The colony of South Australia wasn't short on bright-eyed brewers in the mid-19th century, with breweries popping up left right and centre in the search for the state's beer of choice. Eventually, one stood above the rest: the West End Brewery, founded by William Knox Simms, John Haimes and Edgar Chapman back in 1859.
They wouldn't know it then, but the West End label has been embedded into the cultural heritage of South Australia ever since.
Business was roaring, with barrels of "West End Ale" rolling out the door for just over two pounds a pop. A local wine and spirits business, and the nearby Kent Town brewery wanted a piece of the action, so they merged to form the South Australian Brewing, Malting, Wine and Spirit Company in 1888.
Six years later, the wine and spirits experiment ended and the South Australian Brewing Company was born - operating mostly out of the original West End Brewery until a new site at Thebarton was opened in 1980.
Today, West End is pushed out at pubs, and in the famous red tins and West End stubbies, for South Australians in need of the ultimate refreshment. The best end of the day is the West End of the day - and that hasn't changed for more than 160 years.
Copyright 2023 © James Squire
