Barclay Mowlem
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Construction |
| Founded | 1 January 1957 in Brisbane, Australia |
| Founder | Don Barclay, Ian Barclay |
| Defunct | 1 July 2006 |
| Fate | Acquired by Laing O'Rourke; brand discontinued |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
Area served | Australia (excluding South Australia), Asia, Papua New Guinea |
| Parent | John Mowlem & Co (from 1971), later Carillion, then Laing O'Rourke |
Barclay Mowlem was a construction firm based in Australia that operated from 1957 until 2006.
History
The company was established in Brisbane in 1957 by the Barclay brothers, Don and Ian, initially known as Barclay Bros. It quickly grew to become one of the largest construction enterprises in Queensland. The following year, 1958, marked its first international venture with a hospital project located in Madang, Papua New Guinea. In 1971, the British construction company John Mowlem & Co acquired a 40% ownership interest and later assumed complete control of the business. Barclay Mowlem expanded its footprint throughout mainland Australia—excluding South Australia—and extended into various parts of Asia.
In 1985, Barclay Bros merged with Roberts Construction, elevating its status to one of the top five construction companies nationwide. The firm adopted the name Barclay Mowlem in 1988.
By December 2005, Barclay Mowlem’s parent company, Mowlem, was purchased by Carillion. Since Carillion lacked other Australian operations, it divested Barclay Mowlem to Laing O'Rourke in July 2006. Following this transaction, the Barclay Mowlem brand was discontinued.
Notable projects
Among the significant projects completed by Barclay Mowlem were:
- Houghton Highway Bridge, finalized in 1979
- Queensland Performing Arts Centre, finished in 1985
- Brisbane Airport domestic terminal, completed in 1987
- 111 George Street, concluded in 1993
- Woronora River Bridge, delivered in 2001
- The Alice Springs to Darwin railway segment as part of a consortium with John Holland, Kellogg Brown & Root, and Macmahon, completed in 2004
- Extension of the Joondalup line from Currambine to Clarkson, finished in 2004
- Sea Cliff Bridge, completed in 2005
- The depot and track laying for the Taiwan High Speed Rail project within a consortium including Fu Tsu Construction, Heitkamp Rail, Hsin Lung Construction, and Leighton Asia, completed in 2005
- Thornlie railway station, completed in 2005
At the time when Laing O'Rourke acquired Barclay Mowlem, the company was actively involved in building the Chatswood Transport Interchange and the Fortescue railway.