AS told in last week’s article, to prove that his wizardry in smelting iron was no fluke, blacksmith William Brazenall Snr organised a demonstration of his art to be held in mid-December 1889 at his Nattai foundry on Gibbergunyah Hill near Mittagong.
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Brazenall had perfected the art of producing pure molten iron from his own home-built furnace.
He insisted that the observers supervise the loading of the furnace with ore, fuel, and fluxes, to prove no scrap metal was loaded.
The furnace was tapped at 3.30pm, the molten metal flowed into a receiver, which was hauled into position over the mould, then run freely to form a perfect pipe.
The assembled throng is recorded to have raised three cheers for Brazenall.
After the demonstration, the crowd moved to Tommy Morris’ Coach and Horses Inn on the corner of Pioneer Street to celebrate what they hoped would be the re-birth of the iron industry in Mittagong, which had promised so much, and delivered so little over the previous 40 years.
Speeches were made forecasting an assured industrial prosperity for Mittagong and forming a public company to achieve it.
Against this euphoria, like a storm cloud on the horizon, was a double threat in the looming 1890s depression (arguably the worst economic depression in Australian history), and a record of failure over the past forty years of the iron industry in Mittagong.
At the same time, in 1890, Mr Mitchell M.L.A. was maturing his plans at Wollongong for the development of the iron industry at Port Kembla with the aid of English capital.
The Australian Mining Standard of January 1890, while strongly supporting development at Mittagong, pointed out that:
“The news of Mr Mitchell’s undertaking and the success at Mittagong both coming before the public at the same time, it provoked newspaper controversy, in the midst of which it is not surprising to find an ‘expert opinion’ submitted that, although the iron at Mittagong is of excellent quality, there was not enough of it to warrant the laying down of large works.”
According to his descendants, disappointment achieved what hardship failed to do, in the case of William Brazenall Snr.
When the public company failed to materialise, and the economic downturn began, he packed his belongings, including his prized possum-skin rug, and went to Queensland.
About 1891 William Brazenall Jnr. established a foundry on the block of ground in Princess Street where the Masonic Temple now stands.
This block was also occupied by W. Allerdice, a local undertaker who operated from a double-storey building known as The Coffinshop and, to add to the odd mixture, Mittagong Town Band used to practice in the top storey among the coffins.
Brazenall was also a member of the band and is reported to have had a good singing voice.
In setting up the Mittagong Iron Foundry, William Brazenall Jnr purchased some of his machinery from the then idle Iron Works, and presumably the equipment from Gibbergunyah Hill left behind by his father after closing, so that he could continue his trade.
It is not known whether his brother Edward joined him in the Princess Street venture.
Brazenall Jnr ran a very successful foundry in Princess Street by producing cast iron posts and laceworks, which were very much in demand.
He also produced the cast iron street-lighting posts that could be seen around Mittagong for many years, two of which are installed at the Iron Works Centenary Cairn.
Brazenall produced 35 street lamp posts for Mittagong, 12 for Bowral, and 25 for Campbelltown, but he is best remembered for the many verandah posts and lacework that decorated Mittagong homes and other buildings around the district, some of which have disappeared over the years, but those remaining are much valued.
He also built a double-storey residence and store next to where the Fire Station now stands.
This station was later bought and demolished by George Dawson to eliminate competition to Dawson Bros store.
The building had some of Brazenall’s best work adorning it.
George Dawson removed the beautiful cast-iron lacework from Brazenall’s building before demolition and had it installed on his own cottage in Queen Street where it remains to this day.
William Brazenall Jnr died at Tenterfield NSW in 1937 aged about 70.
* This article is provided by retired Mittagong Historian John McColgan, author of Southern Highlands Story and In Search of the Southern Highlands, available for purchase at Berrima District Historical & Family History Society and Mittagong Visitor Information Centre.
