The National Trust has classified a considerable number of brickworks sites. The State brick yards established in 1912 at Homebush are classified. Wood fired kilns at an old brickworks site at Barraba have been classified as have derelict kilns at West Wyalong.
The steam brickworks of M.C. McKenzie and Sons at Glenn Innes are considered to be an exceptional nineteenth century survival and have been classified. Stafford and Sons brickworks at Tathra, Gleesons brickworks, the City Brickworks at Alexandria, Catman and Sons brickworks at Tamworth and the Vale of Clwydd brickworks at Lithgow are all classified by the Trust. A number of buildings, kilns and relics survive in these yards. Birmingham also mentions the existence of a number of significant site (1).
Most of these sites are of the later nineteenth century. Remnant sites of the earlier part of that century are much rarer. A brick clamp has been investigated at Hill End by a Sydney University team and some evidence of brickmaking from the Castle Hill Government Convict Farm may still survive on site.
Many relics of the industry are still to be found around the state. A comprehensive study of the products of the New South Wales brickyards has recently been completed (2).
References:
- Birmingham, J. et al. Industrial Archaeology in Australia., 70
- Gemmell, W. And So We Graft From Six to Six.,