Today's GODREY HIRST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD Carpet Manufacturers in Factory Street off Barwon Terrace Geelong still occupies, as well as new ones, some of Geelong's earliest industrial buildings. The Victorian Woollen and Cloth Manufacturing Co Ltd was formed in 1865. (Secretary William Sayers, Directors John Calvert, Thomas Austin, George M Hitchcock, Richard Parker, James Volum, George Armytage, James Noble, Ambrose Kyte MLA, John Lowe MLC, Robert Stratford, P McDonald and J L Currie Chairman) Clement Nash completed two buildings on the present site on the banks of the Barwon by 1867. The first piece of cloth made at this first woollen mill in Victoria was exhibited in January 1868. In 1874 the Barwon Woollen Mill was built beside the Victorian. (Secretary Henry Meakin, Directors, Charles Andrews Chairman, G F Belcher, Thomas Hawkes, M Kirkness, William Cakebread and Thomas Stoneham). The Excelsior Woollen Mills under the control of Godrey Hirst and Company Pty Ltd bought the Barwon Mill in 1892 and the Victorian Mill in 1899. Some of the original beautiful brick buildings still survive near Landy's Field. Source: BROWNHILL History of Geelong and Corio Bay Jennifer >Pam, For what it's worth... another tit-bit about Godfrey Hirst. His >carpet manufacturing business is still known as Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, >although it is many years since it was purchased by a man who continued to >manufacture here in New Zealand. It is one of the top ranking carpet >manufacturers in New Zealand. (Ref. Auckland phone book, and my husband who >was in the industry for many years.) I must admit that I don't know >specifically where the factory is, but there is a large store/warehouse here >in Auckland - perhaps this is also the factory. >Regards, >Marion > >> > >> > ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== >> > Geelong & District Churches : >> > http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdchur.htm >> > >> >> >> ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== >> Geelong & District Towns and Regions : >> http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdtown.htm >> >> > > > >==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== >Geelong Family History Group : >http://home.vicnet.net.au/~gfamhist/index.htm --
Thanks Jennifer! Pam ----- Original Message ----- From: "JenniferBantow" <JenniferBantow@bigpond.com> To: <AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 9:43 AM Subject: Re: [GEELONG] HIRST family -re: Woollen Mills for July "Pivot" > Today's GODREY HIRST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD Carpet Manufacturers in > Factory Street off Barwon Terrace Geelong still occupies, as well as > new ones, some of Geelong's earliest industrial buildings. > > The Victorian Woollen and Cloth Manufacturing Co Ltd was formed in > 1865. (Secretary William Sayers, Directors John Calvert, Thomas > Austin, George M Hitchcock, Richard Parker, James Volum, George > Armytage, James Noble, Ambrose Kyte MLA, John Lowe MLC, Robert > Stratford, P McDonald and J L Currie Chairman) Clement Nash completed > two buildings on the present site on the banks of the Barwon by 1867. > The first piece of cloth made at this first woollen mill in Victoria > was exhibited in January 1868. > > In 1874 the Barwon Woollen Mill was built beside the Victorian. > (Secretary Henry Meakin, Directors, Charles Andrews Chairman, G F > Belcher, Thomas Hawkes, M Kirkness, William Cakebread and Thomas > Stoneham). > > The Excelsior Woollen Mills under the control of Godrey Hirst and > Company Pty Ltd bought the Barwon Mill in 1892 and the Victorian Mill > in 1899. Some of the original beautiful brick buildings still survive > near Landy's Field. > > Source: BROWNHILL History of Geelong and Corio Bay > Jennifer > > >Pam, For what it's worth... another tit-bit about Godfrey Hirst. His > >carpet manufacturing business is still known as Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, > >although it is many years since it was purchased by a man who continued to > >manufacture here in New Zealand. It is one of the top ranking carpet > >manufacturers in New Zealand. (Ref. Auckland phone book, and my husband who > >was in the industry for many years.) I must admit that I don't know > >specifically where the factory is, but there is a large store/warehouse here > >in Auckland - perhaps this is also the factory. > >Regards, > >Marion > > > >> > > >> > ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > >> > Geelong & District Churches : > >> > http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdchur.htm > >> > > >> > >> > >> ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > >> Geelong & District Towns and Regions : > >> http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdtown.htm > >> > >> > > > > > > > >==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > >Geelong Family History Group : > >http://home.vicnet.net.au/~gfamhist/index.htm > > > -- > > > ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > Geelong and District web site : > http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/ >