Weet-bricks: Plans to turn old breakfast cereal factory into tourism venture

In its day, Warburton’s Weet-Bix factory was among the biggest employers in the Yarra Ranges town, churning out the popular breakfast cereal for kitchen tables across Australia.

Long-time Warburton residents – or anyone who spent enough time there – might remember the smell of roasting wheat emanating from the factory.

David Pratt at the old Weet-Bix factory in Warburton. Credit: Jason South

Food company Sanitarium, established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, built the factory in the 1930s and manufactured Weet-Bix there until it sold the site in 1997.

But the imposing five-storey building, overlooking the Yarra River, where the water is still clear, has lain dormant ever since. It attracted vandals and illegal ravers until the building was properly secured to prevent unwelcome visitors.

Now, its owner and community members are reviving plans to redevelop the site into a major tourism venture.

Still, two previous attempts have failed – will it be a case of third time lucky?

An artist’s impression of the proposed development.

The site’s Sydney-based owner Garry Crockett, 76, said this redevelopment push at Warburton would be his “swansong”.

“It will be the last thing I do before I depart planet Earth,” he said.

Crockett said he made his first attempt at developing the site about 20 years ago, but that plan came undone thanks to the global financial crisis.

About 10 years later he tried again, but Crockett said planning delays held the project up. Both iterations involved plans for about 100 “dual key” dwellings for tourists and permanent residents.

Crockett had sought to build two additional wings adjoining the existing building. The project, known as Edgewater Spa and Resort, included a restaurant and health centre.

He said approvals he previously gained to carry out the project have since expired and he must now begin the planning permit process anew.

Crockett estimated that he had already spent almost $8 million on planning and repairs due to vandalism.

Both the gardens and building at the site are listed with the Victorian Heritage Register.

Architect Edward Billson designed the building and the neighbouring Signs Publishing Company building, which is still in operation today.

The state’s heritage database says that in 1940 the Sanitarium building became the first outside a metropolitan area to win the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects Street Architecture Award.

Inside the former Weet-Bix factory. Credit: Jason South

“The Warburton buildings are important early examples of modern architecture in Victoria influenced by the contemporary European models,” the statement of significance says.

Crockett first saw the Weet-Bix building at night after responding to a for-sale ad in the Australian Financial Review in 1997.

“When I came into the town, the factory was all lit up, and it was just like a beacon. It was quite astonishing,” he said.

The cream brick building’s rooftop offers commanding views of the thick forested slopes of Mount Bride and Mount Victoria.

Inside, there are solid columns allowing for wide open floor spaces. But graffiti covers the walls and vandals have smashed the interior windows.

Yet, ornate features remain. The boardroom wall still has original plaster friezes depicting varying stages of wheat production: ploughing and harvesting, transport and processing. Interior drinking fountains quenched the thirst of Sanitarium employees.

There is a large, imposing vault that has not been opened since the building was sold.

Crockett said it was a shame the building was standing empty. “It’s terrible, obviously. And it’s frustrating for everyone.”

The site is a short walk from the Yarra River. In Warburton, its waters are clean enough for fishing and swimming.

Crockett said the project would require a lease from the Upper Yarra River Reserves Committee of Management before a new planning permit could be lodged.

The committee is appointed to manage the riverside on behalf of the state government. The Sunday Age attempted to contact the committee for comment.

The development’s voluntary project co-ordinator, David Pratt, said securing a lease from the committee would allow for native revegetation works beside the Yarra, so it could be blended into the tourism site.

Parts of the riverbank have become infested with weeds and blackberry bushes. The development’s proponents hope to maintain existing river paths and provide wheelchair access.

The clear Yarra River water in Warburton where it is clean enough to go fishing. Credit: Jason South

Pratt said the building and grounds offered enormous potential. He estimated the project would cost about $100 million to complete.

“It is a phenomenally historic and well-constructed building for its time,” he said.

Large diesel-powered generators remain in the building. The factory was also partially powered by hydroelectricity with water from the Yarra.

In addition to accommodation, conference facilities, restaurant and a bar, Pratt said the project could include a small museum honouring the site’s industrial history.

David Pratt inside one of the sprawling floors. Credit: Jason South

“I’d love to see a small brewery or distillery here. From Weet-Bix to whisky is probably not a bad way to look at it.”

Pratt has assembled a working group of representatives from the Upper Yarra River Reserves Committee of Management, community and business groups, the local council and Melbourne Water.

He said the group would assess the landscape plan on behalf of the community. The project is likely to be similar to the plans previously submitted.

Yarra Ranges Shire Mayor Jim Child said there was a growing need for more accommodation in Warburton. He said the demand would continue with a mountain bike project, which includes 100 kilometres of new trails, due for completion soon.

The old factory is nestled between mountains in Warburton. Credit: Jason South

The council’s destination management plan, released in 2023, showed visitor accommodation was not meeting demand and hampering the ability for overnight and extended stays across the region. Meanwhile, day trips were expected to double over a decade from 4.5 million to 9.1 million annually.

“If we’re going to have an influx of visitors we’ve got to have accommodation,” Child said.

Upper Yarra Valley Historical Society’s former president Frank Colverson said the Weet-Bix factory had been an important part of Warburton’s history and economy.

He, too, remembered the smell of wheat roasting when he was a child at primary school, which he described as comforting and homely.

“It was a pleasant smell, like my mother making Anzac biscuits in the kitchen,” he said.

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