Union Brewery and Distillery
Primrose & Co
Union Brewing & Malting co. Ltd
| The Union brewery started life in March 1838 when Daniel Cudmore, William Williams and Thomas Thompson built a brewery on James Place, near Rundle Street, Adelaide. The brewery was only a small venture with no available water source on the site all water had to be carted from the river Torrens. The partners only lasted until April 1839 when the brewery was put up for sale, with Daniel Cudmore moving to Hindmarsh to establish the Hindmarsh Brewery and William Williams establishing a brewery in Walkerville. The brewery was then purchased by John Primrose and John Richmond, and a distillery installed, the company was also renamed to the Union Brewery and Distillery. After two successful brew's, the new company "Richmond & Primrose" discontinued brewing due a shortage of malt for making beer. But at this time a distillery was up and running at the site. Solely distilling spirits continued for a year until a reliable source of malt was found and brewing was started again late 1840. Mr Richmond left the company in 1844 and the distilling of alcohol was discontinued, the brewery was renamed back to the Union Brewery but it also traded as Primrose & Co. Union beer was very successful and was only available on draught in hotels and public houses, brewing a XX, XXX and porter. Clark's Brewery on Halifax street was purchased in the mid 1860's and used as a malthouse. By the end of the 1860's five brews were brewed a week with the operation continuing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the summer season. The Union Brewery had some very famous South Australian brewers including James T. Syme in the early 1860's until he left to form a brewery on Pirie Street with Frederick Sison. Guildford E Gray brewed at the brewery in the 1870's and he has been linked with many South Australian breweries. John Primrose died on the 28th of November 1876 and Mr. William Ross Sewers continued as brewery manager but continued to trade as 'John Primrose & Co.'. Thomas D'Arcy Burke became Mr Sawers business partner in 1883 and the brewery name changed to Union Brewing & Malting Co. Ltd. 'John Primrose & Co'. Mr Burke left the company in 1888 and moved to Silverton in NSW to work at the Union Barrier brewery. After Mr Burke left the company, Mr Sawer tried to float the company on the stock market, trying to sell 90,000 one pound shares but this never eventuated. Mr Sawers and his son W.P. Sawers ran the business until 1903 when the Walkerville Co-Operative Brewing Company Limited took over the business and the Primrose hotels. |
Union Brewery and Distillery Primrose & Co Union Brewing & Malting co. Ltd |
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 The Union Brewery smoke stack on the left B-5852 State Library  B-58651 State Library
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