Our History
Barrett Bros. Maltings in Kent Town South Australia (Late 19th Century)
As our name suggests, Barrett Burston Malting traces back to the merging of two families, the Barretts and the Burstons. Both families have been associated with the Australian malting industry since the 1800s.
William Barrett was an enterprising bank clerk in England who began malting as a part time operation. Meanwhile, Samuel Burston was a storekeeper in a small Victorian country town who saw the opportunity to buy barley from his clients and use it for malting.
Richmond Maltings in Gough Street, (c. mid 20th Century)
In the years that followed there was much competition between these two pioneering malting families until the merger finally took place in 1912 with the founding of Barrett Bros. and Burston and Co. Pty Ltd, heralding a new era in malt production that continues to this day.