Baxter & McKell

Abraham Baxter (Snr) and John Mc Kell acquired the brick works in Stamford Road Oakleigh in 1908 from Henry Ethell.  John McKell had previously been the Manager of the South Yarra Brickworks, formerly the Excelsior brickworks  in Chapel Street.  It appears that there had been an earlier family involvement, from Abraham (Snr) from around 1903.  At the time, three rectangular downdraught kilns operated there with capacities to accommodate from 40,000 to 60,000 bricks each.  Henry  Ethell did not enjoy a long retirement after the sale because he died at his home in Clyde Street Oakleigh the following year. 

The land began as a site for brick making on the 27th of April 1885 when Howard Tapley Clarton transferred ownership to John and Henry Goding.  Howard Tapley Clarton (1836 to 1902) was a man with either a casual acquaintance with the truth, or personal financial management ability.  Howard features prominently in the courts over an extended period.  As a Land Agent, he once applied to be allowed to pay one farthing in the pound on a 38,000 debt.  This was rejected.  Originally named Clarton Street, it was later renamed Stamford Road.  Was this as a result of Howard’s colourful business dealings?

The property was sold to Edwin Wade on the 8th of December 1887 who only owned the land until the 28th of May 1898 when it was again sold; this time to Henry Ethell. He lasted considerably longer when he sold to Abraham Baxter and John Mc Kell on the 21st of January 1908.  They held the land and sold to their company, the Oakleigh Brick works on the 23rd of July 1921.

On the 3^rd of February 1910, the local paper carried an article saying that “Owing to the want of coal, the Oakleigh brickworks, employing about 60 men, have been closed down for the present.   The works have been carried on with a reduced staff for the past five weeks.”

A revamped company began operating in 1917.  Mr H.F. Young of the Northcote Brick Company was appointed as the Managing Director.  Again in 1928, another restructure took place and a new group of shareholders took over the company.  

Abraham Felix Baxter was born in Prahran, Melbourne on the 22^nd of July 1880 to Abraham and Harriett (nee Booth).  He went to Wesley College in Melbourne and began his career with his father in the family firm of Baxter and Saddler.  Between 1901 and 1906, Abraham worked as a Railway Contractor with his brother George in Western Australia before returning to Victoria to join his brother Charles breeding horses near Ballarat.  Abraham Snr bought out Henry Ethell outright in 1908 and Abraham Jnr joined him there in 1910.  His father later made him their Manager.  (George supplied one and a half million railway sleepers to South Africa in 1901.)

On the 17^th of March, 1918, Abraham married Margaret Mary Chapman (1883 to 1968).  They had two sons, James Abraham b 1909, Robert Walker b 1914 and one daughter Thelma Jean b 1919.

The year 1918, continued to be a busy one for Abraham; the Oakleigh Brick Company was sold to the Co-operative Brick Company and Abraham (Jnr) stayed on as Manager.  John McKell also continued to manage the South Yarra Brick Company.    The Oakleigh Brick Company followed others on the same site.  Previously there were the Excelsior Brick Works and the Eureka Brick Works.

Abraham died at his home in Clyde Street Oakleigh on the 22^nd of October 1945.