Toowoomba Maltings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toowoomba Maltings |
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Remnants of early malting operations in 2014
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| Location | 11 Mort Street, Newtown, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1899 - 1907 |
| Official name: Toowoomba Maltings, Black Gully Malthouse, Darling Downs Malting Company Ltd, Paterson Redwood and Co, Queensland Brewery Co, Carlton Maltings, Northern Australia Brewers Ltd, Queensland Malting Company Ltd, Redwood's Maltings, State Wheat Board | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 January 1998 |
| Reference no. | 600852 |
| Significant period | 1899, 1907, (fabric) 1899-1923,1930,1940s, c. 1951, 1973 (historical) |
| Significant components | kiln, railway siding, machinery/plant/equipment - manufacturing/processing, store/s / storeroom / storehouse |
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The Toowoomba Maltings is a special old building in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. It's called a malthouse, which is a place where barley grain is turned into malt. Malt is a key ingredient for making things like beer and some foods. This historic site, located at 11 Mort Street, Newtown, was built in different stages between 1899 and 1907. It's also known by several other names, like Black Gully Malthouse.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: The History of Toowoomba Maltings
The Toowoomba Maltings is a group of buildings that were built over many years. They were designed to turn barley into malt. The first parts were built in 1899 and 1907. Other parts were added in the 1960s.
Starting the Malting Business
The very first malthouse on this spot was built in 1897. It was for the Darling Downs Malting Company Ltd. The plans were drawn by famous architects, J Marks and Son. A family from New Zealand, the Redwoods, ran the business. They were very important in helping the malting industry grow in the Darling Downs area. They also encouraged local farmers to grow barley. Alphonso H Redwood was the main manager.
The location was perfect because it had easy access to water from Black Gully. It also had a special railway line, called Redwood's Siding. This line connected the malthouse to the main railway lines nearby. This made it easy to transport the barley and malt.
Growing Bigger: More Malthouses
Around 1899, a second, bigger malthouse was built next to the first one. This new building was run by Paterson Redwood and Co. Later, it became known as the Queensland Malting Company Ltd. Members of the Redwood family were also involved in this company. The main owners were Francis J Paterson and Samuel Nesbitt Allen.
In 1901, Vernon Redwood and P O'Brien bought both malthouses. Soon after, Vernon Redwood bought O'Brien's share. Vernon then ran the business under the name Redwood. He had been a top malt maker for another company in Toowoomba. He even became the Mayor and a Member of Parliament later on.
English Owners and Big Changes
In 1904, a large English malting company, William Jones and Son, bought the business. Vernon Redwood stayed on as the general manager until 1913. This English company was one of the biggest malt makers in the world. They used to import a lot of English malt into Australia. After Australia became a federation, new taxes were put on imported goods. So, the company needed to set up in Australia to keep their business going.
In 1906, major additions were started. There was already a brewery tower and homes on the site. The new additions cost a lot of money. They were designed by Toowoomba architect Harry Marks. He was part of the James Marks and Son firm.
The new additions included a new malthouse and kilns. These were connected to the 1899 malthouse. The old brewery tower was turned into a large water storage tank. The new malthouse had special tanks for soaking grain. It also had a large, smooth cement floor where the grain would sprout. There were two kilns for drying the malt.
The building also had many storage bins made of pine. Elevators and a conveyor belt moved the grain around as it changed. The malt storage room had many special windows designed by Marks. He also designed unique roof vents for the kilns. People said Marks was very creative.
The new complex was described as the biggest in the whole Commonwealth of Australia. It opened on June 1, 1907. Many local companies helped build it.
Changing Hands and Modern Times
In 1923, the government took over the land. The State Wheat Board used it to store wheat until 1930. Then, a new group called the Barley Board reopened the malthouse. They leased it to Queensland Brewery Co. This company agreed to make malt from all the good quality barley the Barley Board provided.
During World War II, malting stopped. The site was used by the defence forces. In 1959, Northern Australian Brewers Ltd bought the complex. They had been leasing it since 1951. In 1968, they started a big project to make the site more modern. This included building new buildings for automatic malting machines. Around this time, the 1897 malthouse and part of the 1899 building were taken down.
In 1973, the Maltings were transferred to Carlton United Brewers (NQ) Ltd. In 1987, a part of the land with the old water tower was sold. The rest of the site, with the old floor maltings and the newer automated maltings, has changed owners several times since then. The old floor maltings are no longer used. However, automated malting still happens on the site today.
What It Looks Like: Description of the Maltings
The Maltings complex is located in Toowoomba. It's near Mort Street and the Western railway line. Black Gully is also nearby. A railway line runs between the buildings and the gully.
Old Buildings Still Standing
Some of the older parts of the malting operations are still there. These include two stone kilns, an area for processing malt, two brick kilns, and a brick shed. The newer malting plant is in large sheds on the eastern and southern sides of these older buildings.
The Kilns
The two oldest buildings are the 1899 stone kilns. They are made of painted bluestone. Each kiln has two levels. The lower level is partly underground. In the middle of each kiln, there's a furnace. This furnace provided heat to dry the barley on the upper level. A wooden floor separates the two levels. The stone kilns have sloped roofs made of corrugated iron. Large metal vents are at the very top.
A brick area with a pointed roof separates the stone kilns from two slightly larger kilns. This area is where the malt was processed. Machines for cleaning, moving, and sorting grain are on different wooden platforms. These platforms are connected by wooden stairs. There are skylights with curved iron roofs over this area. Rooms for collecting dust are on the upper level.
The two larger kilns, built in 1907, look similar to the stone kilns. But these are made of brick. They have brick arches on the furnace level. Their floors are made of steel frames with perforated cast-iron tiles. Vents at the top of their steep, sloped roofs have flat metal tops that hang over.
The Big Shed
A large brick shed with a corrugated iron roof extends from the kilns. The ground floor of this shed has a smooth concrete floor. This was the "germinating floor" where the barley sprouted. It has wooden windows that can be opened and closed for air. Round cast-iron columns support the wooden floor above.
On the first floor, inside the roof space, are wooden bins for storing malt. These bins are lined with pine boards. A long hallway runs through the middle of the shed. This hallway gives access to the storage bins. In the middle of this level, there is a loading bay with double wooden doors. This bay opens onto the railway siding.
Above the central hallway, under the roof, there is a walkway and a conveyor belt. This belt is connected to the storage bins by metal chutes. At one end of this belt, there are two large tanks for soaking grain. These tanks open onto the germinating floor below. Grain elevators are at the other end of the conveyor belt, in the malt processing area. The shed roof has many skylights and special vents designed by Marks.
A new shed with a sloped roof and steel frame is attached to the older buildings. This provides cover for loading operations. Many of the original tools and machines are still inside the buildings.
Why It's Important: Heritage Listing
The Toowoomba Maltings was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on January 21, 1998. This means it's a very important historical site.
A Piece of Queensland's Past
The Toowoomba Maltings shows how the malting industry grew in the Darling Downs area. It also shows how "floor maltings" worked, which was an older way of making malt.
Rare and Special
This collection of buildings and equipment is rare. It shows an older way of making malt that is not used much anymore. This makes it a unique part of Queensland's history.
A Great Example
It's a great example of how floor maltings worked. It shows all the main parts and how they were used.
Looks and Feel
The buildings have a special look that people value. They show a "functional industrial aesthetic," meaning they look good because they were built to be useful for industry.
Smart Design and Building
The site shows how clever people were in the early 1900s. It's an example of great technical achievement in a malting complex.
Connected to Important People
The Maltings has a special connection to the work of Toowoomba architects James Marks and Son, especially Harry Marks. It's a good example of their industrial building designs.
