Half the city each day pass almost within touching distance of its brown brick walls. Its high, empty spaces tell a tale of capitalism joining old labor for brilliant business achievement. The Foggitt Jones & Co Limited heritage building in South Brisbane. It’s a century old reminder of one of the great commercial successes.
The company was founded in 1904 when Charles Emanuel Foggitt and Thomas Llewellyn Jones left food manufacturer J.C.Hutton. Together they took over the floundering Oxley factory. Within five years their trade in ham, bacon, cheese, and related foodstuffs, was worth over £1,000,000 a year. They paid over-award wages, premises were scrupulously clean, and their products filled banquet halls and kitchens across the country.
Foggitt ran the processing. He was born to a farming family in Yorkshire, England, in 1865. Two of his sons served on the western front in the First World War, and his third son in the Second World War earning a Distinguished Service Cross and Mentioned in Despatches. His brother-in-law was William Bertram, the long-time Labor member and speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.
Jones ran the business. He was born to a radical family in Welshpool, Wales, in 1872. His father was a strong radical before the labor movement was founded, and his grandfather was a militant chartist who narrowly escaped transportation. Jones was elected as a Labor member to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1915, defeating the then premier. He was subsequently appointed to the Legislative Council. In his spare time he served as commodore of Royal Queensland Yacht Club.
The South Brisbane building you see today was built about 1919 for canning luncheon cheese. Business continued to flourish. Foggitt didn’t live to witness the crowning glory however. He died in 1926, the year before his company with partner Thomas Jones as chairman of directors, took over his old employer J.C.Hutton.
Jones himself passed away in 1946. With the founders gone, after a while so too was the passion. The holding company United Provisions Ltd changed its name to Huttons, eventually selling its operations, and delisting from the stock exchange. Today it remains as a private company Australian Resort Developments Limited based on the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
The old Foggitt Jones & Co Limited building is surrounded by new residential developments. It’s perfect for cafes and specialty food. The kind of places that serve quality hams and luncheon cheese. Quite appropriate, don’t you think?
Photo credits:
Foggitt Jones & Co building, South Brisbane, 2015 – my own
TL Jones – Daily Standard (Brisbane) Wed 19 May 1915 p3
Reblogged this on sam tumblin favorite artists and more and commented:
Foggitt Jones & Co Limited…Interesting Post To Read!
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Thank you. So many people have asked me about this building that I just had to look into it, and it was a very interesting post to write!
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I agree enjoyed reading your article.
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Thank you so much as you gave me information about my mum’s family that I did not know.
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Hi Jill, thanks for your kind message. I’m thrilled you found something new about your family. They were really significant contributors to early Queensland business development. Please follow my blog by entering your email on the main page https://historyoutthere.wordpress.com/ or by Liking on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/historyoutthere/ and spread the word!
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Thank you for the article. My great grandfather was Charles E Foggitt.
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You should be proud, a great family legacy
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Thank you so much for this article, which I have just discovered, purely by chance…TL Jones was my great uncle, the elder brother of my grandmother Florence. My father used to sail on his yacht in the 1930s. He was wonderfully generous to all his siblings; for sure he never forgot the poverty of their early years in Brisbane, on account of the illness and early death of their father. I’m not a direct descendent, but I’m very proud of him as a family member!
My question…where in South Brisbane is the building? Oh, and another – your sources for the family background? I knew there was Chartism, but didn’t realise that I’m descended in a direct line from a Chartist! I’m thrilled, actually – just want to confirm the details.
Thanks again
Mary
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Thanks Mary for your kind comments. The wonderful building is right beside Go Between Bridge on Lanfear Street, South Brisbane. It’s a few years since I write the story, however I remember that the Chartist connection was from a workers newspaper article about Charles Emanuel Foggitt, promoting his ancestry amongst their constitutency I’d say, much like some politicians try to do today!
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So glad that my Cousin Mary shared this with my sister Wendy & I, TL Jones was our great grandfather, although we had no idea that our great great grandfather was a radical. Thanks for sharing that little bit of history!
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Found an old wooden box at grandfather’s house with carved name on front Rex Cheddar Cheese – Foggit Jones Pty Ltd Brisbane Queensland Australia. Was really interested to learn history of company from this page & from where the box originated. No idea how geandfarher acquired it…
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Wade, that sounds awesome! Do you have a photograph of the box to share please? Email me at info@historyoutthere.com if that’s ok.
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I came by a box of old wood chisels, the wooden box is stamped you guessed it “Foggitt Jones Pty Ltd Packers of Pork Delicacies Ham & Bacon Curers. Brisbane Australia”
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Oh my goodness! That’s my great uncle Llewellyn (TL) Jones’s company! What do you plan to do with the find? Could you share pics? His great granddaughters in Adelaide would be chuffed – as am I. What’s the story? Where did you find them? – Mary
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