BRICKWORKS & POTTERIES
OF THE IPSWICH (Qld) REGION

  Alister J Cameron       

Welldon

Thomas & James Welldon

                                                      Timeline for Thomas Welldon

1857:

Brick-makers Thomas Welldon and Harry Wheeler arrive in Moreton Bay and proceed to Ipswich.Both are subsequently engaged by Jack Wright of Little (West) Ipswich to make 100,000 bricks; 30,000 for the building of St Pauls.

Welldon is given the task of manufacturing the St Pauls bricks at the ‘old pump yard’ in central Ipswich. He lives on site.  Harry Crosby and Mr Stonebridge works with him.

Harry Wheeler is put to work at the brickyards in Queens Park (site of the later Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator).

Late 1857:

Wright transfers Welldon to his brick fields at Saddlier’s Pocket (West Ipswich).  Here he makes bricks for the Sovereign Hotel, One-Mile Hotel and Ipswich Hotel (Brisbane St).

1858:

Welldon leaves Ipswich to try his luck on the Port Curtis (Gladstone) gold field. After being unsuccessful he quickly returns.

 1858: 

Welldon returns to Jack Wright who gets him to work with Thomas Lovegrove at the Queen’s Park brickfield.
Here they make bricks for the ‘Old Court House’.Welldon is also occupied at “Brick Town” (see separate web page) and “Warwick Road”?

1863

Welldon starts a brick field “the other side of One-Mile Bridge beyond the old rifle range” (see map).

Welldon also makes bricks in the vicinity of Woodend Road (see map)

1870:

Welldon purchases 12 1/2 acres from Thomas Lovegrove; close to the junction of Waterworks and Pine Mountain Roads
Subsequently manufactures bricks for a number of years.

1880:

Thomas’s son James joins his father in partnership.

Around 1890:

The brickyard in North Ipswich closed because of competition with Waterstown Brickworks

Most of the details are based on an interview with Thomas Welldon in 1910 when he was aged 81.

Source: Qld Times 17 June 2010 p5

THOMAS WELLDON c1912
JAMES WELLDON Source:Qld Times, Thursday 12 May 1938 p14 via Trove

Various Sites in Southern Ipswich Where Welldon Worked

VARIOUS PLACES THAT THOMAS WELLDON WORKED IN HIS EARLY YEARS Source: 1880s cadastral map scanned at Ipswich Council Library; Alister J Cameron
OLD PUMP YARD (WATER RESERVE) 1877 Cadastral map scanned at Ipswich Council Library; Alister J Cameron
FORMER PUMP YARD SITE IN 1910 At this point in time it was the 'Central Gardens' and a crowd is pictured attending the funeral service for King Edward VII. Later the Soldiers Memorial Hall and Technical College were built here. Source: Picture Ipswich Reference ID WHD-005-gpl-0203p.jpg
CLOSEUP OF WRIGHT'S PROPERTIES IN WEST IPSWICH Source: 1880s cadastral map scanned at Ipswich Council Library; Alister J Cameron
1886 CADASTRAL MAP OF THE LOCATION OF THE QUEEN'S PARK BRICKFIELD Yellow symbol marks the approximate area The red overlay was added at a later time. Source: https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/map-collection/mr010634
SITE OF QUEEN'S PARK BRICKFIELD IN 1928 BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GRIFFIN INCINERATOR Note the small waterhole which could either be a former clay pit or water source for the works. Source: https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/
1946 AERIAL PHOTO OF A SECTION OF QUEEN'S PARK The incinerator was constructed on the former brickyard site. Source: QImagery
THE SITE FROM ABOVE IN 2025 The incinerator has now been converted to a theatre. Source: Qld Globe (Ausmap)
REAR VIEW OF INCINERATOR IN 1936 AFTER COMPLETION BUT BEFORE SITE HAD BEEN CLEANED. Raises question as to whether it was constructed making use of the former brickyard workings. Source: Picture Ipswich Reference ID qips-2009-06-03-0010p.jpg
BY THE TIME OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING IN 1936 THE WHOLE SITE HAS BEEN CLEANED UP. Source: Picture Ipswich Reference ID qips-2009-06-03-0008

Welldon's Own Brickyards

WELLDON SITE AT WHAT IS NOW LEICHHARDT FROM THE AIR 1955 The only evidence of former activity is some ground disturbances among the trees. Source: Department of Natural Resources and Mines
THE SITE FROM ABOVE c2025 Its now the location of Leichhardt State School. Source: Qld Globe (Ausmap)
WOODEND ROAD 1875 Welldon manufactured bricks along here at one time; exact location unknown. Source: Qld State Archives, ID 620535
1886 MINING MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF WELLDON AND ROGERS BRICK YARDS Source: https://geoscience.data.qld.gov.au/map-collection/mr010634
LIKELY LOCATION OF WELLDON'S BRICKYARD SUPERIMPOSED ON 1909 CADASTRAL MAP Map Source: Queensland State Archives
AERIAL PHOTO OF LIKELY NORTH IPSWICH BRICKYARD 1946 Photo: QImagery
AERIAL PHOTO OF THE SITE IN 2025 The disturbed area is the first stage in the construction of new housing. Photo: Qld Globe (Ausmap)

Welldon Brick Stormwater Drain

AFTER A FLOOD IN FEBRUARY 2013 A BRICK IS EXPOSED NEAR THE BRICK STORMWATER DRAIN ON THE BANK OF THE BREMER Given the article above could it be a Welldon brick?

Bricks

Description:  Rough, sandy, brown brick with large black blotches and holes.
Condition:  Frog very worn.
Type:  House Brick.
Frog:  Long, rectangular frog with inscription.
Inscription:  “WELLDON” (indented).
Origin:  Unknown.
Current Location:  Ipswich Historical Society Collection.

Description:  Orange brick with tiny black 
Condition:  A small about of crumbling on the edges.
Type:  House Brick.
Frog:  Rectangular, flat frog with angled edges and rounded corners.
Inscription:  “J.WELLDON” (indented).  Screw marks on both sides.
Origin:  Unknown.
Current Location:  Ipswich Historical Society Collection.

This brick is marked "TIVOLI" ; but the only brickworks I know of at Tivoli is Waterstown which always used "W" as its maker's mark. However, a newspaper article of 1884 says that Welldon provided "necessary material" for the boiler bed of Waterstown Brickworks. Could the above kiln brick have been made by Welldon for Waterstown?

Description:  Light-Coloured, Speckled, Oversized Brick
Condition:  Fully intact.
Type:  Kiln Brick
Frog:  None.
Inscription:  “TIVOLI” (roughly stamped & indented).
Origin:  Unknown
Current Location:  Ipswich Historical Society Collection.