I Found an old Brewery

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Bribie G

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Since moving to Kyogle I pop over to Lismore at least once a week and in the countryside on the way in, I pass quite a magnificent looking building that's a hardwood sawmill.

It's outside of Lismore at Tuncester on Bentley Road. It looks more like a high class research facility or something and looks quite out of place.

I've just discovered that it's the old Tooths (CUB) Brewery .. they built it in the 1970s with the idea of replacing the old Bulimba Brewery in Brisbane that was on its last legs. Being just over the border from SEQ it was well placed.

As it happened, when CUB closed down the Bulimba operation they bought Bernie Power's brewery at Yatala and the rest is history. The Lismore brewery closed some time afterwards. Can't seem to find out when, but the Tooths Kentish Horse outline is still just visible on the side of the building. Could go a KB right now :beerbang:

tuncester brewery.jpg

Ed: on further research I think it was built pre-CUB to establish a supply area in Northern NSW then got taken over. Sort of like Blue Tongue in its own way. CUB seem to love closing breweries.
 
Nah, still heaps of old forest to clear fell. Ask Mike Baird.

Hey it occurred to me I've actually drunk the products of that brewery. In 1982 I bought a new Ford Laser and we took it for a drive from Maryborough where we lived, down the Newell to Canberra, Sydney and back up the Pacific Hwy.
Stayed at Yamba at the Pacific Hotel on top of the cliff.

In those days beers didn't cross State borders and I sampled a few beers then got hammered on Tooths Old. Not Kent Old Brown, Tooths Old. Must have come from the Lismore brewery and a bloody nice drop, nothing like you could get in QLD.

Well there ya go.
 
Hmmm if I win 40 mill on Powerball....

I wonder if there's any brewing infrastructure left in the place such as electric cabling, pipework etc. Appear to be a couple of huge holding tanks on site.

tuncester brewery 2.jpg
 
Break in an av a butchers Guvna?
 
If you are interested in doing some more research contact Dr Brett Stubbs at Southern Cross University (it think Lismore campus). He specialises in Australian Brewing History and should be able to steer you in the right direction.
Mark
 
Bribie G said:
Hmmm if I win 40 mill on Powerball....

I wonder if there's any brewing infrastructure left in the place such as electric cabling, pipework etc. Appear to be a couple of huge holding tanks on site.

attachicon.gif
tuncester brewery 2.jpg
From my experience it's exceptionally common to just shut everything down and close the doors, unless the building is being demolished.
 
Bribie G said:
Hmmm if I win 40 mill on Powerball....

I wonder if there's any brewing infrastructure left in the place such as electric cabling, pipework etc. Appear to be a couple of huge holding tanks on site.

attachicon.gif
tuncester brewery 2.jpg
If you could raise enough money to get it up running you could double or triple your investment when CUB offers to buy it off you so they can shut it down again :lol:
 

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