MURRAY BROTHERS - Part 1

William Richard Murray came to Australia with his parents and siblings in 1856, his father J.H. Murray taking up a position of teacher opening the first National School in 1866.   On 29^th April 1876 E. N. Murray, brother of W. R. Murray, opened his hardware business in a small 12’ x 24’ shop. W. R. Murray acquired Charles Tuke’s general store in 1877 opened his own business in Church Street.  In this store the residents were able to purchase “Pianofortes and American Organs on easy terms and sewing machines on time payment, no interest” this was pioneering the field of selling by time payment.  About the same time E. N. Murray, brother of W. R. Murray, opened another hardware and crockery shop on the other side of the street selling hardware and crockery.

In 1884 the brothers join forces - E.N. Murray joining his brother on the site; this was the beginning of the firm “Murray Brothers”.  A furniture section was added to the many other branches of the business. They were importing goods, selling pianos & organs and manufacturing household items like clothes and jams.  At one stage the furniture and jam factories were located in the old Ice Works in Smith Street beside the river. Their progress resulted in Murray Brothers becoming a household name in Parramatta.

Murray Brothers purchased the Woolen Mill from the French family in 1887 for 2000 pounds and operated under the name of Parramatta Woolen Mill.  They installed the machinery acquired from the Byrnes Australian Mill in Granville.  Water from the nearby Hunts Creek was used for scouring the wool which was then dried in the sun, sorted, carded and woven into medal winning rugs and blankets.  Parramatta Woolen Mills won gold medals at Royal Agriculture show in Sydney in 1897, 1898 and 1899 for rugs and blankets. In 1908 Parramatta Woolen Mills won gold medal at Franco-British exhibition for uniforms. In 1911 the mill was sold to A. E. Daking Smith.

Murray Brothers employed over 100 people working in the shop and the various factories also the woolen mills.  The items supplied by these factories were sold in the shop. 

Stay tuned... more in the next blog!

Parramatta Gasworks

Parramatta gasworks was established by on the outskirts of Parramatta in 1872. The Gasworks Bridge near the former gasworks site is a reminder today of this former industrial site. Gasworks Bridge is named after thriving industries such as flour and woollen mills at that time. Boatsheds and inns were located on the riverfront here to support the settlement.

The Parramatta Gas Company purchased land on the river in 1872 and immediately began the construction of the brick retort house. The gasworks opened in 1873, bringing coal along the river to the works where it was converted to gas. George Street was lit by gas in 1876, before a permanent water supply was connected. The Gasworks complex included a number of large and small structures adjacent to both George Street.

Gasworks Bridge

The Gasworks Bridge over the Parramatta River is one of 32 lattice girder bridges built between 1870 and 1893 throughout NSW. Twenty were road bridges, twelve were railway bridges e.g. Meadowbank railway bridge. Gasworks Bridge, Parramatta is also known as Newlands Bridge.  

The Gasworks Bridge has the same deep, rectangular lattice trusses of John A McDonald’s early designs. Bridge is supported on large sandstone piers. It has three main spans each 31m in length and two steel beam approach spans. The overall length is 110m and is still in use.

Just east of the Gasworks Bridge is the site of the first official landing place in Parramatta where Governor Phillip and a small party of Marines arrived in 1788 to establish the colony’s second settlement. Gasworks Bridge is named after thriving industries such as flour and woollen mills at that time. Boatsheds and inns were located on the riverfront here to support the settlement.