Billson's Brewery

Historically, Billson's Brewery made ale and porter, a range of cordials, aerated mineral waters, soft-drinks and health tonics.

Selecting a site at 29 Last Street on land which is rich in spring water of exceptional purity, the Billsons opted to build a ‘tower brewery,’ a design which had only recently been adopted in Britain.

[9] By 1879, George Henry Billson had left the partnership to pursue his own brewery and malting venture in Albury, New South Wales.

[15] Facing increasing pressure from the temperance movement in the 1890s, Billson's responded favourably with a low-strength ‘mild family table ale,’[16] as well as a range of non-alcoholic sparkling beverages catering to adults.

These included Social Ginger Cup; Claretta (a beverage intended to replace claret and soda);[16] the health tonic Malto-Quinia Wine;[17] and a distinctive ‘herbal beer’ named Ecks.

In the early twentieth century, Billson's sold its lithia water as a ‘the most healthful mineral water produced in Australia.’[20] Lithium was later demonstrated to have clinical efficacy in treating mood disorders in trials run by Dr John Cade, a former superintendent of Beechworth's May Day Hills Asylum.

[21] By 1895, its cellars were capable of holding 7000 dozen bottles;[22] and at its manufacturing peak in the early 20th century, the brewery could treat 20 hogsheads of liquor (about 5000 litres) per day.

[18] In 1902, when Alfred Billson was increasingly busy pursuing a burgeoning political career in the Legislative Assembly, he handed the daily running of the brewery to new management, while still serving as chairman of the board.

End of year employee ‘socials’ were held at Billson's private residence adjacent to the Brewery, and in 1906 after a particularly strained period leading up to Christmas, Billson praised his staff to the effect that ‘Throughout the whole establishment a fine spirit of harmony prevailed, and he hoped this would always continue.’[24] In 1911 the company amalgamated with George Henry Billson's Albury Brewing and Malting Company, to become the Border United Co-operative Breweries Ltd.[25] Towards the end of 1914, this company was liquidated and its operations transferred to the newly registered Murray Breweries Pty.

The brewery was organised on the ‘gravitational principle’, so that the raw materials started at the top of the building and moved downwards in each successive stage of the brewing process.

[34] Mild steel ship tanks manufactured by Lancaster and Co (of Bow) that once held water for the brewing process have stayed in the roof-space of the tower.

Smaller items include original copper brewing vats, and the steam whistle once used to sound the beginning and end of shifts.