Cordial 2 – European history of the Richmond River

A History of Aerated Water & Cordial Manufacturers of the Richmond – Part 2

BALZER Cordials – a family affair

Heinrich and Eva Balzer (nee Maus) arrived in Sydney as assisted immigrants on board the San Francisco, on the 31 March 1852 from Nassau, Germany. With them were five year old Phillip Edward and one year old John George – four other children had died at an early age in Germany. Eva was heavily pregnant and Christian arrived just 3 weeks later – the first person born of German parentage in Australia.
Heinrich was a vinedresser/farmer and originally worked at Denbeigh near Narellan and reportedly worked for the McCarthurs at Camden but by 1855 the family was in the Clarence district, where Mary Eliza born 1855, Elizabeth born 1857 and Anna Katherine born 1860 completed the family.

BALZER BROTHERS, Phillip Edward, John George & Christian

By 1871 John George Balzer was working at McLeods Creek on the Timbarra goldfields near Tenterfield where he married Mary Jane Armstrong on 27 November 1871. He would father ten children with Mary and the family settled at Busby’s Flat.

As a young man Christian went to the Clarence River and worked in a factory before trying his hand gold prospecting at Solferino where he successfully found gold nuggets on the fields.

Christian Balzer’s aerated water enterprise began in Lismore in 1876. Although he was the sole cordial manufacturer in the growing township, it is evident from his other business pursuits that alternative forms of income were necessary for him to make a living. In 1880 he married Emily Jane Dellow Wilkins, who was born in Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England and they had eight children. Success came early to the business for Christian and a larger factory was deemed essential so land outside the then small settlement of Lismore was chosen.

Christian had a keen eye for business opportunities and established a livery stable in conjunction with his cordial manufactory. From his stables he started a line of four-in-hand coaches that operated between Woodburn to Chatsworth and Lismore to Tenterfield. The coach services conveyed mail from the railway station to the post office and Christian secured numerous contracts delivering mail. He owned a carrying business and hired buggies as well as flat bottomed boats for picnic parties. All wheelwrighting, saddlery and blacksmithing operations were carried out on his premises. He was a true entrepreneur who profitably exploited and integrated business opportunities to his advantage. These opportunities also included land purchases within the township of Lismore and adjacent rural areas.

Christian faced competition from other cordial manufacturers in Lismore, but their tenure was short lived. Thomas Supple and Thomas Easterbrook both opened separate cordial factories in 1883 and 1884 but both lasted less than six months. His monopoly ran out with the arrival of John Quigley in 1890 and William Ivey Lane in 1900 who maintained a strong presence as cordial manufacturers in Lismore over a long period of time.

Phillip Edward and his brother John George established the first aerated water and cordial manufactory in Casino in 1881 and traded as Balzer Brothers.

By 1886 the Balzer Brothers had opened a branch at Coraki in direct competition with the well established Richmond River Aerated Water cordial factory which had begun operations in 1880 after it had purchased the sole rights for the Richmond River District to use Messrs Barrett & Co’s Patent Stopper and Aerated Water Machine. John was the manager of the Coraki operation and just a year later, purchased the business and moved it to Broadwater while Phillip remained in charge of the Casino cordial factory.

John remained at Broadwater for 15 years operating the Champion Steam Aerated Water and Cordial Works and sold it to Charles Nicolai Lauritzen in 1902 before purchasing the aerated water manufactory at Byron Bay from Charles Herbert Cockbain. He lived in Byron Bay for eighteen months and in that time was an energetic member of the Progress Association, a member of the Manchester Unity and a keen supporter of all sports including football, cricket and athletics.

Phillip was assisted in the Casino cordial factory by his sons Theodore Edward and Philip Henry. Balzer & Co aerated water manufactory was registered on 22 June 1903 with his son Theodore Edward Ernest listed as an additional person working in the business. Phillip died four days later on 26 June 1903 following the amputation of a septic arm.

John George Balzer passed away just six months after his brother on 31 December 1903 and his body was interred in the North Lismore cemetery. His wife Mary Jane was the oldest resident of Lismore when she died in 1954 aged 100 years. She left five children, 29 grandchildren, 77 great grand children and 46 great, great grandchildren. The cordial manufactory at Byron Bay was then carried on by his son William Edward Balzer until 1912.

Christian continued living in Lismore and joined the Lismore branch of the M.U.I.O.O.F at its inception serving as treasurer. He was an active lawn bowler, played billiards and contributed greatly to the development of the growing city.

In 1908 he embarked on an overseas trip to Europe prior to his retirement. The cordial factory was then operated by three of his sons, Leslie Thomas, Percival Henry and Christie Wilkins.

Not long after celebrating his golden wedding anniversary in 1930, Christian passed away the following year, exacerbated by a fall due to muddy conditions on his verandah following a flood.

The next generation

John’s son: William Edward

William was born 4 January 1884 at Busby’s Flat NSW. He was one of ten children. The family moved to Coraki in 1886 before settling at Broadwater in 1887 where his father operated the Champion Steam Aerated Water and Cordial Works. In 1902 the family moved again to Byron Bay where his father had purchased the existing cordial manufactory and young William, who was eighteen at the time, became an integral part of the business.

After his father died in 1903 William assumed all responsibility for running the cordial factory which was situated on Byron Street. In May 1906 he then acquired the Mullumbimby lemonade factory run by Francis Ramsay Gray and installed William David Bryant as the manager. The Mullumbimby arm of the business was sold to Bryant in 1909 and William concentrated on the Byron Bay cordial works where he remained until 1912. Like most cordial factories of the time production was not limited to aerated water and a variety of products including vinegar, sauces, pickles and soap were also manufactured.

William married his first wife Martha Mary Howell in June 1907 and the couple had two children. He was an accomplished athlete who competed successfully at many of the sports events held in the area. He is also reputed to have owned one of the first motor vehicles in the town. In 1912 the Byron Bay aerated water and cordial factory was sold to W.D. Bryant’s son who, up until this time, had been working in his father’s cordial works at Mullumbimby.

William then became a hotel keeper at Burringbar from 1913 but returned to Murwillumbah when Martha died in 1919. He was running the Australian Hotel in Murwillumbah from 1920 to 1923 then moved to Port Macquarie where he married Susan Florence Moffatt in 1924 and ran the Royal Hotel there from 1924 to 1927. He then shifted to Grafton operating the Grafton Hotel from 1928 until 1930.

William and Susan then moved to Queensland where William worked as a barman until 1941 in the suburbs of Brisbane. He later became a labourer and prison warder living at Moorooka. He died in Queensland in 1956.

Christian’s boys: Leslie Thomas, Percival Henry & Christie Wilkins

After the establishment of the first aerated waters and cordial manufactory by Christian Balzer in 1876 at Lismore his sons became involved in the industry as well. Christian had many other business ventures operating in Lismore by the time his sons were old enough to work and all of them became part of his enterprises.

His eldest son Leslie Thomas, who was born on 23 February 1881, worked in the cordial factory as a cordial maker from an early age.

Christie Wilkins who was born on 3 August 1882, was also employed as a cordial maker but spent a lot of his youth farming at Tullera and Boorie Creek. He also lived at Lagoon Grass for a time and in addition to his pastoral pursuits made a major contribution to the operation of the cordial manufactory. He was married in 1907 to Louisa Mary Williams and they had four children.

Percival Henry who was born on 3 September 1885, worked in his father’s cordial manufactory and according to the ledgers made the major contribution in the running of the business. Percival was associated with his father’s livery stables and coach runs. He drove four-in-hand coaches from Lismore to Tenterfield and was married in Tenterfield to Florence Hilda Pollard on 17 September 1913. They had three children. Percival’s first wife died in 1918 and he was remarried to Nellie Ubrihein in 1919.

With their father’s retirement around 1910, the three brothers operated the cordial business under the Balzer Brothers name. Leslie was unfortunately killed in an accident at the manufactory in 1912 when he fell backwards down a flight of steps.
Christie and Percival were both involved in many of their father’s diverse businesses and subscribed to the formation and registration of a new cordial company known as Lismore Cordials in 1929. Percival appears to have had the major influence in the running of the cordial factory and this is reflected in the wages and salary ledgers while Christie not only worked in the cordial manufactory but was also farming at Boorie Creek.
Their business interests took different directions. Christie started a smallgoods and ice works business but continued to manufacture ginger beer on the old factory site in Molesworth Street. He would take the a ice around the streets of Lismore and at the same time sell his smallgoods, butter and ginger beer in demijohns to his customers.
Percival and his wife commenced a storekeeping business in the town along the lines of refreshment rooms.

Both the brothers continued operating their new ventures until their respective deaths. Christie died on 2 January 1942 and Percival died on 27 July 1952.

With the death of Christie and Percival, 70 years of aerated waters and cordial supply to all parts of the Richmond River, came to an end.

Phillip’s boys: Theodore Edward, Philip Henry & William Charles

After Phillip’s death in 1903, the Balzer & Company cordial manufactory continued producing aerated water and cordials under the supervision of 28 year old Theodore Edward Ernest and 23 year old Philip Henry who had worked in their father’s factory from an early age. Theo married Maude Mary Goggins in 1900. Maude was a sister of James J. Goggins who operated his cordial enterprise in Toowoomba. He worked as a cordial manufacturer until he moved to North Queensland in 1908.
Philip married Hannah Mills in 1902 and moved to Kyogle in 1905 to establish a cordial factory in the town. In 1909 he sold his share in the business and followed his brother to Queensland working as a cordial manufacturer in Bundaberg, Mackay, Townsville, and Brisbane.

This left the youngest son, William Charles in charge of the Casino cordial manufactory at just 18 years old.

William was married in 1917 to Eileen May Burns at Casino and the couple had two children. Around 1920 William formed a brief partnership with Bernard Bushby looking to expand his share of the aerated water and cordial manufacturing business in Lismore. The business didn’t last with William returning to Casino to concentrate on his own, independently operated factory. He remained in Casino until 1938 before relocating to Lismore.

In late 1938 William took over the cordial factory previously operated by Thomas George Lovett in 19 Casino Street Lismore. The business moved onto 22 Union Street Lismore in 1938 and William continued in the cordial manufacturing enterprise until his untimely death on 2 March 1945 in Lismore from heart related problems and asthma.

All his life William was associated with brass bands and was recognized as a very good cornet player and competent bandmaster. He was interred in the Casino West Cemetery. With his death the last link of the Balzer family’s involvement with the cordial industry on the Richmond River was heralded.