W. H. Clark (brewer)
William Henry Clark | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1815 Newry, Ireland |
| Died | between 1862 and 1873 |
| Occupation(s) | Brewer, settler |
| Years active | 1844–1860 |
| Known for | Founding Halifax Street Brewery and Hindley Street brewery (later West End Brewery) |
William Henry Clark (circa 1815–1870) was among the pioneering settlers and brewers in Adelaide, within the Colony of South Australia. Around 1844, he launched the Halifax Street Brewery which he sold in 1856. Subsequently, in 1859, he established another brewery located at the western extremity of Hindley Street. Following financial insolvency, Clark departed the colony in 1860 to evade his creditors. The Hindley Street establishment was then assumed by William Knox Simms and eventually became known as the West End Brewery.
Early life
Clark originated from Newry, Ireland, and made his arrival in South Australia in June 1839 aboard the Sir Charles Forbes from Liverpool. The following year, he married Sarah Ann Blakely, who had traveled on the same vessel.
Halifax Street Brewery
The Halifax Street Brewery, also referred to as Halifax Brewery, was founded by Clark circa 1844. By May 1848, he was recognized as a proactive brewer when he initiated a copper mining venture near Strathalbyn.
In 1854, Clark entered into a partnership named "W. H. Clark & Co." alongside J. B. Spence, J. H. Parr, and Edward Logue to acquire assets from the Crawford brothers' Hindmarsh Brewery. This strategic move aimed to diminish market competition and broaden their commercial reach. The brewery encountered resistance from local residents due to unpleasant odors caused by waste discharge. Additionally, Clark constructed a mill and malthouse on Halifax Street adjacent to the Rob Roy Tavern.
By March 1856, Clark declared that management of the Halifax Street Brewery would be transferred to W. K. Simms & Co. (William Knox Simms). In February 1858, the brewery’s plant was purchased by Henry Noltenius, who appointed Simms as manager until November when Simms took ownership of the business. Noltenius himself became insolvent by 1860.
Post-Clark era of Halifax brewery
After lying dormant for sixteen years, Clark’s Halifax Street brewery was revitalized in 1875 by W. J. Disher under the name Imperial Brewery. By 1909, the location had been repurposed as the Enterprise Boot Factory.
Additional ventures
In 1859, with financial support from pastoralist John Haimes, Clark founded another brewery at Hindley Street’s western end which later developed into the successful West End Brewery.
Despite these enterprises, Clark soon encountered financial difficulties with bank debts; his residence in Walkerville along the Torrens River was put up for sale in May 1858.
Clark also participated actively in land development projects, subdividing parcels in North Adelaide and managing approximately 650 acres at Gilles Plains. He possessed property on Hindley Street and erected an office building on King William Street between Currie and Waymouth streets, which was subsequently acquired by the Bank of Adelaide.
Later years
Around January 1860, Clark left South Australia for Melbourne to avoid insolvency proceedings, leaving his business affairs under the care of W. K. Simms and G. P. Gardner.
His death occurred sometime between 1862 and 1873; however, no official death record exists within South Australia nor any contemporary newspaper notices. His precise birth date remains uncertain but is approximated based on his immigration and marriage records.
Family
Edward Clark of Liverpool
- William Henry Clark (deceased before 1873), Edward Clark’s second son from Liverpool, married
- Sarah Ann Blakely (1825 – 18 December 1894) on 19 February 1840; both arrived in South Australia aboard Sir Charles Forbes in June 1839. She passed away in Glenelg, South Australia. Their offspring included:
- Jessie Clark (1842 – 8 January 1906), who wed Judge William Alfred Wearing (1816–1875) on 4 October 1860. After his demise in the wreck of SS Gothenburg, she relocated with their five children to London shortly thereafter.
- Anne Glenn "Annie" Clark (1843–1921), married Clement Sabine (1833–1903) on 6 March 1862; by this time W. H. Clark had moved to Melbourne.
- Edward Clark (1846–1900), brewer and proprietor of East Adelaide Brewing Company which later merged with Walkerville Brewing Cooperative and A. W. & T. L. Ware & Co., forming Southwark Brewing Company. He married Elizabeth Jones? Wolfe? (died 1874), then (Harriett Frances) Jane Long (circa 1857–1938) in 1876. His children included:
- Mary Glenn Clark (1868–1954), married Joseph Conigrave in 1898.
- Elinor Joy Clark (1870–1943), married Richard Fordham in 1895.
- (Harriett Frances) Jane Long remarried Oscar John Herbert in 1914.
- Their children: Stella Ethel, Edward Blakely (1879–1947), Elsie Muriel, Rita Beatrice, George Oscar Murray (1883–1959), Harold Hamilton (who married Lucy Amelia May Devonshire in 1912), Stanley Roy, Eric Gordon Tarcoola (1893–1915), and Gwendolyn Gladys Blakely Clark (1896–1983).
- William Henry Clark (1846–1875), born in Newry, Ireland; married Jeannie Wilson on 3 March 1871; died at Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria. His widow gave birth to a son six days later.
- George Clark (born 1857), served as manager of Blanchwater Station.
- Sarah Ann Blakely (1825 – 18 December 1894) on 19 February 1840; both arrived in South Australia aboard Sir Charles Forbes in June 1839. She passed away in Glenelg, South Australia. Their offspring included:
- William Henry Clark (deceased before 1873), Edward Clark’s second son from Liverpool, married