Many hoppy returns are expected as the owners revive the historic Gladstone brewery

When Paulette Flint grew up in central Queensland in the 1960s, Ward Soft Drink and Eco-Friendly Factory was much more than a local institution.

Key points:

• Wards Cordial Factory was an iconic Gladstone institution from the 1920s to 1980s
• The factory was closed due to high inflation and globalization in the 80s and the building was turned into a car rental agency
• Now the old factory will return to its original purpose, brewing various kinds of drinks

“It was a treat,” he said.

“We only get soft drinks at Christmas time or on special occasions.

“We used to go to the factory and buy a box of soft drinks, which was 12 big bottles and you were allowed to choose different flavours.

“Rockhampton has a brand, Brisbane has a brand, but Gladstone has a Ward’s. It’s ours and we think it’s the best ever.”

Gladstone may be known today as an industrial hub, but before the industrial boom of the ’60s, it was one of the city’s leading companies.

Ward’s also has factories in Biloela and Cracow and ships its soft drinks and hot drinks throughout the region.

Michael Comley’s parents bought the brand and factory in the 1970s.

“Ward is from Many Peaks [southwest of Gladstone] when there [gold] I was there as A Ward and Son,” he said.

“When the mine closed they then moved to Auckland Street in Gladstone, and they acquired this land in 1922.

“It’s 100 years this year.”

In the mid-1950s, the business was one of about 600 soft drink companies growing in Australian cities and towns.

Michael Comley turned an old soft drink factory into a brewery.(ABC Capricornia: Tobi Loftus)

Time changes

The fortunes of the Gladstone institution changed in the 1980s.

“That’s kind of going into an economy similar to what it is now; very high inflation, higher interest rates,” Comley said.

“Also, globalization is really holding back and keeping people away from buying local and heading for big shopping malls.

“Supermarkets are getting bigger and people are starting to buy plastic bottled soft drinks and post-mix comes into play with the pubs.”

American brands Coca-Cola and Pepsi dominate the market.

Mr Comley said that made it difficult for friendly and soft drink manufacturers around Queensland to survive.

“It’s about time Mom and Dad moved away from the friendly factory and headed for [a rental car business],” he says.

“And that’s what was here until recently, about five years ago.”

Back to life

Mr Comley said he and his brothers, who now operate car rental outlets across central Queensland, decided they wanted to turn the friendly old brewery back into a beverage business, albeit a different kind of drink.

“With the development of the craft beer industry, we thought yes, let’s build a brew pub,” he said.

The factory installed its delivery truck as part of the Labor Day parade.(provided)

The project, Comley said, is a tribute to the history of the building, and Gladstone as a whole.

As part of the restoration and renovation work, Mr Comley has found a treasure trove of old artifacts in the nooks and crannies of the factory, including more than 100 year old bottles and manufacturing equipment.

The factory produces a variety of old soft drinks, ranging from ginger beer, pineapple, lemonade, and horehound. (ABC Capricornia: Tobi Loftus)

He said some of the items, such as old drink trolleys and former toilet doors, would be put in and turned into tables, while other artifacts would be put on display for all to see.

“I recently discovered a lot of labels under the house that came from Many Peaks, when they moved to Gladstone,” he said.

“They made some handwritten labels back then and the phone number was 48.”

The venue has also been given the Maritime Museum’s old Gladstone weather radar, which has been painted bright orange and is front.

Mr Comley said there were also old birch barrels still in the factory, which he hoped could be used to make Horehound, one of the popular soft drinks Wards used to produce.

Change of attitude

For Ms Flint, now a local historian, the project symbolizes a changing attitude at Gladstone towards the city’s history.

“Gladstone doesn’t have a good record of maintaining its old buildings,” he said.

“Something gets old and will be torn down, when it’s fine.”

Mr Comley recently came across an old Ward bottle that dates back to the 1920’s.(ABC Capricornia: Tobi Loftus)

He said it included old cafes, theaters and banks, paving the way for new buildings, leading to a loss of local history.

“It’s a real change to have someone who values ​​something, it’s really just a storehouse, but it’s the history behind the warehouse that’s being preserved,” he said.

“It’s almost like the factory is coming back to life. It won’t be like it was before with all the soft drinks, but it’s a fresh start.

“It’s like rebirth, it’s beautiful.”

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