T he Clare Brewery is the result of an amalgamation between two breweries in the Clare township, the first brewery was built by Andrew Birrell on Union street in the center of the town. Andrew’s second son Robert managed the brewery, though this arrangement only last for a short time with Robert Ingham leasing the brewery off the Birrell’s for several years. By 1854 the brewery was put up for sale, and was purchased by the towns founder Edward Gleeson. Mr Gleeson was locally known as the King of Clare and enjoyed horse racing, along with his son-inlaw Jonathan Filgate who would frequent the local racing gatherings. Jonathan was appointed as manager of the brewery, and the logo for the new brewing company was taken from the pairs favorite pass time, horse-racing, with the logo being a racehorse and jockey.

The Main street brewery was established by William Kerr around 1858, William had previously started a brewery one mile from Clare named the Emu Flat Brewery. William fell very ill in 1859 and died shortly afterward, Charles Fenton purchased the brewery after Kerrs death, but unfortunately he went bankrupt in 1860. The brewery was sold to the Burra Brewery owners Ware & Chapman in 1860, and was operational until the pair sold their country assets and moved to Adelaide in 1864.

With the newer brewery being available on Main street, Mr Gleeson purchased the site and brewing was moved from the Union street brewery to the Main street site, the old brewery was used as a malt house for a period of time. Jonathan continued as brewery manager at the new brewery, until he tragically died from Typhoid Fever in 1866, Mr Filgates widow who was also Mr Gleesons daughter, Fanny Filgate took over as the manager of the brewery. Fanny successfully helped the business flourish and Clare ales were becoming famous in the northern townships, and after a decade she had taken on two business partners in Thomas Sabine and William Richardson, as well as building a new brewery on the northern side of Clare. The new building would take advantage of gravity assisted brewing as well as a modern steam engine, and after the completion of the brewery the Auburn brewery was purchased, with both breweries working in tandem to keep up with demand. By 1880 the two new partners left the business leaving Fanny to again mange the breweries by herself.

In 1881 John Christison joined the brewery, John was very involved in the Clare district and became Mayor in 1884. With the introduction of the train-line to the northern towns, came the beer brewed by the large Adelaide breweries, this had a large impact on the country breweries, including Clare who sold the Auburn Brewery in 1888 and were included in a failed amalgamation of the area’s largest breweries. The Melrose, Unicorn and Clare breweries had proposed to amalgamate in 1898, the new company would be known as Jacka Bros Ltd. The proposal did not get off the ground and the three breweries continued to limp along.

Fanny retired from the brewery in 1905, John managed the brewery until his death in 1911, leaving the brewery without an owner. The company was purchased by the Wine and Spirit merchants A.E. Tolley and the brewery was renamed to the Clare Co-Operative Brewing Company Ltd. Improvements to the brewery were made and output of the brewery grew, but by the middle of the decade hotels were forced to close their doors at 6:00pm and this had a large effect on breweries. the Co-Operative was sold in 1917 and brewing never continued, the site was used as a aerated water factory by Frank Bulfield.

The Clare Mineral Waters Company continued until the early 1970’s when the company folded and the site was purchased by the Knappstein family and used as a winery. Lion Nathan, the owners of the South Australian Brewing Company took interest in the site in 2005 and a micro brewery was setup at the old brewery, Knappstein Lager was first brewed in 2006, and is sold along with the Knappstein wines.

Union Street Brewery
Main Street Brewery
Enterprise Brewery
Clare Brewery
Clare Co-Operative Brewing Company Ltd.
Clare Mineral Waters Co.

Brewery ID : 5.001.075

Established : 1850

Union Street Brewery
1850 to 1865 - Union Street, Clare
Main Street Brewery
c1858 to 1865 - Main Street, Clare
Enterprise Brewery
1865 to 1905
Clare Brewery
1905 to 1911
Clare Co-Operative Brewing Company Ltd.
1911 to 1917
Clare Mineral Waters Co.
1917 to 1974

Brewery

Labels from the brewery

5.075.001.001.0010
1870 (Colours Unknown)
5.075.001.002.0K10
c1911 (Keg Label)
5.075.001.002.0K20
c1917 (Keg Label)
5.075.001.003.0010				5.075.001.004.0010
c1911				c1912
5.075.001.004.0020				5.075.001.005.0010
c1917				c1917
5.075.001.006.0010				5.075.001.007.0010
c1917				c1917
5.075.001.008.0010				5.075.001.009.0010
c1935				c1922
5.075.001.010.0010
c1965
Cordial and Softdrink Labels & Caps