William Gracie, Artillery Brewery, Hobart Town Poster

The Hobart Town Gazette of 20 January 1820 featured an article that described the laying of the foundation stone of a brewery by the owner, R. W. Loane. The location is at the end of Loane’s premises in Macquarie Street, and part of the old building still stands.

Although the building, when completed, was intended as a brewery, it was used as a warehouse for the first two or three years. By the end of 1823 it was used for the production of spirits, and was named the Derwent Distillery. Loane tried to dispose of the property on numerous occasions, either by sale or lease, even by auction in 1825. It was still on offer in 1842.

The premises were finally used for brewing by W. J. Disher (former owner of the Albion Brewery) in 1846, and he chose the name Artillery Brewery. After three years Disher sold the brewery to Thomas Pascoe, who supplied Ales and XX and XXX Porter in bottles. The Benson family owned the brewery in the late 1860s, but brewing ceased about that time and the brewery remained idle for many years.

After additions and alterations the Artillery Brewery was reopened in 1873 by William Gracie, an experienced brewer who had worked at the Cascade Brewery for sixteen years. After ten years Gracie was persuaded to sell to the Cascade Brewery Co. Ltd, and the Artil­lery was closed in 1883.