Cooper's Malt Factory - Windback Wednesday

Self-taught chemist and brewer John Cecil Gunner Cooper (1887-1951) built the first Malt Factory in South Australia circa 1921.

The 14 foot high galvanised iron building on Tusmore Avenue in Tusmore, manufactured malt extract from malted barley. The two principal chemists of the time, Bickford and Faulding, collected the extract and sold it under their brand names. The factory operated until 1950.

Twelve years later, John’s youngest son, Peter, resurrected the old plant and made malt extract until 1965. In the same year, the factory was demolished.

A model replica of the factory-built by Peter Cooper is on the display in Burnside Library.

Pictured: A view of the factory from the back of the family home facing south, 1964. Courtesy of Peter Cooper.