[1] Owned by Griffiths family descendants until 1987 when it was purchased by National Consolidated, the foundry is one of the last surviving 19th century industries on the Darling Downs.

Among other products, it produced rolling stock for Queensland Railways, and the Southern Cross windmill, one of the most enduring icons on the Darling Downs.

Drayton evolved from a stopping place for those reaching the top of the Range, although by 1848 water shortages prompted moves to The Swamp, which was renamed Toowoomba in 1858.

After attending a lecture given by J C White of Jondaryan, Griffiths decided to settle in Toowoomba where he gained work as a builder.

[1] The following year, Griffith's father sent out a consignment of ironmongery, enabling him to establish a shop and repair foundry in Ruthven Street, with his brother-in-law William Atherton.

The new foundry, named Griffiths Brothers and Company, opened in February 1876 and was described in the Toowoomba Chronicle as comprising an office, storeroom and four workshops containing the sawing department, the fitting and machine shop, the casting workshop (where the first casting in iron on the Darling Downs was recorded), and the blacksmiths and boilermakers section.

[1] In the same year, John Griffiths left the business to become Assistant Engineer in the Construction Branch of the Queensland Railway Department, although he maintained a financial interest in the foundry.

However, by 1881 the business had improved and the foundry was "making steam engines and boilers, wool and other presses, washpool requirements, spouting and soap tanks, pumps, windmills, troughing, castings - iron or brass, ironwork for verandahs, and also contracting to provide railway stock for the Queensland Government Railways."

[1] In 1883, Griffiths bought out his partners (sisters, Harriott and Lilly, brother John and brother-in-law K L Marshland) to form a public company which was floated on 4 July 1884.

Despite the formation of a public company, the Griffiths family purchased sufficient shares to ensure the foundry remained under their control.

Due to the construction of new lines between 1906 and 1908, Queensland Railways found it necessary to let external contracts to private firms to build the required additional engines.

A further fifteen C16 class locomotives were ordered from the Foundry during 1914 -15, one of which survives as part of the Queensland Rail Museum collection at Redbank.

His sons, Alfred and George continued the management of the business, which expanded to encompass sales divisions in the Middle East and South Africa.

[1] Despite a shortage of supplies following the War, the company continued to grow, ensuring viable batch quantities were maintained by establishing the trade name through its many overseas outlets.

[1] In 2002, Southern Cross Windmills relocated to a facility near Toowoomba, after being purchased by Tyco Flow Control Pacific in late 1999.

The site forms an integral part of the industrial streetscape of the northern end of Ruthven Street and has landmark qualities from both the western and eastern sides.

[1] At the northern end of the site, the building steps back to form a "U" shape surrounding a carpark, continuing the pattern of bays divided by engaged pilasters.

The site has undergone expansion and development according to fluctuations in demand for its various products, including rolling stock for Queensland Government Railways; windmills; and engines during the Second World War.

The site presents a more formal face to Ruthven Street through the brick fronted office building and canteen.