The West End Brewery was constructed in 1859 by William H Clark. Mr Clark had started several breweries in the past that had failed. Mr Clark was declared insolvent on February 3rd 1860 and left Adelaide for Melbourne. A previous business partner William Knox Simms purchased the brewery. The brewery was made the most technically advanced in South Australia, using a 5-horsepower steam engine and steam was used to boil the liquor, instead of the use of open coal burners. In 1866, Edgar Chapman became Simms' business partner, and the company name changed again to Simms & Chapman. Ales were the brewery's specialty, producing a XX Ale, XXX Ale, and a Pale Ale and a porter was brewed during the winter months. The Pale Ale was mostly bottled, whilst the XX and XXX ales were only available on draught. From 1862 Simms was using some of the buildings at the old Hindmarsh brewery as a malt house, and from 1871 to 1873 the Anchor brewery on Morphett Street was used as a bottling plant. In 1875, Mr Chapman left Adelaide to start a brewery in Waverley, NSW and named the new brewery Simms, Chapman & Gleeson's Adelaide Brewery. It had Charles Mallen as head brewer, but after a year, Mallen left to start a brewery on West Terrace, Adelaide, called the Waverly Brewery. Simms purchased the Waverley Brewery on West Terrace in 1876. An agreement was made with the owner, Charles Mallen, not to open another brewery within 50 Miles of Adelaide for at least 10 years, which was however, shortened to 2 years. Mr William Simms son Alfred and Mr William Benjamin Rounsevell purchased the brewery in 1888. Later that year, Simms & Rounswell formed a partnership with Robert Alfred Stock, the owner of the Kent Town Brewery. The new business was called the South Australian Brewing, Malting & Wine & Spirit Company Ltd. The brewery on Hindley Street was used for the new company up until 1980, when the main buildings were demolished. The Register 12th November 1872 RIP Edgar S. Chapman Aged 10 years.