The Irish contribution to Victorian politics, law, medicine, engineering and
public administration is well known. So is the saga of countless Irishmen who
built and maintained roads, bridges, railways and dams, often under appalling
conditions, and toiled on farms and in factories. The labour of a myriad of
Irishwomen in domestic service is equally well recognised. However, a perception
persists that few of the Irish had the skills or inclination, or would risk
their money by setting up manufacturing plants.
In fact, immigrants from practically every Irish county and culture
established a wide range of manufacturing businesses in Victoria during the
nineteenth century. Although not all were successful, many Irish-owned business
not only survived, but also prospered.
The number of Irish-born manufacturers was not proportional to the Irish
population in Victoria, but the individual and collective contribution and
legacy of these industrial pioneers to the colony's social, civic, and
industrial life deserve recognition. Through the complex fabric of Victoria's
manufacturing history runs a discernable emerald strand.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
A Matter of Definition
Introduction
1. Who were the Irish immigrants?
2. An industrial evolution
The Manufacturers
3. Brewers, soft-drink manufacturers, winemakers and distillers
4. Grain millers, bakers and confectioners, and frozen-meat exporters
5. Footwear, clothing and domestic miscellanea manufacturers
6. Printers
7. Timber processors, brick makers, lime burners, stonemasons, hide processors,
and a rope maker
8. Furniture manufacturers
9. Vehicle builders and saddlers
10. Engineers and founders
11. Inventors and agricultural implement manufacturers
Conclusion
Appendices
A. The Irish manufacturers
B. Irish manufacturers by county of birth
C. The Breheny brewers and hotel licensees
D. Factories and employment in Victoria 1871-1891
E. Denominational distribution in Ireland
Notes
Bibliography
Index
