From Boots to Bricks: the 1889 Factory That Refused to Disappear!
Surrounded today by apartments, restaurants and the rapidly changing skyline of Newstead, it’s easy to forget that this part of Brisbane once sounded very different.
Machines rattled. Workers came and went. Leather, tools and finished boots passed through the doors.
And tucked away at 14 Maud Street is a remarkable survivor from that industrial past - an old boot factory dating back to 1889.
Known as the Goldsworthy & Perkins Boot and Shoe Factory, and later associated with the Federal Boot Company, the building was constructed during a period when Newstead was beginning a remarkable transformation.
In the late 19th century, Newstead was still a mixture of homes, workers’ cottages and larger residences. But industry was rapidly moving in.
Factories, workshops and warehouses began appearing across Newstead and neighbouring Teneriffe, taking advantage of the river, nearby wharves, rail connections and growing workforce.
And making boots was serious business.
Queensland had a surprisingly substantial boot and shoe industry. In the 1890s, dozens of factories employed more than a thousand people, alongside numerous smaller workshops and individual bootmakers.
The Maud Street factory was subsequently enlarged, reaching its present form around 1900.
Look closely today and you can still see traces of that industrial past - the substantial brick walls, tall windows, arched openings and elements of the original timber construction.
It wasn't just a building. It was a workplace where generations of Brisbane workers helped produce goods that were worn throughout Queensland and beyond.
The factory continued to have connections with the leather industry for many decades before being sold in 1981. Its heritage significance was formally recognised when Brisbane City Council listed it as a Local Heritage Place in 2000.
BUT NOW IT FACES A VERY DIFFERENT FUTURE…
As Newstead has once again transformed, this time from an industrial district into one of Brisbane's rapidly developing inner-city suburbs, the old factory has found itself surrounded by modern development.
Rather than simply demolishing it, the current redevelopment plans propose retaining and restoring the historic factory, incorporating it into a new residential development.
The latest proposal includes a 10-storey building alongside the heritage structure, with the old factory adapted for new retail and commercial uses.
A new pedestrian laneway, proposed as “Boot Lane”, would run between the historic factory and the new building.
So the old factory isn't going to look exactly as it did in 1889 - but importantly, its story won't disappear beneath another modern building.
From a place where Brisbane workers once made boots… to a heritage building surrounded by apartments and cafés…
14 Maud Street has witnessed Newstead change for more than 130 years - and it looks like it will be here to witness the next chapter too.
For more information on the new development: https://www.bpgdevelopments.com/maud-street-brisbane
B&W Image - Public Domain
