Lance Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Sir Hugh Lancelot Brisbane (16 March 1893 – 4 February 1966) was a prominent Western Australian industrialist and businessman.
, Melbourne, the son of an ironmonger. The family moved to WA the year after his birth, and he went to Fremantle Boys' School and Perth Technical School.
apprenticeship
in Perth
with Wunderlich Ltd, a building materials company. His career was interrupted by World War I: in 1915 he enlisted in the AIF
. He served in the Middle East in Australian and British units, was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Egyptian Order of the Nile
. After a promotion to temporary major in February 1919 he returned home where his army appointment terminated on 14 October.
in 1929. Despite Brisbane not being a major shareholder
, the company’s name was changed to H. L. Brisbane & Co. Ltd. Despite the Great Depression
, he expanded the company until it challenged Brisbane’s former employer Wunderlich as market leader. In 1938 Wunderlich merged its Western Australian operation with H. L. Brisbane on condition Brisbane wouldn’t expand his business interstate. H. L. Brisbane & Wunderlich Ltd became the state's largest clay
tile producer and enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the industry. Over the next 28 years Brisbane built the firm into a large and diversified manufacturing enterprise: it made stainless steel
products, clay sewer-pipes, porcelain
, refractory brick
s, aluminium
fabrication, building cladding
and plastics. It sold to Australian Fine China in the 1990s.
ed in 1961, and appointed by the Brand state government to its Industries Advisory Committee, a body composed of leading businessmen. He also worked for the National Heart Foundation of Australia
and the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
.
: they had two daughters. He died in Bethesda Hospital, Claremont
and was cremated. His estate
was worth $178,442.
Early life
Brisbane was born in FitzroyFitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
, Melbourne, the son of an ironmonger. The family moved to WA the year after his birth, and he went to Fremantle Boys' School and Perth Technical School.
Career
In 1909 he started a draughtsmanTechnical writing
Technical writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of writing used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, the aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, and biotechnology....
apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
with Wunderlich Ltd, a building materials company. His career was interrupted by World War I: in 1915 he enlisted in the AIF
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
. He served in the Middle East in Australian and British units, was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Egyptian Order of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
. After a promotion to temporary major in February 1919 he returned home where his army appointment terminated on 14 October.
Business life
In 1927 entrepreneur Reginald Long bought a controlling interest in Westralian Potteries Ltd and recruited Brisbane as general managerGeneral manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
in 1929. Despite Brisbane not being a major shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
, the company’s name was changed to H. L. Brisbane & Co. Ltd. Despite the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, he expanded the company until it challenged Brisbane’s former employer Wunderlich as market leader. In 1938 Wunderlich merged its Western Australian operation with H. L. Brisbane on condition Brisbane wouldn’t expand his business interstate. H. L. Brisbane & Wunderlich Ltd became the state's largest clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
tile producer and enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the industry. Over the next 28 years Brisbane built the firm into a large and diversified manufacturing enterprise: it made stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
products, clay sewer-pipes, porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, refractory brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s, aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
fabrication, building cladding
Cladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
and plastics. It sold to Australian Fine China in the 1990s.
Character
"An industrialist of the old school, with a thoroughgoing knowledge of all aspects of the business, he placed great importance on the loyalty and enthusiasm of his employees; his paternalistic management and manner of handling industrial relations had been largely responsible for his firm's survival through the Depression."
Interests
Brisbane was an enthusiastic promoter of industrial development. He was knightKnight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1961, and appointed by the Brand state government to its Industries Advisory Committee, a body composed of leading businessmen. He also worked for the National Heart Foundation of Australia
National Heart Foundation of Australia
The National Heart Foundation of Australia is an independent charity established in 1959. Its vision is for Australians to have the best cardiovascular health in the world and its mission is to reduce suffering and death from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease in Australia.Over the past five...
and the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children is a centre for paediatric research and care. The hospital is located on Roberts Road in Subiaco, Western Australia. It is the state's only specialist children's hospital...
.
Wembley Ware
In 1946 Brisbane and Wunderlich created a range of decorative crockery called Wembley Ware. The range was Brisbane’s brainchild. The first product was the Cruet Set. To avoid paying a high sales tax the piece was fashioned into a salt and pepper shaker and a mustard dish. It was extremely popular, and hundreds more pieces of functional fancy tableware and other items followed, such as ashtrays in unusual shapes.The Old Mill
In 1957 there was a confrontation between the state government and conservationists when it was discovered the ruins of Shenton’s Mill lay in the path of the proposed Narrows Bridge and Freeway. After a win for the conservationists, the State Government ordered a change in the Freeway Route, and Brisbane funded the reconstruction and upgrading of the Mill as a folk museum.Personal life
Brisbane married Frances Leonard Hoyle on 21 September 1921 at St Mary's Anglican Church, West PerthWest Perth, Western Australia
West Perth is an inner suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. It is part of the inner mixed zone, and has predominantly office blocks which have displaced residential buildings. There is a high proportion of miners and consultants, and particularly medical specialists, compared to...
: they had two daughters. He died in Bethesda Hospital, Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
and was cremated. His estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
was worth $178,442.