Perry Engineering
| Company type | Public (from 1947) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Foundry, Steel fabrication, Engineering |
| Predecessor | Cornwall Foundry (renamed Victoria Foundry) |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Founder | Samuel Perry |
| Defunct | 1969 (Mile End factory closed), company liquidated by 2000 |
| Fate | Merged with Johns & Waygood in 1966; later acquired by Boral in 1986; liquidated by 2000 |
| Headquarters | Mile End, South Australia , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Locomotives, military vehicles, mechanical presses, structural steelwork, cranes, controllable-pitch propellers, elevators and escalators, metal castings and forgings |
| Parent | Pope Electric Motors Group (after Boral divestment) |
Perry Engineering was a leading foundry and steel fabrication company based in South Australia.
History
The origins of Perry Engineering date back to 1899 when Samuel Perry took ownership of the Cornwall Foundry located on Hindley Street, subsequently renaming it the Victoria Foundry. He then launched a bridge and girder manufacturing facility on nearby North Terrace and, by approximately 1911, established a larger factory at Mile End. By 1916, this site was recognized as Perry Engineering.
In 1915, Perry acquired the Phoenix Foundry in Gawler, previously operated by James Martin & Co, from the estate of Henry Dutton. This purchase occurred after James Martin & Co lost a significant locomotive contract and faced stiff competition from the government-owned Islington Railway Workshops. Subsequently, Samuel Perry relocated the majority of heavy manufacturing activities to Mile End, leaving Gawler with a reduced operational footprint. Around 1918, he appointed his nephew Frank as works manager at Mile End; Frank assumed control of the business in 1930 and formally incorporated it as Perry Engineering Co. Ltd in 1937.
Perry Engineering manufactured locomotives for several clients including the Commonwealth Railways, South Australian Railways, Tasmanian Government Railways, and sugar cane operators in Queensland. The company also provided locomotives for Victorian infrastructure projects such as the Hume Weir and Silvan Reservoir.
During World War II, the firm shifted focus toward munitions and defense production, manufacturing military vehicles like the Ferret scout car, which was supplied to American forces.
A heavy steelworks facility was launched in Whyalla in 1958 alongside continued expansion at Mile End. The company became publicly listed in 1947 and during the 1950s produced mechanical presses for major automotive manufacturers including Chrysler, Ford, and Holden.
In 1966, Perry Engineering merged with the Victorian-based company Johns & Waygood to form Johns Perry Engineering. The Mile End factory ceased operations in 1969, and by the late 1970s, manufacturing activities had been withdrawn from South Australia. In 1986, Boral acquired Johns Perry Engineering but subsequently sold off its engineering division, transferring ownership of Perry Engineering to the Pope Electric Motors Group. Due to financial struggles and a lack of contracts, both companies entered administration and were ultimately liquidated by 2000.
Between 2001 and 2005, most of the original Perry Engineering facilities were demolished to make way for development of the Mile End Homemaker Centre.
Products and projects
- Anzac Class Frigates - Rudders & Stabilizers
- Bushmaster PMV - Prototype constructed during 1995/96; project transferred to ADI Limited around 1996 following Boral’s divestment of its engineering division
- Collins Class Submarines - Hull Sections 300 & 600, Interior Platforms, Water Piping & Storage Tanks for drinking water, Thrust Bearings
- Construction Equipment - Including trenchers, tractor cranes, and crane borers
- Cranes - Various types such as travelling, portal, container, and tractor cranes
- Controllable-pitch propellers - Developed through a joint venture with Lips N.V. from Holland
- Elevators & escalators
- Northern Power Station - Structural Steelwork & Electrostatic Precipitators
- Olympic Dam Mine Project
- Paper Machines - Manufactured under contract for Beloit
- Perry-Hitachi Reclaimers
- Structural Steelwork - Projects including Adelaide Festival Centre, Goldsbrough House, and Yallourn W Power Station
- Metal Castings & Forgings
- TACLOP aircraft freight loading system
Locomotives
- Commonwealth Railways KA class – 6 units produced
- South Australian Railways F class (1902) – 10 units manufactured
- Tasmanian Government Railways Q class – total of 6 units
- Tasmanian Government Railways R class – 4 units built
- Industrial steam locomotives with a 0-6-2 wheel arrangement – 4 units in total:
- No. 1 Proserpine Mill (1939)
- Chiverton located at Kalamia (1938)
- Carstairs stationed at Inkerman Mill
- No. 6 Tully at North Eton (1941)
See also
References
- Articles with short description
- Defunct manufacturing companies of Australia
- Engineering companies of Australia
- Defunct locomotive manufacturers of Australia
- Australian companies established in 1899
- 1969 disestablishments in Australia
- Manufacturing companies established in 1899
- Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1969
- Foundries in Australia