Historic kiln at Brickworks site wins support as new home of SANFL premiership colours

West Torrens Council has made a decision on SANFL displaying the premiership team’s colours at the Brickworks kiln following West End Brewery’s closure.

Eagles fans Mim Loprete, Dave Fachin, Anthony Marafioti, Kym Sellers and Paul Hower at last year’s chimney unveiling at the West End Brewery. Pic: Tait Schmaal.

The historic Hoffman Kiln at the Brickworks site is set to be the new home of SANFL premiership colours.

West Torrens threw its conditional support behind the move at this week’s council meeting.

The gold and green and blue colours of the 2020 premiers Woodville-West Torrens were unveiled at the West End Brewery for the final time in October last year, following the brewery’s closure.

Following the closure announcement, the Brickworks kiln was identified as a potentially suitable location to hold the long-time football tradition.

A recommendation was moved at the West Torrens meeting this week that the SANFL be advised that council, in its capacity as both the asset owner of the kiln and the land owner, provide its consent for the team colours to be displayed on the kiln chimney.

This approval is conditional on necessary development consents being obtained, with an official development application yet to be lodged.

Advice from a heritage architect will be required, given the heritage listing of the chimney.

Council also needs to resolve with the brewer the financial costs of undertaking the event.

Eagles fans Mim Loprete, Dave Fachin, Anthony Marafioti, Kym Sellers and Paul Hower at last year’s chimney unveiling at the West End Brewery. Pic: Tait Schmaal.

Group engineering and sustainable technologies director for Lion – the owners of the West End Brewery – Luke Sawyer wrote to council asking for consent to continue the long-held, annual tradition of unveiling the SANFL premiership colours.

“Since the mid 1960s, the well-known ceremony of revealing the team colours of the Premiership winning side has occurred at the West End Brewery,” he wrote.

“The West End Brewery site is being decommissioned however Lion’s commitment to the community and respect for the significance of the ceremony remains.

“It has been revealed that the Hoffman Kiln at the Brickworks is a suitable site to host the ceremony and colours moving forward.

“Similar to the West End Brewery, there is historic significant associated with the Hoffman Kiln and we propose (to) marry the physical and heritage significance of the tower with the cultural significance of the ceremony.”

An artist impression of the Hoffman Kiln at the Brickworks decked out in SANFL premiership colours. Picture: McMahon Services

The Hoffman kiln – built by former brickmakers J Hallett and Son Ltd – was heritage listed in 1983 as it represented a significant phase of the brickmaking industry in South Australia.

Eight of the kilns were built in the state between 1882 and 1951.

The Brickworks site is now home to the only Hoffman kiln remaining in SA.

The unveiling of the 2021 ceremony was planned to occur on September 21, but the recent Covid lockdown means it will have to be rescheduled.