Local Government
Cockburn
Region
Metropolitan
174 Hamilton Rd Spearwood
Watson's Food
Cockburn
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1983, Constructed from 1909
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
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| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
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| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
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| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 20 Apr 2004 | Category D | |
Watsonia Factory was a major employer in Spearwood since 1909. Watsonia Factory produced food for consumption in Western Australia, and around the world, since 1909. Watsonia Factory reflected the growth possibilities of a small business into an influential business with leading market shares in the dairy and small goods industries. Watsonia Factory (site) is associated with the Watson family who were renowned for not only their business acumen but for their philanthropy.
Watsonia Factory wasset close to the railway line in Hamilton Road. Over the road from the factory were three cottages (demolished in originally owned by the factory. Foundations of the original 19th century house, Woodlands, can be seen on the north side of the factory. The Factory was composed of many individual buildings, each of which had a specialist function within the food-manufacturing process. Many changes were made over the years, and no parts of the original factory were evident. Major extensions to the factory were opened in 1983.
The Watsonia Factory was the creation of Eliza and William Watson. Victorian born William Watson arrived in Fremantle in 1893 with a strong business background. In 1895, he founded Watson’s Supply Stores and Luncheon Rooms in High Street, Fremantle. In 1909 he purchased the Hamilton Road, Spearwood. The factory was established next to an old house called Woodlands which was surrounded by a large orchard of fruit trees. Though in a poor state of repair the house was recognised for its potential and renovated as the Watson family home. Watson’s business expanded to include a number of outlets throughout the Perth metropolitan area including Perth City, Cottesloe, Fremantle, Subiaco and Midland. Deliveries were made by horse and cart (now thought to be in Azelia Ley Museum) and then later by truck. The name Watsonia was initially used when Watson was seeking a name for a new blend of butter and margarine. The name Watsonia was suggested and registered around 1920. William and Harold Watson (William’s son) predicted the Great Depression with some accuracy and made sure that they had enough liquid assets to get through the difficult times. They did this so successfully that they were able to expand during the depression when many other businesses failed. By the 1930s, 800 pigs a week were being processed and bacon and butter factory units were built at the Hamilton Road factory. At the same time Watson’s established an export market in the United Kingdom. William and Eliza Watson were well known for their philanthropic natures. Watson made sure farmers were paid as well as possible for their pigs, milk or butter and Eliza spent many hours helping families with food parcels or money to get them through hard times. William Watson was elected to the Federal Parliament seat of Fremantle in 1922. It was at this stage that Harold Watson became the unofficial manager of Watson’s Foods. In 1937 William Watson handed over the running of the business to three of his five sons (two, Bill and Bert, were killed in World War I). The three sons carried on the tradition of William Watson’s strong personal philosophies. The company continued to forge ahead under the direction of Harold Watson. During World War II the factory worked around the clock to produce food for the armed forces and the UK. When victory was declared, Watson’s supplied Singapore with much of its meat and dairy requirements until Europe had sufficiently recovered. Thousands of tonnes of canned beef and mutton were also produced and shipped to relieve post war shortages in the United Kingdom. Peace brought new prosperity to Watsonia’s and by 1965 the factory had a enviable reputation in the pig processing and dairy goods industries. Around 1965 George Weston Foods bought the business and injected new capital, the latest production technology and fresh management to reveal a new spectrum of business opportunities. In 1983 the Western Australian Premier, Brian Burke, opened major extensions to the factory. Watson’s Foods and its Watsonia brand are still acknowledged as market leaders in the dairy and smallgoods industry. The place closed in February 2009, and most of the processing equipment has now been removed.
INTEGRITY: High AUTHENTICITY: High
Good
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| M Howroyd; "Oral History Interview, Harold Watson." | 1984 | ||
| C Day; "Interview with Jeff Sheridan Employee and Environmental Relations Manager of George Weston Foods Limited". | 25/2/2002 |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING | Abbatoir |
| Original Use | INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING | Abbatoir |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OCCUPATIONS | Manufacturing & processing |
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