In the earliest years of South Australian settlement, brewing was one of the colony’s first thriving industries. Among the pioneers were John Auld and John Shand, who were operating at the Torrens Brewery in 1839. The pair were quick to see the growing demand for locally made beer, as imported ales from England were expensive and often spoiled during the long voyage. By 1841, Auld and Shand had begun distributing their beer through their own public house on Hindley Street, then one of Adelaide’s busiest commercial thoroughfares. The hotel acted as both a brewery tap and an outlet for their ales and stouts, catering to settlers, tradesmen, and sailors passing through the bustling west end of the young city. A small brewhouse was soon constructed behind the hotel, allowing beer to be brewed directly on-site rather than transported from the original Torrens Brewery premises. This was one of the first examples in Adelaide of a combined hotel and brewery, a model that would later become standard practice across South Australia. In 1845, management of the property passed to Thomas Auld, John Auld's brother. Thomas took over operations of both the brewery and hotel, but his tenure was short-lived, lasting less than a year. The business was struggling in a market crowded with new competitors, and by the end of the year, the brewery and hotel had been sold to George Doran. Doran attempted to keep the brewery running but stopped advertising in local newspapers by late 1845, suggesting the business was already in decline. The brewery closed its doors entirely in 1846, and the attached hotel soon followed. Nearly a decade later, in 1855, the premises were revived and renamed the Foundry Hotel, marking the end of its brief but notable chapter in South Australia’s brewing history. Though the Torrens Brewery was short-lived, it represents one of Adelaide’s earliest attempts to establish a locally based beer trade, an early stepping stone toward the major brewing companies that would later dominate the colony.		Adelaide Brewery Adelaide Hotel Brewery Brewery ID : 5.001.002 Simplified Brewery Timeline Established : 1841 1841 to 1846 Adelaide Brewery Corner Hindley and Gray Street, Adelaide 1841 to 1844 John Auld and John Shand 1845 Thomas Auld 1845 to 1846 George Doran Closed : 1846 Corner Hindley and Gray Street, Adelaide Click Below for more Images & Details
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