Meadowbank Manufacturing Co
Table of Contents
History Notes
The history of Meadowbank Manufacturing Co
M & P Simpson states that "The Mellor Brothers (of South Australia) formed a Farmers' Cooperative Co Ltd in 1891, and to widen the scope of business, set up branch factories in Sydney (Meadowbank Manufacturing Co) and Melbourne (Baybrook Implement Co) Mellor Bros Cooperative Co Ltd was wound up in 1895. The Baybrook Implement Co was wound up and H V Mckay purchased the plant in 1904".
The Meadowbank Manufacturing Co survived the demise of its parent (Mellor Bros Coop) and must have prospered, as there was an advertisement for their ploughs in 1911 Pastoralists Review, and listings in Sydney S & M Directories have been sited from 1904 to 1933. In addition to agricultural implements and machinery, they made trams for the Sydney Tramways.
Note from Arthur McNamara:
My grandfather Frederick Calvert came to Australia in about 1910 from
Yorkshire to run Meadowbank works as I remember it being referred to .
He must have been engineering works manager as he and his wife and 9 children
lived onsite in a house provided by the company up until closure about
1932 , the works had folded probably caused by the effects of the depression.
Meadowbank manufactured rolling stock, tram and railway, I believe they
built a batch of Sydney's infamous red rattler electric carriages, bodies
and interiors of motor cars, general engineering and agricultural implements.
I was born in 1940 so was never directly involved but my mother worked
there for a period of time and often spoke fondly about the family involvment.
The works closed and the building and contents sold off, part of the site
standing vacant alongside Meadowbank suburban railway station until the
TAFE college was built more recently.
Only one of my aunties survives, the youngest of the nine children.
References:
1. "Old farm Machinery in Australia" by Margaret & Phillip Simpson, 1988,
2. Various "Sands & McDougalls" Directories
Spanners marked Meadowbank are hard to find. We have only seen the one
below. If there are others about, or other relevant info, please contact
us on the link below.
Simpson mentions another company - Meadowbank Ironworks Co, at Meadowbank in Sydney, established by J H Angus in 1895. Products are similar agricultural inplements as per Meadowbank Manufacturing Co. The spanner pictured below could be by either company. We have not been able to find catalogues by either company. The similarity in name and product line, location and startup time almost suggests that they were branches of the same company.
Meadowbank Co Malleable Iron Spanner - about 11" long.© Ozwrenches
Meadowbank Advertising from the Pastoralists Review, Feb 15, 1911 © Ozwrenches
If anyone can supply information or pictures of Meadowbank or other stuff - please make contact on the link below.