Regulation of beer and brewing in South Australia

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In his foreword to HM Ward's Some Brief Records of Brewing in South Australia (Pioneers Association of South Australia, Series 1950/51, no. 5, 1950) George Morphett wrote that the author’s research was ‘…hampered by the fact that brewers were not required to take out a licence to brew until the Commonwealth Act [No. 7 of 1901, The Beer Excise Act] came into force on 1st January 1902. It is therefore impossible to obtain full particulars of the many early breweries that existed in this state…’



Despite Morphett's assertion some original colonial records are extant. Those held by the National Archives Adelaide Office are described in the table overleaf. Relevant colonial period records are also held by State Records of South Australia. The publication JL Hoad, Hotels and Publicans in South Australia, 1836–1984 (Australian Hotels Association, SA Branch, Gould Books, Adelaide, 1986) is also a useful source.

Excise control of the beer industry since 1901

From 1901 the regulation and control of the beer industry in South Australia became the responsibility of the Commonwealth through the Collector of Customs for South Australia. During the years of World War II, further regulation of beer prices was administered by the State Prices Commissioner for South Australia.



A significant collection of records about the regulation of the industry in South Australia has been identified among the records of these agencies held by the National Archives in Adelaide. A selection of the types of records held is listed in the table below.

Regulation of beer and brewing in colonial South Australia
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Register of letters despatched and received (distilleries) 1888–1905 D5098
Declarations under the Beer Duty Act 1894 1894–95 AP52/2
Audited Customs correspondence 1889–1900 D4868
Composition of Colonial beer – section 42 Beer Only Act 1900 D4868, 1900/881

Customs correspondence records
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Beer stamps to be uniform from 1 January 1902 1901 D596, 1901/1434
Sale of beer duty stamps by Postmasters 1902 D596, 1902/648
Particulars of beer transferred interstate 1902 D596, 1902/1697
Mixed duty on colonial beer mixed with imported 1902 D596, 1902/5286
Check on material used in brewing beer 1903–06 D596, 1906/1427
Commerce Act beer and stout described as malt abstract 1907 D596, 1907/3950
Brewing of beer for manufacture of vinegar 1912 D596, 1912/4122
Duty on beer consumed by employees 1915–25 D596, 1922/2804
Bottling beer for the purpose of sale – JJ McCormack, Port Pirie,1928 1928 AP378/2, P3223
Beer excise inspection of hotels in country towns 1931 AP378/2, P4040
Illicit manufacture of beer by PR Wilson 1931–32 D596, 1931/6469
Illicit manufacture of beer 1932–71 D737, 1970/10232
Labels on beer bottled by AM Foulds Broken Hill 1934 AP378/2, P4688
Beer unfit for human consumption 1934–45 D596, 1945/1059
Trading results Tattersalls Hotel 1938–47 AP5/1, 1944/3562
Trading results R Montgomery & Co – importers of brewers supplies 1939–47 AP5/1, 1944/282
Increase of Excise & Customs duties on beer and spirits 1939 D1975, Z1939/34
Crown Solicitor opinion – prohibition of work on Sundays applicable to beer delivery 1941 D596, 1941/2319
Quota of beer for munitions workers 1943 D1975, Z1943/1603
Black marketing in beer – SS Barwon 1946 AP5/1, 1946/4037
Bottling of bulk beer for hotels 1949–50 D737, S1966/10575
Proposed repeal – section 10 of the Beer Excise Act 1957–66 D737, S1966/6718

Miscellaneous records relating to the beer industry
Title or description of record Date range Series, item number
Trade Marks 'class' index (class 43 beer, wine and spirits) 1867–1906 AP494/6
Representations accompanying application for Trade Mark: 1892 Act (class 43) 1893–1906 AP476/5
General Post Office records 1895–1964 D959
Commission on Customs duty and sale of beer duty stamps 1909–52 D959, IA1952/263
Commonwealth Railways correspondence 1913–83 B300
Freight rates on beer railed to Northern Territory – South Australian Brewing Company 1958–61 B300, 5814/3/163