemaine Brewery, Newcastle, NSW, 1901.

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  Loft inside the former brewery.

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  Map showing the heritage boundaries of the site.