New South Wales

The Five Islands Brewery at North Wollongong has recently come under new ownership. This brewery was originally part of a bar and restaurant complex, started by Michael Bolt in 2002 on the beach side of the Entertainment Centre in central Wollongong, but beer production was relocated in 2006 to an industrial estate at North Wollongong. The brewery was taken over earlier this year by the newly-created Illawarra Brewing Company, headed by Dave McGrath; an associated company now runs the retail outlet at the Entertainment Centre.

Illawarra Brewing Company,
Ralph Black Drive,
North Wollongong, NSW, 2500

The purchase of the Bluetongue Brewery by Pacific Beverages (a joint venture between Coca Cola Amatil and SAB Miller) in December 2007, was part of a plan by the new company to quickly establish itself as a major player in the Australian brewing industry. A new 50-megalitre a year brewery was built at Warnervale (between Newcastle and Sydney), and production there started in July last year. In the meantime, the replaced Bluetongue Brewery (the original small brewery is now owned by Mt Brewery, Mount Tamborine) was relocated from its home at Cameron Park, near Newcastle, to the Warnervale site. It is being recommissioned this month, and will be used to produce small batches.

Bluetongue Brewery,
18 Burnet Road,
Warnervale, NSW, 2259
ph. 02. 4394 3599
www.bluetongue.com.au

Tasmania

After six years in operation, the Moo Brew Brewery at Moorilla Estate, north of Hobart, has done the inevitable and outgrown its equipment. The brewery, an 800-litre plant, was installed in an artistically-designed steel and glass enclosure, apparently with little thought of future expansion, or even of functionality. Instead of enlarging this, however, and ruining the art, a new and much larger (35hL) brewery has now been erected a few kilometres away. The original brewery continues to be used, but its beers are sold under a new brand (MONA, for Museum of Old and New Art).

Moo Brew Brewery,
655 Main Road,
Berriedale, Tas, 7011
ph. 03. 6277 9900
www.moobrew.com.au

Brett Stubbs, 15 July 2011

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