Murray Breweries ‘They’re Grand’ Poster

Billson’s Brewery is a brewery established in 1865 in Beechworth, north-east Victoria, and is one of the oldest continuing beverage manufacturers in Australia. It operates from a complex of heritage buildings centred around a Victorian-era ‘tower brewery’, constructed in 1872-3. Historically, Billson’s Brewery made ale and porter, a range of cordials, aerated mineral waters, soft-drinks and health tonics. Throughout most of the twentieth century, it went under the name of Murray Breweries.

In 1911 the company amalgamated with George Henry Billson’s Albury Brewing and Malting Company, to become the Border United Co-operative Breweries Ltd. Towards the end of 1914, this company was liquidated and its operations transferred to the newly registered Murray Breweries Pty. Ltd. Board directors included preeminent Beechworth businessman Albert Michael Zwar of the Beechworth Tannery. At the same time, Zwar also created the Melbourne-based soft-drinking company, Ecks Pty. Ltd.

Murray Breweries immediately began down-sizing, closing the Tallangatta factory at the end of 1914, and selling the Albury brewery (which no longer brewed due to poor water quality) in 1920.

The first half the twentieth century saw a decline in the production of alcoholic beverages. The Beer Excise tax (1901), and the increasing local popularity of ‘bitter’ beers from Melbourne breweries, may have contributed to Murray Breweries’ curtailing of its beer production. However, the company continued to produce its Extra Matured Stout into the mid-20th century. It continued to produce its non-alcoholic herbal beer Ecks until the 1980s. Throughout the middle years of the century the Brewery also supplied the town of Beechworth with ice. In the closing decades it produced and home-delivered soft drinks, which were eventually replaced by bulk spring water sales and delivery under the name ‘Snowline mountain spring water.’ The Brewery has never ceased producing its range of traditional cordials.

Billson’s Brewery continues to operate and is open to the public daily.