Mellor Brothers

Mellor Brothers was a farm machinery manufacturer in the early days of South Australia, founded by Joseph Mellor, and carried on by two of their four sons.

Joseph Mellor, his wife Mary née Fox, and son Thomas Fox Mellor arrived in South Australia aboard Fairlie (often spelled Fairleigh) in July 1840.

The Mellors were to have three more sons, two of whom would figure prominently in the company's development.

Joseph Mellor set himself up in business in Morphett Street as a carpenter and wheelwright, and was soon employing around five men and advertising manufacture of drays, wheelbarrows, harrows and other simple farming implements. By 1857 he was employing over fifty and had a second factory on Town Acre 246, Franklin Street adjacent to the original one on Town Acre 245 on the north-west corner of Morphett and Franklin streets. By 1859 he had 100 men and had agents in Melbourne, Wahgunyah and Beechworth in Victoria, and Goolwa in South Australia.

At the 1862 International Exhibition his reaping and harvesting machine won a medal, and was later sold to Russia. At the Grand General Show, held in conjunction with the Royal Visit of 1867, Mellor won a good number of prizes. Mellor was a member of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society. 1855–1862

In 1863 he purchased an block of land south of the railway line at Kapunda and opened a factory 140 by 30 feet (43 m × 9 m) at the corner of Carrington and Cambria streets, with around 15 men under the supervision of his son James F. Mellor, which in 1864 produced 110 reaping machines.

In 1869 Joseph Mellor relinquished control of the Franklin Street Machine and Wheel Works in favour of his two elder sons, Thomas Fox Mellor and James Fox Mellor, who were joined at some later stage by Benjamin Fox Mellor. Thomas, who was little interested in engineering, served as manager for a time, then left to pursue a business career.

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