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 3rd 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 22nd 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 17th 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 22nd of October 1945.
No comments:
Post a Comment