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West Torrens businesses and industries

Lockleys, Fulham, Brooklyn Park and Underdale Businesses in 1948-1953

These advertisements showcase the businesses of the era.

Thebarton, Mile End, Hilton and Torrensville Businesses in 1929

These advertisements showcase the businesses of the era.

Perry Engineering Ltd

In October 1916, Perry's Engineering Ltd become the largest engineering company in South Australia.

Kelvinator Australia Ltd

Formed in 1932 by the late William Queale under the name of Mechanical Products Limited, Kelvinator Australia Limited came into being in 1934.

The Metters Company

Metters was a brand of stoves and ovens made by Metters & Company, an Australian company established in Adelaide in 1891 by Frederick Metters.

S.A. Farmers' Co-operative Union Ltd. Mile End South

The South Australian Farmers’ Co-operative Union, comprising 5 directors, 94 farmer shareholders and paid-up capital of just under £3,000, was formally launched in Jamestown in early October 1888.

Hume Pipes - a world-first technology that began at Mile End South

The Hume pipe factory occupied a site on the north-eastern corner of South and Richmond roads, Mile End South, from 1912 to 1987.

‘The Jammy’ – IXL & Henry Jones (Mile End South)

From early 1892, Henry Jones used the brand name IXL (a play on ‘I excel’ – IXL had also been used as a brand name by a Geelong household appliance manufacturer in the 1860s). Jones was nicknamed by some as ‘Jam Tin Jones’.

Adelaide Chemical Works (Torrensville)

In 1881, bouyed by the success of their Melbourne plant, Robert Burns Cuming (1859-1910) set up a similar factory in Adelaide at New Thebarton (Now Torrensville) - in South Australia both sulphuric acid and superphosphate had to imported at high tariffs from other Australian colonies or from overseas.

William Charlick Ltd (Mile End South)

In 1916 William Charlick set up the Mile End Cold Stores supplying a much needed cold storage facility. The plant was capable of storing around 30,000 cases of fruit, forty tons of butter and making five tons of ice per day.

Horwood Bagshaw Ltd (Mile End)

In late January 1924 Horwood and Company took over Bagshaw and Sons to form Horwood Bagshaw Limited; the company’s starting capital was £250,000. Horwood Bagshaw’s factory was based at Bagshaw and Sons’ Mile End site. Horwood Bagshaw reorganised the factory by dividing it into two divisions, an agricultural machinery section and an engineering section.

Richards / Chrysler (Mile End South)

T.J. Richards was by then a highly respected coachbuilder, winning many awards at national and state shows and producing over thirty designs of coaches and sulkies. His most famous design was the ‘King of the Road’ coach. For many years a huge ‘Chrysler-Dodge-Plymouth-DeSoto’ Art-Deco neon sign fronted the business at the corner of Anzac Highway and Leader Street.