Bob Padula's Internet Magazine : Daniel Robertson Brickworks - Nunawading

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Daniel Robertson Brickworks - Nunawading - Victorian Heritage Series

The Daniel Robertson ceramics company was established in 1853 as a shale roof-tile importer. The Australian company continued to import English shale roof-tiles in the ballasts of ships until 1923, when local manufacturing began from a site at 54-76 Station St Nunawading.

→ Header image: from Property Developer, during demolition 2013.

Main Gate - Norcal Rd (2012)

Site boundary in 2014

The 4.9 hectare facility originally only produced roof-tiles until the 1960's when stylish bricks were added to the menu. Their new range of bricks quickly stole the spotlight from their tiles due to their bespoke artisan finish, range of sizes and distinctive unique rustic look which they gained from their less mechanized and controlled manufacturing process compared to other uniform looking cheaper bricks on the market at the time.

Clay for the factory was obtained from an on-site quarry.

The Chimney (January 2020)

Extract from Concept Plan - 2014
(Whitehorse Council)

No brick was the same, giving whatever building they were used on a timeless patchwork textured look. In 2012, multi million dollar Australian owned company, Brickworks Limited finally purchased the last 50% of the ownership of the company and the expansive site was sold to AusGroup Property and Development in late 2013.

The factory closed in early 2014 ending 91 years of operation at the site and joining the now many crumbling ghostly reminders of Australia’s once mighty brickmaking past.

The chimney has been retained as a protected heritage feature.

The site is zoned "Industrial".

As at April 2020 the site is a waterlogged, weed infested wasteland, protected by a chain fence.