The Solomontown Brewery was established by Thomas Garlick in 1876. At the time the township of Port Pirie was only small township, as well as being surrounded by northern country towns with their own breweries, Mr Garlick ran into financial problems by 1880 and the brewery was put up for sale. Dennis Nash from the Salisbury Brewery purchased the brewery in 1883, but unfortunately he died 4 years later aged 48. The brewery had several owners over the next few
years until 1894 when Mr Barrington J Knight purchased the brewery.

Mr Barrington Knight and his father-in-law John Burton had opened a general store in Port Pirie in 1876, the pair also bottled Syme and Sison beer for sale through their store. In 1884 the pair opened a aerated water and cordial factory in Port Pirie. When the Solomontown Brewery was put up for sale Mr Knight purchased the brewery and renamed it to the Burton Brewery after his father-in-law. The aerated water factory was sold and production was moved to the brewery. Brewing continued until the end of the first world war, and the company returned to bottling beer from the different breweries. The aerated waters and cordials continued to be made until the company was sold in 1933.

Tom Footner purchased the company in 1925 and continued the beer bottling business as well as selling other alcoholic beverages. The company was sold in 1933 and renamed to the Orange Grove Cellars. The new company bottled West End beers for sale until the late 1940’s when the brewery banned the third party bottling of its beer. The Orange Grove Cellars is still operating today.

Port Pirie Brewery
Solomontown Brewery
Burton Brewery
B. J. Knight & Sons
Tom Footner
Orange Grove Cellars

Brewery ID : 5.370.001

Established : 1876

Port Pirie Brewery (Solomontown Brewery)
1876 to 1894
Burton Brewery (B. J. Knight & Sons)
1894 to 1925
Tom Footner
1925 to 1933
Orange Grove Cellars
1933 to Present

Brewery & Softdrink Factory

Labels from the brewery

5.370.001.001.0010		5.370.001.002.0010
c1910		c1910
5.370.001.002.0020		5.370.001.003.0010
c1915		c1900
5.370.001.004.0010		5.370.001.005.0010
c1910		c1920
5.370.001.006.0010		5.370.001.007.0010
1910		c1920
5.370.001.008.0010		5.370.001.009.0010
c1920		c1920
5.001.020.001.0010		5.001.020.002.0010
c1916		c1915
5.001.020.003.0010		5.370.001.020.0010
c1915		c1933
5.370.001.030.0010		5.370.001.030.0020
1948		1948
5.370.001.031.0010
1947