Tobacco Factory facade (former)

John Jacob Cohen was an architect and engineer who practised as an architect in Brisbane from 1885 until 1892. While in partnership with F. F. Holmes he is credited with designing the Bellevue Hotel and the residences Maryview, Albion and Roseville, Teneriffe. One of the partnership’s early designs was ‘Melbourne House’, a grocery store for John Lennon, which was built in 1885. It is on the corner of Robertson Street, opposite this site. While practising on his own from 1886 Cohen designed S. Hoffnung and Co’s warehouse and Cowan House in Charlotte Street, the Theatre Royal hotel in Elizabeth Street and residence Allawah in New Farm. He also undertook large residential and swamp reclamation works in Booroodabin Division.1

During the 1890s, Fortitude Valley’s shopping area expanded significantly. The tram line extended from the city in 1891. Large factories and warehouses were established beyond the retail centre, closer to the workers’ dwellings. As well as the Cameron Brothers factory, Dixson and Sons had a substantial tobacco factory built in 1890, and this area became an industrial area.

A press representative was invited to a tour of the factory in 1890, and described the ‘somewhat imposing’ building and the process of tobacco preparation. Offices were on the first floor, and tobacco leaf preparation on the upper two floors. Machinery, including presses, was on the second floor. The site also contained a drying yard, saw and planning mill.

Queensland Brewing Ltd (known as Bulimba Brewery) began operations in Florence Street, Teneriffe, in 1882. They moved into the Cameron Brothers’ factory in 1906 and began alterations immediately:

Mr [HW] Atkinson is engaged… in completing alterations to the premises known as Cameron’s Tobacco Factory, situate in Brunswick-street, and which have been taken over by the Queensland Brewing Company, who have removed to this place from Bulimba. The brewery company are spending over £3,000 on the building independent of machinery, etc. They have already taken possession and started brewing, but the work of alteration is not yet complete, and will probably occupy another month.’ (Brisbane Courier, 7 April 1906 p14)

There was a fire in 1908 which damaged the interior of the building, but did not seem to halt production. Then in 1923 a major expansion was undertaken:

The Queensland Brewing Ltd is making extensive additions to its premises in Brunswick street, Valley. These will comprise a new insulated lager room, which will be one of the biggest insulated rooms in Queensland, being 96ft x 64ft, the most up-to-date form of insulation being used. The work is being done under the supervision of Messrs. G.H.M. Addison & Son. (Architects and Builders Journal, 7 May 1923 p50)

This again fits with the general history of Fortitude Valley, which experienced a second boom in the 1920s.

Queensland Breweries Ltd expanded in the 1920s and 1950s with additional administration blocks in Ann Street and one on the Brunswick Street site. By the 1960s, however, Queensland Brewery was losing sales. In 1961 Carlton United Brewery acquired Queensland Brewing Ltd and expanded their operations throughout Queensland. The Fortitude Valley site was expanded in the early 1970s:

Carlton and United Breweries (Qld) Ltd yesterday announced a $500,000 expansion project that will spread across and close two Valley streets. In return Carlton had given enough land to allow construction of a new through road… Curphy Street between Brunswick Street and Bowen Terrace, and the section of Malt Street that runs off Curphy Street, will be closed. Arthur Street will be extended to run Collin Parade and Bowen Terrace. With the roads and surrounding property it has bought land available to the brewery is almost six acres. The $500,000 expansion will be for fermentation and storage cellars, a new warehouse for packaged beer and a new wine and spirits department. (Sunday Mail 18 June 1972 p24)

It was presumably at this time that the ring road was inserted to improve truck movements and access. This involved the demolition of the brick building on the corner of Martin Street and Bowen Terrace.

1. Watson and McKay, Nineteenth Century Queensland Architects, pp. 38-9, 99-100

2. Brisbane Courier, 7 April 1906 p14

3. Architects and Builders Journal, 7 May 1923 p50

4. Sunday Mail 18 June 1972 p24

5. Brisbane City Council Building Cards

6. Queensland Certificates of Title

7. Queensland Post Office Directories

8. Digitised newspapers and other records. http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper