Pirie Street Brewery
Syme & Sison
 Hotel Building in 2024 In 1845, James Walsh leased the property from James King. Walsh was a well-known South Australian entrepreneur and community figure, Captain of the Brighton Rifles volunteer regiment and a major shareholder in the Kadina and Wallaroo Railway Company. Recognising the commercial potential of local brewing, he constructed a brewery and malthouse on the site, along with a stone storehouse and a small cottage. By September 1845, the brewery was in full production, supplying its popular “XX Ale” to nearby hotels. The success of the business led Walsh to purchase the entire property outright in 1848. In 1851, Walsh leased the brewery to a group of prominent businessmen: William Knox Simms, Samuel W. Humble, James Chambers, and James Hayter. The partners operated under the name Simms & Humble – Pirie Street Brewery. Simms, a talented and ambitious brewer, would later establish the famous West End Brewery on Hindley Street and play a key role in forming the South Australian Brewing Company. Despite early promise, the partnership was short-lived, both Hayter and Chambers had retired by 1855, and brewing operations at Pirie Street ceased soon after. William Clark, who operated the Halifax Street Brewery, leased the Pirie Street premises later in 1855 but left it unused. In 1858, he offered the brewery for sale, though no buyer came forward. The buildings remained idle until 1860, when Edward Crawford of the Hindmarsh Brewery leased the site. Crawford briefly used it as an auxiliary brewery for about a year before moving his operations to the newer, larger Hindmarsh site on Richard Street. After another quiet period of three years, the brewery was revived in 1864 by two enterprising brewers, James Thompson Syme and Frederick Samuel Sison. Syme had migrated from Perth, Scotland, in 1857 and gained experience working for John Primrose at the Union Brewery. Sison, meanwhile, had been a traveller and salesman for Edward Crawford’s Hindmarsh Brewery. Together, they reopened the Pirie Street premises under the new name The Adelaide Brewery. Syme and Sison quickly earned a reputation for producing high-quality ales and porters, particularly a rich, dark porter that was regarded among the best in Adelaide. During the 1870s, the brewery underwent major expansion. New offices, stables, and a malthouse were built along Wyatt Street, transforming the complex into one of the city’s most substantial mid-sized breweries. By 1880, the firm had launched several successful brands, most notably Star Ale and Tiger Ale, both of which became staples in South Australian hotels and continued to be brewed long after the company’s eventual sale. In 1882, the brewery was sold to a new partnership comprising W.P. Wicksteed, H.S. Anthony, and A. McIntyre, who retained the respected Syme & Sison name. The new owners expanded distribution through South Australia’s growing railway network, allowing their beers to reach country towns and coastal ports. In 1885, they launched Joker Ale, a bright, crisp beer that quickly became one of Adelaide’s most popular bottled ales. As the 1890s approached, social and economic changes began to challenge the local brewing industry. The rise of the Temperance Movement encouraged brewers to produce non-alcoholic alternatives. Syme & Sison responded by introducing Buxton Tonic Ale, a lightly fermented “temperance” drink, and Ranji Ginger Beer, named after the celebrated Indian cricketer Prince Ranjitsinhji, who toured Adelaide in 1897 and reportedly enjoyed the brewery’s ginger beer during his visit. Despite their innovative products, the brewery faced increasing difficulties. A serious fire damaged the brewing tower in 1897, and by 1899, the partnership between Anthony and Wicksteed had dissolved, leaving Henry Anthony as the sole proprietor. Financial pressures and competition from larger, consolidated breweries proved insurmountable. In 1902, the South Australian Brewing Company Ltd purchased the Adelaide Brewery, incorporating its plant and brands into its expanding operations. Production of Syme & Sison beers continued for several years under SA Brewing’s ownership. Buxton Tonic Ale remained in production at the Port Augusta branch until the mid-1930s. The original Pirie Street brewery plant were eventually dismantled, and the brewing equipment was distributed among SA Brewing’s sites at Adelaide, Broken Hill, Port Augusta, and Tarcoola, marking the quiet end of one of Adelaide’s most respected 19th-century breweries.  Brewery 1870  |
Pirie Street Brewery Syme & Sison |
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Notable People involved with the |
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| Joker Ale | |
 5.001.003.001.0010 1885 Printer : J H Sherring & Co Litho |
 5.001.003.001.0020 c1890 Printer : J H Sherring & Co Litho |
 5.001 003.001.0030 c1895 Printer : Vardon & Pritchard Adelaide |
 5.001.003.001.0040 c1900 Printer : Sands & McDougall, Limited. Adelaide |
India Pale Ale |
 5.001 003.002.0010 c1885 |
 5.001 003.002.0020 c1890 |
Extra Dublin Stout |
 5.001 003.003.0010 c1885 Printer : J H Sherring & Co |
 5.001 003.003.0020 c1900 |
5.001 083.004.0010
1902
Printer : Vardon & Pritchard Adelaide
This is the South Australian Brewing
Company’s Tiger Stout label
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