William Brazenall, a great blacksmith

It is important to point out the basic difference between a smelting works, such as the Fitzroy Iron Works, and a foundry. A smelting works is the first step in producing metals from various ores.

A foundry normally uses metal in its produced state and, by re-melting the metal, can cast, shape, or mix metals for its particular purpose.

A foundry therefore can be much smaller, depending on its requirements.

For the period, a blacksmith was required to be a highly skilled tradesman who had to produce the material for his work from pig iron “blooms” or flat bar, hence the need for a small furnace foundry.

During this period there was a great deal of capital spent by David Smith – some 45,000 pounds according to the Mining Standard in construction of a tram skip line for coal over Mount Alexandra instead of the existing line around the mountain and on failed attempts to smelt iron ore.

Evidently David Smith was a man of stubborn disposition because there are also reports in the Mining Standard of 1889 that during 1875 David Smith threatened “Berrima Gaol” to one of his employees for refusing to make alterations to the Iron Works blast furnace which he knew to be wrong.

No names were mentioned, but the employee could have been Brazenall, the most likely employee with the skill and expertise to know the decision was wrong.

To threaten “gaol” would seem to indicate some financial contract. Possibly the employee was brought out from England on an indentured contract.

In any event, Brazenall retired from the Fitzroy Iron Works and established a blacksmith shop and foundry at Gibbergunyah Hill, referred to in the Mining Standard as the “Nettie Foundry”.

This is believed to be the “Nattai Foundry” because of its location near Nattai Village.

The misprint may have resulted from poor handwriting.

Brazenall is said to have received a great deal of work from the construction of the kerosene works at Joadja and supplied all the spikes for the rails of the tramway, as well as numerous other metalwork jobs which required a skilled tradesman.

The blacksmith shop operated for some years, and as well as general blacksmithing, also sharpened and repaired the tools for the stone quarry on Gibbergunyah Creek run by William Nichols (father of R W (Bob) Nichols).

Stone from this quarry was used to build the old Public School in Queen Street and the Mittagong Courthouse at the Police Station. Some stone was also sent to Goulburn.

Brazenall’s two sons William and Edward worked in the business, and were already casting various metals into lacework and such-like, which was coming into vogue in the late 1880s, and in which they were very skilled.

During the time he conducted his blacksmithing business on Gibbergunyah Hill, William Brazenall Snr retained a keen interest in smelting Mittagong iron ore, and constructed a modest blast furnace at his foundry for periodic experiments in this line.

He had to overcome many obstacles and finally achieved success in 1889.

Using coal from Mittagong Coal-Mining Company mine (later known as Box Vale Colliery), combined with the right fluxes, he produced a “pig” of high quality iron from Mittagong iron ore with relative ease, and the sample tested favourably for toughness.

A fortnight later on September 18, 1889, Brazenall Snr. again demonstrated his ability by smelting more samples of iron, one of which he sent to the Mines Dept. who were very impressed by its superiority over imported iron.

To prove that his wizardry in smelting iron was no fluke, Brazenall organised a demonstration of his art to be held in mid-December 1889 at the foundry, to which he invited up to 100 people from various sections of industry.

He also stated that he would cast an iron pipe with metal direct from the furnace.

A feat that had never been done before. Previously, smelting of iron required iron “blooms” to be cast, which were then heated to white hot temperatures in a “puddling furnace” and hammered with a giant “tilt-hammer” to remove impurities.

Was the casting a success? Find out in next week’s article.

* 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 the Mittagong Visitor Information Centre.