BRICKWORKS & POTTERIES
OF THE IPSWICH (Qld) REGION

  Alister J Cameron       

Ebbw Vale Brick Co.

formerly: Brittains Bricks & Pipes; Brittains Brickyard

Later: St Helens Brickworks Ltd; Ebbw Vale Drainpipes Ltd

Specialised in: Face (House) Bricks, Drainpipes, & Pavers

The Brittain Era

Ebbw Vale Brick Co.

Source: Boral Website
Source: Ipswich Heritage Study 1991

The site was later bought by Claypave in the early 1990

Production ceased in 1994

THE BRICKWORKS HAD THE RARE PRIVILEGE OF ITS OWN OPEN LEVEL CROSSING WITH LIGHTS AND BOOM GATES 2011 Photo: Alister J Cameron
BRICKWORKS SITE FROM ABOVE Underlay: Qld Globe (Ausmap) 2024 Overlay: QGIS vectors based on 1946 aerial photos
AERIAL PHOTO OF THE BRICKWORKS 1946 If you look closely you can see coal wagons on the southern siding. Source: Q Imagery
AERIAL PHOTO OF THE BRICKWORKS 1974 Note the clay fields to the north Source: Q Imagery
AERIAL PHOTO OF THE BRICKWORKS 1995 Source: Q Imagery

Scenes of the Brickworks Over the Years

SOME OF THE NEWLY-MADE CLAY PIPES ON DISPLAY DATE UNKNOWN
THE BRICKWORKS 1991 Source: Ipswich Heritage Study 1992 Volume 2 Ipswich Council Library
THE BRICKWORKS DATE UNKNOWN Source: Lost Ipswich
BRICKWORKS VIEWED FROM ACROSS THE OPEN LEVEL CROSSING DATE UNKNOWN Source: Lost Ipswich
THE SITE FROM A SIMILAR POSITION AT A LATER DATE IN 1991 Source: unknown
Source: E D Behan Aust Railway History, November 2015

The Site After Closure

LOOKING NORTH-EAST FROM THE STATION OVERBRIDGE 2011 All that remains is bitumin, concrete and grass. The site of the former clay pit can be seen in the distance. Photo: Alister J Cameron
LOOKING NORTH-EAST ALONG SITE 2011 Ebbw Vale Station is on right and the new Hoepner Road overpass can be seen in the distance. Photo: Alister J Cameron
LOOKING BACK WESTWARDS 2011 Photo: Alister J Cameron
LOOKING EAST TO OVERBRIDGE CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS CAN BE SEEN EVERYWHERE 2011 Photo: Alister J Cameron
ONE OF THE FEW STRUCTURES REMAINING IN 2011 Photo: Alister J Cameron
A CREATIVE USE OF SPARE CLAY PIPES TO FORM PART OF A CULVERT 2011 The station platform and carpark can be seen in the distance. Photo: Alister J Cameron
THE CLAY PIT AREA IN 2011 AFTER BEING LARGELY LEVELLED IN 2011 Photo: Alister J Cameron
THE MAIN SITE IN 2020 All the concrete has gone but a number of old bricks were subsequently exposed. Photo: Alister J Cameron
TOWARDS THE NORTH-WEST A LARGE BANK OF COAL AND ASH CAN BE SEEN IN 2020 Photo: Alister J Cameron
FURTHER NORTH-WEST REDEVELOPMENT HAS ALREADY COMMENCED IN 2020 Photo: Alister J Cameron

House (Face) Bricks

Description:  Orange brick.  Dark glaze on side and back.
Condition:  Much crumbling of edges.
Type:  House Brick
Frog:  Angular frog with inscription; no frog but raised circles each end.
Inscription:  “EBBW VALE”  “BRICK Co Ltd”.  One or two small screw marks in middle.  Large circles each end of brick.
Origin:  Unknown.
Current Location:  Ipswich Historical Society Collection.

Description:  Light-brown brick with dark brown glazing on front and rear and part of one side.
Condition:  Crumbled edges.
Type:  House Brick.
Frog:  Angular frog with inscriptions on front.  No frog on back, but raised circles each end.
Inscription:  “EBBW.VALE”  “”BRICK Co Ltd”.  Two small screw marks in middle.
Origin:  Aberdare Extended 1 Colliery site.
Current Location:  My Collection

Description:  Rough, heavily-speckled brick.  One end molten.  
Condition:  Edges crumbled.
Type:  Kiln Brick or House Brick used in a kiln.
Frog:  Angled frog with inscription.  No frog on back, but large, raised circle on end.
Inscription:  “E V”.
Origin:  Ebbw Vale Brickworks site.
Current Location:  My Collection.

Description:  Orange brick with yellow both ends.  Film of white on surface.
Condition:  Edges very crumbled.
Type:  Kiln Brick?
Frog:  Shallow, angular frog with inscription one side.  Flat on rear.
Inscription:  “EWV”.  Tiny nob each side.
Origin:  Rothwell-Haigh Colliery site.
Current Location:  My Collection

Earthenware Pipes

Description:  Light Brown Clay Pipe Fragment (Female)
Condition:  Fragmentary
Type:  Earthenware Pipe
Inscription:  “EBBW VALE” “DRAINPIPES” “3 21 1 77”
Origin: Bonnie Dundee 1 Colliery general area.
Current Location:  My Collection

Description:  Dark Brown Clay Pipe Fragment.
Condition:  Fragmentary.
Type:  Earthenware Pipe.
Inscription:  “EBBW VALE” “……..NPIPES”
Origin:  Unknown.
Current Location:  My Collection.

Other Bricks Found On The Site

"RYLANCE" "PLASTIC"
"RYL" "P"
"RYLANCE" "PLASTIC"
"RYLANCE" "P"
"RYLANCE" "PLASTIC"
"RYLANCE" DINMORE"