Oakbank. The Oakbank and Balhannah primary schools amalgamated in 1938 when these red brick neo Georgian school rooms were built. This Oakbank Consolidated School became Oakbank Area School in 1944.
Oakbank - a town of two breweries and the Johnston brothers.
James Johnston and his brother William Johnston migrated from Glasgow to the Woodside area in 1839 obtaining some land in 1840 which they called Oakbank. By 1844 they had sown 50 acres in wheat, 12 acres in barley and four acres in potatoes. James and William started a brewery in 1843 as there was a good local supply of water- the Onkaparinga River. In 1853 the brewery took in brother Andrew in partnership when William died. They manufactured cordials and aerated waters as well as beer and they later joined the Lion brewery in Adelaide and they founded another brewery of their own in Broken Hill. The Oakbank brewery reached its peak in the 1890s for beer production before the pasteurisation of beer became common and most country breweries closed as production was concentrated in Adelaide. Their hops came from Lobethal, Woodside and Tasmania for their beer. They supplied the annual race meeting at Oakbank as the racing club had been formed in 1874. James died in 1891 and Andrew Johnston died in 1886. It was their sons who formed a company in 1901 and expanded the number of Johnston owned hotels from Woodside (1850) to over 20. They stopped producing beer in 1914 but their factory still produces aerated waters (soft drinks). The Johnston family company still owns 19 SA hotels from Milang to Mt Pleasant, Callington, Mannum and more. Since 2002 they have started producing their own wine. They are thought to be the longest surviving SA family company. There was a rival brewer in Oakbank from 1885 when Henry Pike established a second brewery in town. He too purchased a chain of hotels before ceasing to produce beer from 1938 when the Pike brewery too concentrated on cordials and aerated drinks. The Pikes factory finally closed in 1973.
But it was the Johnstons who planned and developed a town at Oakbank in 1860 when they subdivided some of their land. They almost saw it as their company town with their buildings and brewery and their grand homes. Oakbank House (James Johnston) is near the racecourse and near the brewery. It was built around 1865 as a grand two storey house with wrought iron balconies and lace work, blue stone, bay window and all in the Italianate style. The fine proportions of the house were set off with a long driveway lined with gum trees. The lace wrought iron work for this house was imported from a Glasgow foundry! The Johnstons were not short of money by this time! Brewing was a profitable industry. The original house that Andrew built was further away from the Onkaparinga River in Pike Street called Dalintober, built around 1855. Unfortunately there is not much visible of this grand house from the street. It was James Johnston who subdivided some of his land to form the town of Woodside in 1850. The early Oakbank races were held on Andrew Johnston’s land and he was a founding club member in 1874. Heinrich Von Doussa was the first secretary of the Oakbank races, a position he held for almost 50 years.
Oakbank. The Oakbank and Balhannah primary schools amalgamated in 1938 when these red brick neo Georgian school rooms were built. This Oakbank Consolidated School became Oakbank Area School in 1944.
Oakbank - a town of two breweries and the Johnston brothers.
James Johnston and his brother William Johnston migrated from Glasgow to the Woodside area in 1839 obtaining some land in 1840 which they called Oakbank. By 1844 they had sown 50 acres in wheat, 12 acres in barley and four acres in potatoes. James and William started a brewery in 1843 as there was a good local supply of water- the Onkaparinga River. In 1853 the brewery took in brother Andrew in partnership when William died. They manufactured cordials and aerated waters as well as beer and they later joined the Lion brewery in Adelaide and they founded another brewery of their own in Broken Hill. The Oakbank brewery reached its peak in the 1890s for beer production before the pasteurisation of beer became common and most country breweries closed as production was concentrated in Adelaide. Their hops came from Lobethal, Woodside and Tasmania for their beer. They supplied the annual race meeting at Oakbank as the racing club had been formed in 1874. James died in 1891 and Andrew Johnston died in 1886. It was their sons who formed a company in 1901 and expanded the number of Johnston owned hotels from Woodside (1850) to over 20. They stopped producing beer in 1914 but their factory still produces aerated waters (soft drinks). The Johnston family company still owns 19 SA hotels from Milang to Mt Pleasant, Callington, Mannum and more. Since 2002 they have started producing their own wine. They are thought to be the longest surviving SA family company. There was a rival brewer in Oakbank from 1885 when Henry Pike established a second brewery in town. He too purchased a chain of hotels before ceasing to produce beer from 1938 when the Pike brewery too concentrated on cordials and aerated drinks. The Pikes factory finally closed in 1973.
But it was the Johnstons who planned and developed a town at Oakbank in 1860 when they subdivided some of their land. They almost saw it as their company town with their buildings and brewery and their grand homes. Oakbank House (James Johnston) is near the racecourse and near the brewery. It was built around 1865 as a grand two storey house with wrought iron balconies and lace work, blue stone, bay window and all in the Italianate style. The fine proportions of the house were set off with a long driveway lined with gum trees. The lace wrought iron work for this house was imported from a Glasgow foundry! The Johnstons were not short of money by this time! Brewing was a profitable industry. The original house that Andrew built was further away from the Onkaparinga River in Pike Street called Dalintober, built around 1855. Unfortunately there is not much visible of this grand house from the street. It was James Johnston who subdivided some of his land to form the town of Woodside in 1850. The early Oakbank races were held on Andrew Johnston’s land and he was a founding club member in 1874. Heinrich Von Doussa was the first secretary of the Oakbank races, a position he held for almost 50 years.