Brickworks in Glen Forrest

Most people when they travel to the Swan Valley will notice the sign for Midland Brick but did you know that there were a number of Brickworks in Glen Forrest in the early years.

Burkinshaw’s Vulcan Brickworks and Bunnings Bros brickyards were in the area either side of what is now Burkinshaw Road. Excavations at Bunnings claypit hit a spring which flooded the pit and it was closed. You can still see the flooded claypit on the west of the road which was used for many years in the 20s and 30s as the local swimming pool.

In 1901 Thomas Statham and William Burton discovered a large bed of clay under their gravel pit at the eastern end of Railway Parade. Convinced that it was suitable for the manufacture of fire bricks they registered a new company, The Darling Range Quarries, Fire Brick and Gravel Co. Statham was the managing director. Sheds were erected, machinery installed and a kiln was built to enable tests to be carried out on 1st February 1901.

The business grew, and as well as fire bricks, other products were made including hearths and especially shaped blocks for furnaces, firebox linings, furnace linings and “loco” blocks. Their main customer was the West Australian Government Railway for “loco” blocks.

Brick making was hot backbreaking work especially when the bricks were fired in the kilns. It took 7 days for the kilns to build up heat starting on Sunday morning when the first fire was lit and more logs would be added over the days. By Wednesday the temperature was 300c, by Friday all the fire-holes were filled.

The men had to run across the top of the kilns stopping any draughts and there were little flames escaping which meant they wore old boots for this job as “they weren’t going to be any good afterwards”.

The last owners of the brickworks were Monier Concrete and Tile and they sold the site to Mundaring Shire in the late 1960s It was used as a refuse tip which was accessed from Strettle Road and later a BMX track was also built on the site.

Click image to find out more.

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  Thomas Statham Managing Director of Darling Range Quarries, Firebrick and Gravel Co. 1918 P2004.77

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  Showing kiln, firewood stack and "Chinaman" ramp 1930s P2003.205

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  Variety of products for East Perth Power Station 1930s P2003.259

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  View of Brickyard in 1974 P2004.078

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  Building the Newcastle kiln 1939 P2003.219

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  Full fire on No.1 Scotch kiln 1930s P2003.196

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  Kiln and Chimney at Statham Brickyards in 1974 P2004.079

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  Lighting up No.1 Scotch kiln 1930s P2003.195

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  Firing up the kiln 1960s P2003.238

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  BMX sign at the site today