W. H. Burford & Sons

During one of the recessions that faced the colony, Burford was forced to sell the land then lease it back to keep the business running.

[citation needed] The second factory, opened in 1900 at Sturt Street, previously owned by competitor Tidmarsh & Co,[2] occupied 4 acres of floor space ( 19,000 sq yards / 16,000m2 / 1.6 hectares ) and employed over 200 men.

[3] The smell emanating from the Sturt Street factory, despite installation of deep drainage, was the source of much complaint from neighbours.

The factory, which continued to be called the "Apollo Works", was the site of work mostly peripheral to the core business of soap and candle making, such as rendering down of animal fats and grinding of corn, bone, starch and blacking, and the manufacture of wooden packing crates.

[6] Rather than rebuild in the city, a new factory was set up in Dry Creek near the railway station where there had once been a smelter.

Much was made at the time of a model suburb to serve employees of the soap works and the nearby abattoirs.

Kitchen and Sons of Melbourne and Lever Brothers of Sydney as Australian Producers Co-Partnership Ltd.

The offer was turned down, so the Council amended the Health Act to prohibit such industries,[14] then the fire engulfed the factory[6] and the Dry Creek facility moved a big step towards reality.

In 1885 a fire which started in a timber yard in Grenfell Street and East Terrace spread to Burford's factory, which was destroyed.

The nearby factory of G. H. Michell & Sons and David Reid's tannery suffered lesser damage.

[16] In 1919 the works bounded by Sturt, Gilbert, Norman and Russell Streets in the city were destroyed by fire[6] and a new factory was then set up in Dry Creek; the office area was rebuilt and the rest sold.

William Burford (11 December 1845 – 6 March 1925) was born in a cottage at 154 Grenfell Street, Adelaide,[20] adjacent to his father's factory.

[8] He was chairman of directors of the company from 1895 until his death, in his Belair home (on Sheoak Road) called "Birralee".

He was a keen yachtsman, was a member of the Holdfast Bay Sailing Club (and Vice-commodore in 1896)[30] and with son F. R. Burford owned the yacht Empress 1894 – 1896.

All five sons went into the family business: After the death of his wife, he sold the Glenelg mansion "Birralee" on Albert Terrace and Seawall, in September 1921,[42] and the summer home "Monomeith", on 3 acres (1.2 ha) at Ashton, South Australia, in 1922.