State Brickworks Homebush Bay

State Brickworks, Homebush by Rex Hazelwood

The State Brickworks at Homebush Bay in Sydney was a state owned brick manufacturing site from 1911-1988. The land was reused as part of the Sydney Olympic site and is the location of the Brickpit ring walk.

Location

The site of the former State Brickworks was on the traditional lands of the Wann clan, known as the Wann-gal.[1] and forms part of the Bicentennial Park.[1] At geographical coordinates: 33° 50' 30" South, 151° 4' 17" the location is now East Sydney Olympic Park.

Establishment

Workers at State Brickworks, Homebush by Rex Hazelwood

The State Brickworks was established on Crown Land at Homebush Bay in 1911.[2] It was a NSW government facility to manufacture bricks.[2] Approximately 23 acres of land[2] was purchased for the buildings and machinery and a central delivery depot was established at Blackwattle Bay.[2]

Trading operations of the State Brickworks commenced on 1 November 1911 and the output for the first trading period was wholly absorbed on Government works.[2][3]

Depression and the war years

During the economic depression of the 1930s, the brickworks operated at a significant loss.[4] In 1936, they were sold to private enterprise and closed in 1940. the site has a train station for workers to use, which opened in 1939.[4]

After World War II, the Government re-established the State Brickworks due to a shortage of bricks.[5] Two large pits were created to provide the clay to make the bricks.[1] The bricks were also shipped to country areas of New South Wales.[6]

Closure

The first pit was closed and filled in during the 1960s. Work in the second pit ceased with the closure of the brickworks in 1988.[1]

During the 1960-80s the Brickworks was known as "Brickies" a popular place for drag racing on a Friday or Saturday night.[7] Drivers set off from the Big Chiefs (Beefy’s) burger joint on Parramatta Road, racing up Underwood Road towards Brickies Hill. This circuit can be seen in the 1977 film The FJ Holden.[4]

The Brickworks was also used as a filming location for Bartertown scenes in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.[8]

Brickpit Ring Walk

The remaining brick pit is now an adopted home of the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog[1] Above the brickpit is the Brickpit Ring Walk[1] a 550 metre[9] aerial walkway and outdoor exhibition, approximately 20 metres[10] above the brickpit floor, that allows visitors to view it without damaging the delicate habitat of the Green and Golden Bell Frog.[11] Designed by Durbach Block Architects[10], the walkway won a 2006 National Trust Heritage Award.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Sydney Olympic Park Fact Sheet" (PDF). Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "State Brickworks". NSW State Records. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. ↑ New South Wales. State Brickworks, Homebush Bay; New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Assembly (1916), State enterprises-State Brick Works, Homebush Bay : balance-sheet, manufacturing account, trading account, and profit and loss account, for year ended 30 June, 1916, William Applegate Gullick, Govt. Printer, retrieved 12 September 2018
  4. 1 2 3 "NSW State Brickworks/Brickpit Ring Walk – Homebush, NSW". Past/Lives of the Near Future. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. ↑ New South Wales. State Brickworks (1940), State Brickworks, Underwood Road, Homebush Bay, manufacturers of common and moulded bricks : [range of moulded bricks available from State Brickworks], State Brickworks, retrieved 12 September 2018
  6. ↑ "STATE BRICKWORKS". The Biz. New South Wales, Australia. 6 August 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 12 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ Lewis, Daniel (6 December 2009). "Olympic Park street circuit transformed from 'Brickies' to big bickies". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Filming Locations - Bartertown". www.madmaxmovies.com. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Brickpit Ring Walk, Sydney Olympic Park". www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  10. 1 2 Australian Institute of Architects. "The Brickpit Ring - Architecture Gallery". Dynamic architecture. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Brickpit Ring Walk". Time Out. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
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