John Primrose (brewer)

John Primrose (c. 1803 – 28 November 1876) was a Scottish distiller and brewer who had a substantial career in South Australia. He was the founder of the Union Brewery in Rundle Street, the colony's first successful brewery.

Primrose was the son of a distiller in Cambridge, near Alloa. He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh, and on leaving school he joined his father's establishment, where he remained for some time, gaining sound practical and scientific knowledge of the arts of brewing and distilling. He gained further experience managing a distillery for the Messrs. Shea, of Belfast, then that of Beamish, in Cork. He remained with them for several years, only leaving them to establish a brewery on his own account on the Isle of Man. He was then attracted to Australia, with the prospect of managing a large established distillery in Sydney.

Primrose arrived in South Australia aboard Ariadne in August 1839 and somehow never made it to Sydney. Shortly after his arrival he set up a distillery in partnership with John Richmond. After carrying it on for about two years he ceased operation on account of the Government demanding payment of duty upon all spirit manufactured in the colony, at the same rate as if it had been imported. Primrose then turned his attention to brewing, and in 1841 founded the Union Brewery in Rundle Street, which he carried on until a few years before his death, transferring the management to his nephew William Ross Sawers (c. 1839–1911) and Arthur Rait Malcom (c. 1847–1890), his son-in-law.

His remains were interred in the West Terrace Cemetery.

John Primrose (c. 1803 – 28 November 1876) married Elizabeth Paton/Patton Reid (c. 1822 – 30 August 1867) in 1845. Their children included:

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