Angaston

Angaston has been home for the Adelaide Brighton Cement Limited works since 1952 when it was built to replace the old raw mill at Marino. The company operates the Angaston works as the cement and lime division of Adelaide Brighton Limited. The parent company originated in 1882 with a focus on producing of lime, clinker and cement products for the Australian construction industry. Today, it employs more than 1,600 people with its operations taking place in all Australian states and territories.

Angaston Cement Works began With the South Australian Portland Cement Company
The Angaston cement works can trace its roots back to the South Australian Portland Cement Company Limited when it built a new cement manufacturing plant at Marino under the guidance of William Shearing and William Lewis. From 1930 to 1970 the South Australian Portland Cement Company undertook many advances in technology that saw the cement industry grow substantially. However, the South Australian Portland Cement Company were eventually forced to relocate the cement works from Marino when stone reserves became depleted. It was then decided to build a new cement works at Angaston due to the vast natural stone deposits that existed at the site.

Angaston Cement Works Construction Began in 1950
The construction of the new cement works at Angaston began in June 1950 with the landmark concrete chimney stack finally reaching its full height of just over 62 metres by Christmas, 1951. In 1952, following successful testing of the new Angaston cement manufacturing operation, the old raw mill at Marino was finally closed and the Angaston works officially took over the role the Marino works had previously enjoyed.

Merger Talks Commence Between the two Adelaide Cement Companies
First official talks regarding the possibility of a merger between South Australian Portland Cement Company and the Adelaide Cement Company took place in 1957. The talks focused on the combining of the two company's resources in an effort to better meet the increasing demands being place on the industry from the fast growing construction market. However, it was not until the 1970's before it was announced that the two companies were to form the one entity, Adelaide Brighton Cement Limited. Up until this time the South Australian Portland Cement Company had been producing two different types of cement, a 'high early strength' product and a 'normal' product. The 'normal' cement product had been introduced in 1929. Since the 1960's Brighton Cement Limited had been producing, 'masonry', 'sulphate resisting' and a light coloured cement called 'Brightonlite.'

Brighton limestone had been used in the production of cement in South Australia from 1882 through to 1952. The first cement to be manufactured in Australia was made is South Australia in 1882 when William Lewis built a kiln at Brighton using limestone from the nearby Linwood Quarry. Additional supplies were supplemented from other quarries which were linked by means of a flying fox ropeway. This operation ceased in 1952 when the South Australia Portland Cement Company transferred all its operations to the new Angaston works. The quarries, however, continued supplying carbonate aggregate to the Adelaide and suburbs construction industry.
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