Brickyards....A.C.T
The Brickyards were constructed in 1913 and by mid year were
producing bricks. The men who came to built the yards were
housed in the Railway Camp. The men who came to produce the
bricks lived in segregated camps - married and single - in
the area of present day Banks Street. The majority of single
men lived under canvas - two men to each tent - and the married
men in humpies constructed from hessian, tin and some timber.
By 1916 work ceased at the yards and did not recommence until
1921. At this time ten small brick cottages were erected in
Section 64, ten ex-Molonglo cottages and a barracks moved to
the area of Banks St as accommodation married and single men.
In 1927 new camps were built closer to the brickyards - for
single and married men and a number of weatherboards constructed
in the settlement to add to the few brick cottages. The
ex-Molonglo cottages were removed as the building of the
Forestry School was commenced and completed.
The main nursery was set up in Sheedy's Paddock in 1914 and
men working there lived in old cottages in the grounds of
Yarralumla House, a new cottage constructed in the nursery
grounds and at Westridge (the name given to the emerging
suburb by Walter Burley Griffin).
In 1924 the Manager of the Brickworks was WK Newbolte and
the cost of making 1,000 bricks was 4 pounds 14 shillings.
By 1925 this amount per thousand was reduced to 3 pounds
17/6d.
In 1925 Piece Work was introduced. The men who won
contracts on 11 January, 1926 were GH Gallini, R Quigg,
HB Charlton, M Ware, N Lawless,
V Marsh, CW Riddle, Cliff Gallini.
Work started on 17 March, 1926 and HA Charlton of Rutledge
St Queanbeyan operated a machine at 17/5d per 1,000 bricks.
Wheeling and Setting were by W Lawless & V Marsh for 4/6d per
1,000 common bricks and 6/- per 1000 face bricks. Drawing -
J Radcliffe was paid 4/6d per 1000 common and 5/- per 1000
face bricks.
By 24.3.1926 new rates had to be set. HA Charlton 5/6d per
1000 common, W Lawless & V marsh 5/3d per 1000 common,
6/- per 1000 face bricks. J Radcliffe 5/3d per 1000 common
and 5/9d per 1000 face bricks.
The men worked a 44 hour week with 15 minute break for smoko.
Bricks were delivered by light rail to the stacks at Ainslie
(Civic), Railway (June 1926). Bricks were delivered to major
sites such as Parliament House. Following the completion of
Parliament House and other buildings necessary to operate the
business of parliament building works slowed. By 23 March,
1928 the staff was reduced from 73 to (at 1.5.1928) 3 setters,
3 draggers, 3 burners, 4 pitmen, 4 wheelers, 2 mixermen,
2 panmen, 2 machinemen, 5 machineboys, 1 die maker, 1 presser,
1 fitter, 1 fitter's help, 1 horse & dray driver. The cost
clerk was John Bryan and J Cooper was Manager of the Brickworks.
The one brick machine made 50,000 bricks per week.
A list of employees at the Brickyard 27 February, 1939 contained
the following names, occupation & suburb:
W Curley Pit Foreman Westridge
J Kinleysides Pitman Oaks Estate
A Blewitt Jumperman Oaks Estate
KC Johnston Pitman Queanbeyan
W Haines Pitman Westlake
K Ware Pitman Westlake
D Fletcher Pitman Ainslie
LD Horan Pitman Queanbeyan
W Lee Pitman Westridge
HM Lawless Pitman Capitol Hill
W Howes Panman Westridge
A Townsend Panman Westridge
MJ Ware Machineman Westridge
C Oldfield Machineman Westridge
W Ryan Mixerman Causeway
A Ware Mixerman Westridge
F McKay Burner Westridge
HL Noble LM Burner Westridge
JW Riddle Burner Westridge
M Johnson Burner Westridge
A Riddle Burner Westridge
HA Charlton Burner Ainslie
J Fisher Setter Queanbeyan
LN Colquhoun Setter Westridge
MJ Horan Setter Westridge
JH Riddle Setter Westridge
R Quigg Setter Ainslie
J Horan Setter Westridge
CH Riddle Setter Westridge
SC Riddle Setter Westridge
M Quigg Setter Westridge
N Quigg Setter Westridge
V Marsh Setter Westridge
H Ward Blacksmith Queanbeyan
A Burton LH Fitter Westridge
J Devlin Fitter Westridge
NC Webb Fitter Griffith
L Quigg Youth Westridge
D Boyd Youth Westridge
R O'Reilly Youth Causeway
K Elliott Youth Causeway
F McDermott Youth Causeway
DM White Youth Westlake
J Edwards Youth Westlake
W Hawke Youth Westlake.
In late April 1939 a number of men working at the Brickyards
who lived outside the area were asked if they would, when
cottages available, like to be moved to Westridge. They
included:-
William McCullogh of 76 Causeway who requested a cottage
at Griffith because he had two sons working near that
suburb.
Thomas Smith of 13 Westlake (living with his in-laws)
requested a cottage because he was newly married. He and
his wife later moved into 17 Westlake - formerly occupied
by a member of the Riddle family.
EJ Ward of 105 Molonglo St, Queanbeyan owned his own house
and did not want a move.
WR Riddle was boarding at Westridge and required a house
so that he could bring his family from Sydney to Canberra.
W Fletcher of 11/23 Bonney St Ainslie was in the process
of purchasing his cottage and did not require a move.
JA Greenwood c/o Weetangera Post Office lived in an old
cottage which he didn't consider fit for habitation. He
had to travel 25 miles per day.
W Howes declined because he was applying for a transfer
to Jervis Bay.
A Riddle of 7 Wakefield Gardens Ainslie declined.
H J Taylor of 17 Kathleen St Queanbeyan said, Yes.
Jack F Shumack c/o Post Office, Westridge, Yes.
Vic Marsh, Federal St Queanbeyan, Yes.
A Underwood, Moore St, Queanbeyan, Yes.
F McRedmond, Brickworks, Yes.
K Ware, 40 Westlake, Yes.
W Lawless, c/o Queanbeyan PO, Yes.
WR Riddle, c/o Mr Riddle, Westridge. His family lived
in Sydney and he wanted to move to Westridge.
RW Quigg, Suttor St Ainslie, Yes.
K Johnston, Brickworks, Yes.
SG Riddle, has rooms, Westridge, Yes.
HR Charlton, Stornaway Rd, Queanbeyan, Yes.
CE Riddle, 17 Westlake, Yes.
Letters were also sent to:-
J Kinleysides,
JA Greenwood, FJ Shumack, MJ Horan,
EH Appleton, K Johnston, P McRedmond,
JH Riddle, CE Riddle, AH Blewitt, NG Taylor,
SG & WR Riddle, RW Quigg, W Ryan, EJ Ward, W Howes,
WV Rees, HC Watts, RA Oldfield,
AG Starkey, W McCullough, H Capello, W Haines,
D Fletcher, K Ware.
The Brickyards closed during World War II and in August
1944 the Works Director made application for labourers
required for the reopening of the brickworks. At that
time there were still 6,000,000 bricks in stock but more
were needed to keep up with the demand. Some of the key
men were in the armed forces and others had been sent
out of state. Several keymen, however whose services
are essential for the re-opening of the works are at
present employed under agreements under the Commonwealth
Training Scheme.
Particulars of the men concerned are as follows:
M Townsend, Panman employed by Ritchie Bros Lidcombe.
J Shumack, setter, employed by Purcell Engineering Co,
Park Rd Auburn.
C Oldfield, mixerman, (as above)
W Ryan, mixerman, employed by W Carpenter & Co, Camperdown.
Shortly afterwards on 28.4.1944 letters requesting them to
return to the brickworks were sent to P McRedmond, Marsh,
J Fisher, W Curley, W Haines, AH Blewitt, G Melville,
GR Dignma, TC Kinleysides, H Nobel and P Cullen.
At the same time a number of men were released from the
armed forces to rejoin the workforce at the brickyards.
They were Sappers, N Quigg, W Hawke, GJ Summerfield,
Driver Kelly and Patrick Norman. In February 1945 Sappers
HJ Riddle & J Horan, Privates H Riddle and AL Blandon were
released to return to the brickyards which had reopened
on 25 September, 1944. On 4 October, 1945 the Brickwork's
Camp was ready for occupation.
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