Willoughby & Co. woolstore (former)

Three important events prompted industrial development of this area in the 1890s – the construction of the Colonial Sugar Refinery and its wharf at the New Farm end of the Bulimba Reach in 1893, the completion of the Bulimba rail branch in 1897 and the growth of Queensland’s primary industries which took place in this decade.

Eventually this area attracted Brisbane’s most important specialised wharves, devoted to the handling of wool. The wool stores themselves were constructed in response to the economic fortunes of the industry. Most of the stores were constructed during the two boom periods between 1909 and 1915 and in the 1920s, however some were built in the mid 1930s, and the last two were constructed in the 1950s. Wool was railed to the stores, displayed under good lighting and stored until it was sold. It was then pressed and baled and trolleyed onto the wharves, where it was loaded onto ships for export.

This brick and iron store was built around 1940 for the Willoughby Trust, which controlled Willoughby and Co, importers and investors. The Trust purchased this site, and the adjacent site with frontages to Commercial Road and Helen Street in 1927. Both sites were occupied by houses, until the adjacent site was cleared and a motor workshop was constructed in the mid 1930s. A few years later this site was also cleared to make way for the new store. In 1926, the hide and skin store behind this site, facing Helen Street was sold to George Willoughby Whatmore Junior. In 1932 the Helen Street store was sold to Sturmfels Primary Producers Co-operative, in 1940 merged with Queensland Primary Producers Co-operative. In 1943 Queensland Primary Producers purchased this store to cater for its increasing needs for wool storage. The United Kingdom had agreed to purchase the Australian wool clip, less local usage, for the duration of the war. The Brisbane Statistics of 1949 lists the value of wool exports from Queensland, during this period, as the following; 1942-1943 (£11,250,763), 1945-1946 (£12,130,595), and by 1947-1948 this figure had reached £20,390,545. Throughout this time wool was the single most valuable pastoral export.

Primaries, as the co-operative came to be known, was formed in 1920 by Alan Walter Campbell, who had been the sub-manager of the Brisbane branch of the Sydney wool, produce and stockbroking firm, John Bridge and Co. since its formation in 1910. In 1919 the Farmers and Graziers Co-operative of New South Wales acquired the assets of John Bridge and Co in New South Wales and around the same time Campbell, who had recently returned from service with the AIF conceived the idea of a primary producers co-operative for Queensland.

In 1920 the Directors of John Bridge and Co contracted with Campbell to transfer to his care: ‘the whole of the…business and assets of the vendors in the State of Queensland…comprising all lands, buildings, plant, machinery, furniture, fittings, records and accessories of every description…’ Campbell paid £75,000 for the transfer of assets, including freehold land and wool store premises at Bulimba; office facilities at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground and an office in Rockhampton. Campbell continued as Managing Director of ‘Primaries’ until his retirement in 1968 at the age of 88 years.

In 1940 the co-operative amalgamated with Sturmfels Primary Producers Co-operative Association Ltd. In 1975 Queensland Primary Producers’ Co-operative Association Ltd (Primaries) amalgamated with Mactaggarts Primary Producers’ Co-operative Association Ltd, to form Primac Association Ltd.

1. Department of Environment and Resource Management, Land Titles Office Records

2. Post Office Directories.

3. A Concise History of the Queensland Primary Producers Co-Operative Association Ltd “Primaries” Unpublished

4. Martin, E, Teneriffe Woolstores Heritage Study, Brisbane City Council: 1992. Brisbane Statistics 1949

5. The Queensland Year Book 1950; No. 11