Yorkshire Brewery Tower
Partial decay of the tower of the (former) Yorkshire Brewery belies the Collingwood icon's former majesty as Melbourne's tallest building. Architect and engineer James Wood built the multi-level, polychrome brick tower in 1876. It was designed in French Second Empire style and included a smoke stack that has since been demolished. The tower was the prominent feature of a brewing complex consisting of cellars, stables and ancillary structures. It belonged to the architect's father John Wood, who also ran the Yorkshire Hotel.The Yorkshire Brewery won ale and porter prizes at the 1888 Melbourne Centennial Exhibition, by which time it was under the ownership of Wood s sons, James, Charles and John. Later, as the industry contracted, a succession of owners passed through until Carlton and United Breweries (incorporating Fosters, Carlton and four other breweries) bought the business in 1909. They later transformed it into a cooperage and then, in the 1950s, diminished the operation to a malt house.
CUB sold the property towards the end of the 20th century, after the Yorkshire Brewery was added to the Victorian Heritage Register. Despite some structural deterioration, the surviving brewery tower remains substantially intact. Its current dislocation among residential and commercial properties highlights its architectural dignity and historic value.
Location: 88 Wellington Street, Collingwood
