Eureka / Excelsior Brickworks

Trading Name	Eureka / Excelsior Brickworks
Years of Operation	1889
Company Number	440954F
Address	Dandenong Road to the South, Lever Street to the East and Park Road to the West, with the  Brick pit to the North.
Council Lot No.	21,22,23
Coordinates	-37.894075, 145.095255
Current Use	Eureka . Excelsior Brick Works were on the site  taken over by Evans Brothers Tile Works, now  the site of the Garry and Warren Smith car  dealerships.

Volume	Folio	Title Holder	From	To
1376	275075	Howard Tapley Clarton	27 Jul 1882	27 Apr 1885
1685	336948	John & Henry Goding	27 Apr 1885	10 Apr 1886
		Universal Permanent Building and Investment Society	10 Apr 1886	8 Nov 1887
1685	336948	Edwin Wade	8 Nov 1887	28 May 1898
1685	336948	Henry Ethell	28 May 1898	21 Jan 1908
3251	650102	Abraham Baxter & John McKell	21 Jan 1908	21 Jul 1921
		Oakleigh Brick Company	23 Jul 1921
9264	450	City of Oakleigh	20 Jan 1979

Another popular name for brick works.  Several companies called themselves “Eureka” as well as “Excelsior”.  Edwin operated under both names, which makes things a bit confusing because neither of them lasted long.  Described in their advertising as being “nearly opposite the Post Office”, the Eureka Brick Works were on the site taken over by Evans Brothers Tile Works.

John Wright (1858 to 1931) managed his father-in-law Edwin Andrew Wade's Excelsior Yard on the west side of Stamford Road.  Wade's daughter Frances Sale Wade, who was born at her parent's house on Broadwood Street in 1861, assisted her father and husband in the business.  They married in 1882.  Edwin must have been a poor businessmen because the Council was chasing outstanding rates from him in 1881 before he bought the site.  He owed 1 pound, but the Council settled for 12/6 after making an order for that amount.

John and Henry had been Firemen in Melbourne for many years and were obviously better firemen than brick makers.  They didn’t make a go of it and the property was taken over by the Universal Permanent Building and Investment Society.  They sold to Edwin Wade on the 8^th of December 1887.  Edwin operated as Eureka until the 28^th of May 1898 when he sold to Henry Ethell.

The following item appeared in the Oakleigh, Caulfield and Fern Tree Gully Times Saturday December 2nd 1905 in the Local News Column.  "A shocking fatal accident occurred about 4.15 on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Charles E. Davis was driving a newly-wedded couple in his hansom to the railway station, and when at the junction of Dandenong and Neerim Roads saw young Jack Wade, who was learning to ride a bicycle, coming towards him. He was on his right side and gave the lad plenty of room, but just as he came abreast of the hansom he appeared to loose control of the machine and he fell with great force against the wheel of the vehicle. The cab was pulled up instantly, and Mr. D. J. Stein who was just behind and witnessed the occurrence, carried the unfortunate lad into Mr. Claney's house opposite and telephoned for the ambulance, but it was nearly 7 o'clock before it arrived. At an inquest held yesterday a verdict was returned of death from laceration of the brain and that no blame was attachable to anyone. The bereaved parents have been the recipients of numerous expressions of sympathy.”

If you want to see what type of bricks they made, look at the facade of the Mechanics Institute building in Oakleigh.  It appears that he was not crushing the shale as fine as many others because of the size and number od small pebbles and other gravel in the mix.

“Excelsior” was a popular name for early brick works in Victoria.  There was one in   Braybrook,  (cnr of Duke & Gloucester Sts) another in South Yarra, (between Melbourne High School and Chapel Street) and yet another in Frankston.  There appears to be no connection between them.  There were also “Excelsior” works in Sydney, as well as England and the United States.