IT'S THE PITS: Evans Brothers

Trading Name	Evans Brothers Pty Ltd
Years of Operation	1912 to 1972 (Sold Oakleigh site in 1969)
Company Number	C38607G
Address	Park Road Oakleigh
Council Lot No.
Coordinates	-37.894075, 145.095255
Current Use	Motor Car Trader and various commercial activities

Evans Brothers Tile Works; Photo coutesy of H Gobbi, Taking its Place: a History of Oakleigh , p 185

Evans Brothers Pty. Ltd. tile works were located on the North side of Dandenong Road between Park Road and Lever Street on the site of the former “Excelsior” and “Eureka” Brickworks. They dug their clay from the pit beside them. The site occupied an area of approximately 2 hectares , to the East of the Oakleigh Hotel, Oakleigh, Victoria.

Evans Brothers Tile Works Site 1931

The whole of the site formerly occupied by the tile works has since been converted into a car sales and service yard as well as various other smaller commercial operations to the rear. A large car park now occupies the site at the rear and the remains of the demolished kilns lie covered in grass along the Scotchmans Creek. Little trace now remains of the sites previous use as a brick works following its sale to the current occupiers.

The Group consisted of:

Evans Brothers Holdings Limited (The Parent Company) and,

Evans Brothers (Oakleigh) Pty Ltd

The Oakleigh Company made roof tiles and textured bricks.

Evans Brothers (Roof Tiling) Pty Ltd

This arm of the group did the installation of tiles.

Ceramic Brick and Tiles Pottery Pty Ltd

This branch operated the quarries and eventually took over management of their new Scoresby plant that succeeded Oakleigh. Following its sale to Gary and Warren Smith Motors in 1969.

Evans Brothers Pty Ltd

This Company was responsible for sales and marketing the products.

They first appear in the Sands and Mac Dougall Directory as tile makers in the 1911 edition. The company was operating first in South Melbourne before moving to Oakleigh and taking over the old “Eureka” site. In 1957, the following list of Directors was lodged with the Companies Office;

Reginald Charles Evans 15 Stewart Street, Brighton (1937) Married Murial Esme

John Cecil Evans (Cremated 28 Jun 1983)

Robert Winston Evans of Elwood (married Rae Marie Owen)

William Boyd Evans born Albert Park Vic 22 Mar 1908 (NOK Marjorie)

Richard Reginald Bath

Victor Edward Arnold. (Also the Company Secretary)

Evans Robert Winston born Elsternwick Vic 27 Jul 1924 (Mother Winifred

18 Martin St Elsternwick)

Clay came originally quarried from the pit nearby and brought to the works by conveyor. It was milled while still moist and went through a pugmill where it emerged as a continuous mass onto a roller table where it was cut into blocks These blocks were transported into a double sided press where they were shaped into tiles. Excess water was expelled during pressing. At the Evans Tile Works, the green tiles moved from the press onto a conveyor belt where they were trimmed by hand of any surplus clay.

Tiles were then put onto trays and moved to the drying racks where they dried for up to two weeks. They then moved to the drying floor where they were placed on racks to dry. After drying, they were packed onto a barrow that was placed onto a lift and lowered to where they were loaded into the kiln. The dried tiles were fired in stages at up to 1100C. After cooling, the fired tiles were removed, graded and stored ready for shipping. Drying was done upstairs where the heat from the kiln was ducted to aid the process. They dried for up to two weeks.

Evans Brothers Site 1945

In November 1957, the company increased its share capital by the addition of 95,000 shares valued at £1 each, beyond the registered capital of £5,000. Clay was being transported from a site at Tally-Ho, further north to Oakleigh. In 1961-62, work commenced on building a modern production facility in Scoresby, Victoria. Oakleigh was becoming old and in need of updating.

In 1965, a second tunnel kiln was built at the new plant and the Oakleigh tile works suffered their first financial year loss. Evans Bros. had purchased additional land at Scoresby, bringing their total holding there to 68 acres. A new automated tile works had then been built at Scoresby and the Oakleigh Tile Works closed in June 1967 as it had become uneconomic. The land on which it stood was sold to Garry and Warren Smith, car dealers in 1969. A Directors report for Evans Bros. of 1971 says; “The Directors advise that this Company did not transact any business during the year ended 31^st March 1971, and no profit or loss was made for the period.”

All trace of their brick works is now long gone, but there is still a building on site the car people call “The Evans Building”. Warren Smith recalls the demolition of the chimney being televised and the duplex homes on Dandenong road being demolished to make way for the Car Yard. Weatherboard workers homes in Park Road were also sold and relocated.

Aerial view of Evans Brothers Tile Works in 1931 showing the works at the top with the claypit in the centre, Dandenong Road at an angle at the bottom and Park Road to the right.

Evans Brothers Tile Works 1968

The works has expanded considerably since the 1931 photo. Note the row of brick duplex cottages along Dandenong Road. Weatherboard homes on the west of Park Road are also visible.

Evans Brothers Tile Works, Oakleigh, Late 1940s

As seen here, bricks and tiles had there rough edges trimmed. Here, workers use their hands. but often a wire called a “bow” was used on the soft clay in the moulds.

Tile Cleaning, Evans Brothers 1947

"In February 1969, Garry and Warren Smith became a General Motors-Holden Dealer and took over the long established business of Williams & Sons in Atherton Rd, Oakleigh. One of the conditions upon appointment by GMH involved closing various used car outlets. Prior to taking on the GMH franchise 8.5 acres was acquired in Dandenong Rd, Oakleigh from Evans Brothers. Previously the property was a brickworks and quarry"