Ferry Pottery Weighbridge Office
306-310 Albert Street, Brunswick VIC 3056 - Property No 61408
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
The former Ferry Pottery Weighbridge Office located at 306 -310 Albert Street Brunswick is of state wide historical and architectural Significance.
How is it Significant
Why is it Significant
Historicallly the Office is one of the few remaining structures associated with Ferry Pottery, one of Brunswick's larger potteries. It also has a close association with Graham Ferry, and with the actions of 'the combine' in keeping Ferry's works out of production.
Architecturally, the former office is a good example of the incorporation of Ferry's product's into a building easily visible by passers-by.
Significance: As the last tangible relic of the once extensive Brunswick potteries, Ferry's Pottery weigh-bridge office is of regional and state significance.
-
-
Ferry Pottery Weighbridge Office - Physical Description 1
The Ferry Pottery Weighbridge Office is a small freestanding red brick building with a gabled roof. A semi-circular bay, also in brick, projects from the eastern elevation. The northern wall has been rebuilt, and the terracotta roofing tiles replaced with corrugated iron. Several of the building's elements would have provided a good advertisement for the wares of Ferry's pottery, in particular the moulded brick string courses below the eaves and unusual terracotta chimney ventilators. The building has timber framed casement windows.
The building is rectangular in plan with a semicircular niche with a chimney at the eastern end and an unexplained recess in the north west corner. The weighing apparatus is intact and features a balance beam and weights inside the building although the steel plate has been removed. The scales are made by the Australian Scale Company (ASCO) and the weigh-bridge was registered by the department of Weights and Measures for use as a public weigh-bridge.
Key Architectural Elements: very small single storey building with face red brick walls and gabled roof
unusual terracotta details, including chimney ventilators and decorative wall panels
timber-framed windows.
Context: The weigh-bridge office stands on Albert Street at the former pottery entrance. A house adjacent to the office may have been the pottery manager's residence. The pottery which this weigh-bridge served was one of several in the area which gave Brunswick the name of 'Australia's Little Staffordshire'. Other famous Potteries include Hoffman's in Dawson St and Alfred Cornwel's in Phoenix St. Most of the Brunswick potteries had been demolished by the 1960s. While Alfred Cornwell's house survives in Phoenix St and the brick making part of Hoffman's works is still in operation the Ferry weigh-bridge office is now the only remaining industrial building associated with any Brunswick pottery. Latner's Hat Factory, the Hoffman Brickworks, Millers Ropeworks, Hoadly and MacRobertson Liquorice factory and Dawson's Foundry provide the industrial setting for this small building.
Condition and integrity: In a sound condition although spouting is rusted and some windows are boarded up. It is believed that the wall facing the street has been reconstructed at some stage. While the scales remain in the building the weigh plate has been removed from the roadway.
The building is somewhat obscured by the high cyclone wire gates to the Arthur Kenny complex, of which it now marks the entrance.
Comparative Analysis: There are a number of early weigh-bridges and weigh-bridge offices surviving in Melbourne, eg. The public weigh-bridge in Werribee, Schutt and Barrie's in Footsgray and Foy & Gibson's in Collingwood. While they follow a fairly typical plan and size, they are each of an individual design reflecting their period of construction or the purpose for which they were built. However, there is no other weigh-bridge which so clearly reflects the industry it served as does Ferry's.
Conservation Guidelines: reinstate terracotta roof tiles
reinstate windows and doors to original designs
preferably remove or move high cyclone wire fence and gate adjacent to building
Principal Historic Themes: association with 19th century brickmaking and clay industriesHeritage Study and Grading
Moreland - Northern Suburbs Factory Study
Author: Vines, G and M, Churchward
Year: 1992
Grading: LocalMoreland - Keeping Brunswick's heritage: A Report on the Review of the Brunswick Conservation Study
Author: Context Pty Ltd
Year: 1990
Grading:Moreland - City of Moreland Heritage Review
Author: Allen Lovell and Associates
Year: 1999
Grading:
-
-
-
-
-
BRUNSWICK FIRE STATION AND FLATSVictorian Heritage Register H0916
-
FORMER HOFFMAN BRICKWORKSVictorian Heritage Register H0703
-
CHRIST CHURCHVictorian Heritage Register H0129
-
-