May Brothers and Company
Encyclopedia
May Brothers and Company was an engineering and manufacturing firm founded by Frederick and Alfred May in 1885. In 1986, during South Australia
’s 150th Jubilee celebrations, Frederick May was named one of the 150 individuals to have made an outstanding contribution to the state’s development. A personalised plaque in his honour can be found in the footpath of North Terrace, Adelaide
, as part of the Jubilee 150 Walkway
.
to Adelaide
in 1858. Upon arrival, the family travelled to north to the mining town of Burra
, where Frederick, (then aged 18), gained employment in a copper mine with his father, Henry, and two brothers, William and Joseph. Alfred, who was only six at the time, attended school until the age of 15 when he then began work as a "picky-boy" – a menial job involving sorting ore on the surface of the mine.
Although not formally qualified in engineering, Frederick’s keen interest and skill in machinery meant that he was soon promoted to the position of mine engineer, overseeing the installation of a steam-powered lift in the Schneider shaft in Burra. The fact that workers could obtain better positions in the new colonies based on skill and merit was one of the reasons Frederick’s father had chosen to bring his family to Australia
.
During the 1860s, the part of Yorke Peninsula
known as the Copper Triangle – in particular the towns of Moonta, Wallaroo
and Kadina – experienced a mining boom. Towns were growing quicker than mining equipment could be built and installed, and engineers were in high demand. Frederick’s skill and efficiency at the Schneider shaft had earned him a reputation, and in 1861 he was appointed by pastoralist and mining magnate, Walter Watson Hughes
, as chief engineer at the Moonta mine.
In 1862 Frederick married Mary Ann Mitchell, and in 1870 he took on Alfred, (then aged 18), as an engineering apprentice.
In 1872 Frederick was approached by industrialist James Martin
. Martin’s company was a manufacturer of mining and agricultural implements, and his foundry in Gawler was the largest in the area, employing at times over 700 men. Martin aimed to expand operations and offered Frederick a partnership. Frederick accepted and secured a position for Alfred also, who was now a fully trained engineer..
Frederick remained partner with James Martin until 1885, when he decided to establish his own business with Alfred. On 28th February the partnership between Frederick May and James Martin was dissolved. The foundations for May Brothers were laid in June that year..
In 1887, during the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria, a trade fair was held in the newly opened Exhibition Building on North Terrace in Adelaide. May Brothers entered seven general machinery exhibits and eight agricultural machinery exhibits, and took home first place in every category. The unveiling of their Damp Weather Threshing and Reaping Machine at the exhibit was met with especially good reviews.. For a young business finding it difficult to gain the trust of Australian farmers who preferred importing machinery from larger more established companies in the USA and Britain,, the success of the exhibit was a great advertisement.
The May Brothers Patent Compound Jigger was another breakthrough invention for the firm, although one that took the mining community – who were hesitant about the new company – some convincing. The jigger, a concentrator that treated ore on the surface, was unveiled shortly after the Jubilee Exhibit in 1887, and an order from the Victory Tin Mining Company in New South Wales
arrived within months. It wasn’t until 1892, however, that another was ordered - this time for the Mount Zeehan mine near Zeehan
in western Tasmania
.
While Frederick had always been known as the inventor, and Alfred as the business man of the pair, Alfred’s inventive potential was highlighted in the early 1900s when a winding gear he designed for the Delprat Shaft in Broken Hill broke world records in performance output for its type. In 1910, he unveiled the Climax Complete Harvester, which cut a seven foot swathe and enabled one man to strip, clean and bag 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of wheat in one day. The firm had grown from a five man operation to having 360 on the payroll, and very few Australian farms or mines were without at least one of the May Brothers inventions.
. A few weeks after returning to their Semaphore
home, Frederick died of heart complications. He was only 57 years old.
Alfred vowed to continue May Brothers and set up a new partnership with Frederick’s eldest sons, Frederick (Jr) and William. Alfred’s brothers, Matthew and Joseph, were appointed as senior executives. Later, Alfred incorporated the partnership into a company, issuing a system of incentive payments. It was one of the first of its kind in Australia, and was in the form of shares to employees, based on their position and length of service. The allocation of shares was so generous that it meant that the employees became the majority shareholders, and able to out-vote Alfred and his partners.
In 1911 Alfred retired from the company and moved his family to Adelaide. However, from then until his death in 1920, he remained active in the company and continued to contribute to designs. In 1917 he designed the “Acme” harvester – the biggest of its kind with a swathe of 10 in 6 in (3.2 m), but light enough for only five horses to pull.
The declaration of war with Germany in 1914 meant that May Brothers and Company was busier than ever, especially with many of its own employees enlisted in the war overseas. The 1920s brought increased competition from Australian companies, such as David Shearer
and Sunshine
, and Matthew and Joseph, who remained as senior executives, found they could not match the inventiveness or business skills of Frederick and Alfred.. The company was suffering. In an effort to diversify, they attempted to break into the automobile market by forming a public company with J.H. Jones of Adelaide, appointing former South Australian premier Sir Richard Butler
as chairman. The company failed, but was quickly followed by another venture that combined May Brothers and Company with the Perry Engineering Company, a firm founded by Frederick’s original partner, James Martin. The new company concentrated on the manufacture of harvesters. It began hopefully, but was unable to build up enough momentum by the time the Great Depression struck. Unable to meet costs, the company liquidated, and all that remains now of the workshop and foundry in Gawler is the street bearing its name.
doctrine, the May Brothers were involved in many services to their community. From 1881-1884, Frederick sat on the local Gawler Council representing the East Ward. He was Vice President of the Gawler Agricultural Society; a member of the council of the Gawler School of Mines; a member of the Geological and Mineralogical Society; a member of the Freemasons’ Fidelity Lodge, and at one point, was captain of the Gawler Fire Brigade. His skill at design extended beyond engineering to that of architecture, and not only did he design his firm’s shop and foundry, he also designed (pro bono) the Bible Christian Churches at Moonta and Kadina, and the Wesleyan Church at Moonta.
Alfred was also an active member of the community. He, too, was a member of the Freemasons’ Fidelity Lodge, a member of numerous Methodist Church committees, was involved in local bands, acted as President of the Gawler School of Mines and was a founding member of the Gawler Bowls Club. Alfred’s relationships with his employees were strong, and in 1905 when Jim Caskey, a 46 year old worker, was caught between an overhead shaft and a driving gear, and the company suffered its first fatal accident in 25 years, Alfred ensured that Caskey’s widow and children were provided for. In an era where statutory workers’ compensation was still 81 years away, the act was considered unusual, and was the subject of much debate.
players to graduate to league football in South Australia. From 1919-1923, the May Brothers Foundry was home to the team’s clubrooms.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
’s 150th Jubilee celebrations, Frederick May was named one of the 150 individuals to have made an outstanding contribution to the state’s development. A personalised plaque in his honour can be found in the footpath of North Terrace, Adelaide
North Terrace, Adelaide
North Terrace is one of the four terraces that bound the central business and residential district of the city of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It runs east-west, along the northern edge of the CBD.-North Side of North Terrace:...
, as part of the Jubilee 150 Walkway
Jubilee 150 Walkway
The Jubilee 150 Walkway, also variously known as the Jubilee 150 Commemorative Walk, the Jubilee 150 Walk, and the Jubilee Walk, is a series of 150 bronze plaques set into the pavement of North Terrace, Adelaide. It was officially opened on 21 December 1986...
.
History
Frederick May (b. 1840) and Alfred May (b. 1852) were two children in a family of nine who emigrated from CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in 1858. Upon arrival, the family travelled to north to the mining town of Burra
Burra, South Australia
Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...
, where Frederick, (then aged 18), gained employment in a copper mine with his father, Henry, and two brothers, William and Joseph. Alfred, who was only six at the time, attended school until the age of 15 when he then began work as a "picky-boy" – a menial job involving sorting ore on the surface of the mine.
Although not formally qualified in engineering, Frederick’s keen interest and skill in machinery meant that he was soon promoted to the position of mine engineer, overseeing the installation of a steam-powered lift in the Schneider shaft in Burra. The fact that workers could obtain better positions in the new colonies based on skill and merit was one of the reasons Frederick’s father had chosen to bring his family to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
During the 1860s, the part of Yorke Peninsula
Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located north-west and west of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. It has geographic coordinates of...
known as the Copper Triangle – in particular the towns of Moonta, Wallaroo
Wallaroo
A Wallaroo is any of three closely related species of moderately large macropod, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies. The name "wallaroo" is a portmanteau of wallaby and kangaroo. The term is not generally used by Australians...
and Kadina – experienced a mining boom. Towns were growing quicker than mining equipment could be built and installed, and engineers were in high demand. Frederick’s skill and efficiency at the Schneider shaft had earned him a reputation, and in 1861 he was appointed by pastoralist and mining magnate, Walter Watson Hughes
Walter Watson Hughes
Sir Walter Watson Hughes was a pastoralist, public benefactor and founder of the University of Adelaide, South Australia.-Early life:...
, as chief engineer at the Moonta mine.
In 1862 Frederick married Mary Ann Mitchell, and in 1870 he took on Alfred, (then aged 18), as an engineering apprentice.
In 1872 Frederick was approached by industrialist James Martin
James Martin
-Actors, musicians, and other performers:*James Martin , saxophonist, singer, and record producer*James Martin , actor on EastEnders*James Martin , actor on Still Game...
. Martin’s company was a manufacturer of mining and agricultural implements, and his foundry in Gawler was the largest in the area, employing at times over 700 men. Martin aimed to expand operations and offered Frederick a partnership. Frederick accepted and secured a position for Alfred also, who was now a fully trained engineer..
Frederick remained partner with James Martin until 1885, when he decided to establish his own business with Alfred. On 28th February the partnership between Frederick May and James Martin was dissolved. The foundations for May Brothers were laid in June that year..
Location
The May Brothers shop and foundry was located on 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land situated on the southern side of Gawler, strategically placed next to the railway lines. Frederick himself drew the plans, and it is said the brothers literally established the foundations by marking out and laying concrete for the floors.. Later, operations extended and a branch was opened in Port Pirie. The name May Town, near Port Pirie, is reported to possibly have come from the May Brothers and Company branch situated there.Inventions and designs
At first the firm concentrated on essential items for farms, factories and mining, but Frederick’s inventive nature, reflected in his philosophy “It’s not enough to simply give people what they want; we must make things they haven’t even thought about yet...”, meant he was continually designing new products. Both he had his brother were prolific in their designs, and the number of patents taken out during the company’s lifetime is testimony to this: Frederick patented nine designs and Alfred patented fourteen. Matthew, a brother who worked as an engineer in Moonta, but joined the firm shortly after its foundation, patentened five designs..In 1887, during the Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria, a trade fair was held in the newly opened Exhibition Building on North Terrace in Adelaide. May Brothers entered seven general machinery exhibits and eight agricultural machinery exhibits, and took home first place in every category. The unveiling of their Damp Weather Threshing and Reaping Machine at the exhibit was met with especially good reviews.. For a young business finding it difficult to gain the trust of Australian farmers who preferred importing machinery from larger more established companies in the USA and Britain,, the success of the exhibit was a great advertisement.
The May Brothers Patent Compound Jigger was another breakthrough invention for the firm, although one that took the mining community – who were hesitant about the new company – some convincing. The jigger, a concentrator that treated ore on the surface, was unveiled shortly after the Jubilee Exhibit in 1887, and an order from the Victory Tin Mining Company in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
arrived within months. It wasn’t until 1892, however, that another was ordered - this time for the Mount Zeehan mine near Zeehan
Zeehan, Tasmania
Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies southwest of Burnie. At the 2006 census, Zeehan had a population of 845. It is part of the Municipality of West Coast....
in western Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
While Frederick had always been known as the inventor, and Alfred as the business man of the pair, Alfred’s inventive potential was highlighted in the early 1900s when a winding gear he designed for the Delprat Shaft in Broken Hill broke world records in performance output for its type. In 1910, he unveiled the Climax Complete Harvester, which cut a seven foot swathe and enabled one man to strip, clean and bag 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of wheat in one day. The firm had grown from a five man operation to having 360 on the payroll, and very few Australian farms or mines were without at least one of the May Brothers inventions.
The Later Years
After the death of his wife in 1897, Frederick retired from business and moved to the Largs Pier Hotel where he took up residence. There, he met a widow named Margaret Kiek whom he married in a ceremony in LauraLaura, South Australia
Laura is a rural town in the Mid North - Southern Flinders Ranges region of South Australia, 12 km north of Gladstone on the Main North Road and 40 km east of Port Pirie....
. A few weeks after returning to their Semaphore
Semaphore, South Australia
Semaphore is a north-western seaside suburb of Adelaide of the LeFevre Peninsula 14km from the CBD, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Semaphore South, Glanville, Exeter and Largs Bay. The postcode for Semaphore is 5019...
home, Frederick died of heart complications. He was only 57 years old.
Alfred vowed to continue May Brothers and set up a new partnership with Frederick’s eldest sons, Frederick (Jr) and William. Alfred’s brothers, Matthew and Joseph, were appointed as senior executives. Later, Alfred incorporated the partnership into a company, issuing a system of incentive payments. It was one of the first of its kind in Australia, and was in the form of shares to employees, based on their position and length of service. The allocation of shares was so generous that it meant that the employees became the majority shareholders, and able to out-vote Alfred and his partners.
In 1911 Alfred retired from the company and moved his family to Adelaide. However, from then until his death in 1920, he remained active in the company and continued to contribute to designs. In 1917 he designed the “Acme” harvester – the biggest of its kind with a swathe of 10 in 6 in (3.2 m), but light enough for only five horses to pull.
The declaration of war with Germany in 1914 meant that May Brothers and Company was busier than ever, especially with many of its own employees enlisted in the war overseas. The 1920s brought increased competition from Australian companies, such as David Shearer
David Shearer
David James Shearer, MBE is a humanitarian worker and politician from New Zealand. He won the Mount Albert by-election on 13 June 2009 to become a Member of the Parliament of New Zealand for the Labour Party...
and Sunshine
Sunshine
Sunshine is sunlight, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun, especially in the visible wavelengths.Sunshine may also refer to:-Film and television:*Sunshine , a historical film directed by István Szabó...
, and Matthew and Joseph, who remained as senior executives, found they could not match the inventiveness or business skills of Frederick and Alfred.. The company was suffering. In an effort to diversify, they attempted to break into the automobile market by forming a public company with J.H. Jones of Adelaide, appointing former South Australian premier Sir Richard Butler
Richard Butler
- Military :*Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Arran , 1st Earl of Arran, marshal of the army in Ireland, lord deputy of Ireland*Richard Butler , American Revolutionary War General, later killed fighting Native Americans in Ohio...
as chairman. The company failed, but was quickly followed by another venture that combined May Brothers and Company with the Perry Engineering Company, a firm founded by Frederick’s original partner, James Martin. The new company concentrated on the manufacture of harvesters. It began hopefully, but was unable to build up enough momentum by the time the Great Depression struck. Unable to meet costs, the company liquidated, and all that remains now of the workshop and foundry in Gawler is the street bearing its name.
Community Relations
In accordance with their Wesleyan MethodistWesleyan Methodist Church of Australia
The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia is a Christian denomination with its origins in Wesleyan Methodism. It is the organizational name for The Wesleyan Church in Australia.-Background and formation:...
doctrine, the May Brothers were involved in many services to their community. From 1881-1884, Frederick sat on the local Gawler Council representing the East Ward. He was Vice President of the Gawler Agricultural Society; a member of the council of the Gawler School of Mines; a member of the Geological and Mineralogical Society; a member of the Freemasons’ Fidelity Lodge, and at one point, was captain of the Gawler Fire Brigade. His skill at design extended beyond engineering to that of architecture, and not only did he design his firm’s shop and foundry, he also designed (pro bono) the Bible Christian Churches at Moonta and Kadina, and the Wesleyan Church at Moonta.
Alfred was also an active member of the community. He, too, was a member of the Freemasons’ Fidelity Lodge, a member of numerous Methodist Church committees, was involved in local bands, acted as President of the Gawler School of Mines and was a founding member of the Gawler Bowls Club. Alfred’s relationships with his employees were strong, and in 1905 when Jim Caskey, a 46 year old worker, was caught between an overhead shaft and a driving gear, and the company suffered its first fatal accident in 25 years, Alfred ensured that Caskey’s widow and children were provided for. In an era where statutory workers’ compensation was still 81 years away, the act was considered unusual, and was the subject of much debate.
Local Football
The May brothers had a close connection with local football. In 1894 Frederick’s son, Frederick Jr, was one of the two first South Gawler Football ClubSouth Gawler Football Club
The South Gawler Football Club is a country Australian rules football club, founded by James Fitzgerald in the Gawler South area of the Barossa Valley town of Gawler, South Australia, in 1889. The Lions, who wear royal blue and white hoops, currently compete in the Barossa Light & Gawler Football...
players to graduate to league football in South Australia. From 1919-1923, the May Brothers Foundry was home to the team’s clubrooms.