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Former Joshua Brothers Sugar Refinery

Other Names Colonial Sugar Refinery ,  Victorian Sugar Company Location 265 Whitehall Street,, YARRAVILLE VIC 3013 - Property No B5089 File Number B5089 Level National

Statement of Significance

Joshua Brothers Company erected the first Yarraville sugar refinery in 1873 reputedly using local contractors Edward Murphey and Timothy Lane. Thomas Watts was architect of the early stages of construction with initial tenders in November 1872, two brick stores were added in 1872-5 and a timber store in 1875. Either John Campbell or James Muir (there is conflict in sources) were brought out from Scotland to supervise construction and became manager on completion in February 1874.
The Victorian Sugar Company, having built a refinery in Sandridge in c.1857 took over Joshua Brothers works when their own Sandridge refinery burnt down in 1875.
The company merged in July 1887 with the New South Wales and Queensland based Colonial Sugar Refinery Co. which was itself set up in 1855 having taken over the Australian Sugar Co.
CSR had, by the late nineteenth century, established itself as a virtual monopoly growing and producing sugar cane in Queensland and northern N.S.W. and other pacific countries and refining and packing in Sydney, Melbourne, and other cities, and was the second largest sugar refinery in Australia in the 1950s.
Classified: 01/10/1990