Bowral brickmaking

In 1852 John F Baker arrived in Sydney from Lincolnshire. Unable to find work, he ended up cutting sandstone in Morpeth, NSW. Approached by a local builder asking if he could make bricks, John said yes, as his wife Mary was a potter and knew about firing clay. They ended up with a very successful brick making business.
 
In early 1921, John F Baker's grandsons purchased the fledgling Bowral Brickworks. They saw the potential. Good shale clay, next to the railway line and close to the soon to be constructed city of Canberra.
 
A first in regional Australia, they built a 'Hoffman Kiln'. A technological marvel, this kiln had a series of kiln rooms off a constantly burning central fire, allowing for continuous production. The smoke stack was so high that it could be seen on a clear day from Bankstown, 91km away. In 2021 the business continues as a very successful business, now owned by Austral Bricks.
 
The smoke stack still stands and is a local Bowral landmark.