Evans Deakin & Company was an Australian engineering company and shipbuilder. In 2019, the company was inducted into the
Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of its major contributions to the Queensland economy for nearly a century through excellence in heavy engineering, construction and ship building.
History
Based in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, the company was formed in 1910 by Daniel Edward Evans and Arthur Joseph Deakin.
The company started out as a supplier of engineering equipment.
The first workshop was acquired in 1913.
The company later became Evans Deakin Industries (EDI). In 1980 EDI purchased
Maryborough rolling stock manufacturer
Walkers Limited
Walkers Limited was an Australian engineering and shipbuilding company based in Maryborough, Queensland. It built large vessels and railway locomotives. The Walkers factory still produces locomotives and rolling stock as part of Downer Rail.
...
. In July 1996 EDI purchased locomotive manufacturer
Clyde Engineering.
In March 2001 EDI was acquired by Downer & Company, with the resulting merger being renamed
Downer EDI.
Between
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Evans Deakin was involved in the fabrication of 300 railway wagons for
Queensland Government Railways, the manufacture of steel components for the
Story Bridge
The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River built to carry vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the long ...
, and the introduction of
oxy-acetylene and electric
arc welding
Arc welding is a welding process that is used to join metal to metal by using electricity to create enough heat to melt metal, and the melted metals, when cool, result in a joining of the metals. It is a type of welding that uses a welding power ...
to Queensland.
Kangaroo Point shipyard
At the start of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the company established a shipyard at
Kangaroo Point on the
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River (Turrbal language, Turrbal: ) is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia. It flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the ...
taking over the
Queensland Government's lease of Moar's Slipway beside Cairns Street () (which was then owned by the
Brisbane City Council
Brisbane City Council (BCC, also known as Council) is the local government of the City of Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. The largest local government in Australia by population, BCC's jurisdiction includes 2 ...
).
[ The company developed the site for the construction of military and merchant vessels.] In January 1940 the first ship to be built at the Evans Deakin shipyard was announced. The ship was the first 1200-ton oil fuel lighter for the Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
, which was then using 500-ton oil fuel lighters. Named the ''Rocklea'', it cost and pumps to enable the rapid re-fuelling of warships.
A major expansion at the Kangaroo Point site when the Frank Nicklin Dry Dock was constructed costing of which was contributed by the Queensland Government. The dock was long, wide and deep and could handle vessels up to 60,000 tons. The dock was officially opened in July 1967 by Queensland Premier Frank Nicklin
Sir George Francis Reuben Nicklin, (6 August 1895 – 29 January 1978) was an Australian politician. He was the Premier of Queensland from 1957 to 1968, the first non- Labor Party premier since 1932.
Early life and career
Nicklin was born in M ...
after whom the dock was named. In his speech, Nicklin said it was important that Australian developed greater shipbuilding capabilities as Australia had been isolated from large shipbuilding countries during the two world wars, which was compounded by Britain's withdrawal from the Far East
The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...
. Nicklin then pressed a button allowing the water from the Brisbane River to flow into the dock.
The company built the largest ship ever made on the Brisbane River
The Brisbane River (Turrbal language, Turrbal: ) is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia. It flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the ...
, the oil tanker ''Robert Miller''.[ Its construction was nearly complete when it broke free of its mooring during the 1974 Brisbane flood. The final vessel constructed at Kangaroo Point was the oil rig, ''Southern Cross'' in 1976.][
The Evans Deakin shipyard constructed 81 ships between 1940 and its closure in 1976,] including eleven s, a Bay-class frigate, several s and four A-class cargo steamships. They also built trawlers, bulk carriers, tankers and tugs.
After being left vacant for a number of years, in 1988 the shipyard was redeveloped as a hotel and apartment complex called ''Dockside''. One of the dry docks was retained as a marina. There is a monument to the Evans Deakin shipyards in Captain Burke Park (at the eastern end of Holman Street) on the tip of Kangaroo Point (); this is further north than the original site of the shipyards.
References
Further reading
*
External links
* (1 min 46 sec video with audio)
{{Authority control
Companies formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
Engineering companies of Australia
Manufacturing companies based in Brisbane
Shipyards of Australia
Shipbuilding companies of Australia
Australian companies established in 1910
Kangaroo Point, Queensland
Australian companies disestablished in 2001
Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2001
Manufacturing companies established in 1910