The Barcaldine Brewery Company operated out of a two-storey building, described as a ‘lofty edifice’, built in 1892 by Meacham and Leyland facing the railway line east of the town. It was situated in the industrial area of the town, one block east of the hospital grounds
It used plant supplied by Burns and Twigg of Rockhampton.
The Barcaldine Brewing Company was financed by subscription to a local company with Cronin, McLaughlin and Parnell as directors.
The Barcaldine Brewery, managed by Mr. Hargen, began brewing in August 1892 and turned out its first beer in October 1892. By January 1893 it was producing 19 hogsheads (barrels) a week and being sent to all surrounding towns. Unfortunately although described as having a ‘clear, pleasant, slightly bitter taste’ by the Champion, it was not really a successful product and brewing ceased after about 20 months (Text Source: Hoch, Isabel. 2008. Page 35).
Brewery used as hospital
In 1896, when the Victoria Hospital was destroyed by fire, the owner of the brewery, Peter Vesper, offered it as temporary hospital accommodation. It was vacant at the time. All the patients were transferred there until a new hospital was built. One has to wonder at the hygiene of the times.
Second venture
In November 1897 the Barcaldine Brewery Company opened again under lease to W. J. Humphreys (Managing Director) and his son, using water from McLaughlin’s wool scour bore. Mr Humphreys arrived from Longreach where he had been operating a brewery.
The Western Champion (22 February 1898) was gratified to report that:
Mr. Humphreys has almost conquered the objectionable feature in the Barcaldine beer – that of cloudiness and obnoxious smell. Some Barcaldine beer now on tap in town is equal to anything produced down below, being clear and excellently tasted. Apparently the longer the beer is kept the better it becomes.
The brewing process for the 'B B over B' brand
The brew was so good that it won an award in the 1901 Brisbane Exhibition.
The closure
The brewery operated for nine years and supplied a wide area of the central west until its closure in 1906 – a victim of competition from McLaughlin’s Rockhampton brew – Mac’s Beer. Or as the Longreach Leader claimed in 1944, ‘local prejudice eventually crippled it’. McLaughlin had moved to Rockhampton about 1892 to start a new brewery there.
The remains of the Barcaldine brewery building were used to construct two cottages on nearby allotments.
The story of the Barcaldine Brewery Company
