Pirie Street Brewery was operated by James Walsh, Simms & Hayter then Simms & Humble, followed by E. J. F. Crawford. James Walsh founded the Pirie Street Brewery in 1847 or earlier. This brewery was not popular with those living nearby. In 1851 he sold the business to William Knox Simms and John Hayter, who operated the business as Simms & Hayter. Samuel Humble joined in 1853, and they traded as Simms & Humble until 1854, when the partnership was dissolved. and the business disposed of to E. J. F. Crawford, who ran it until at least 1859. Simms & Co., took over W. H. Clark's Halifax Street Brewery in 1856. ;Adelaide Brewery In 1861 J. T. Syme and F. S. Sison formed a partnership Syme & Sison, and established the Adelaide Brewery on the same Pirie Street site. In June 1882 they sold the business to Andrew McIntyre, William Wicksteed and Henry Anthony, none of them with any brewing experience, who continued trading as Syme & Sison. while the originals left for England. Wicksteed and Anthony were found insolvent July 1886.
The people
James Walsh arrived in South Australia aboard City of London March 1840. He married Mary Nicholson shortly after. they left for England in 1851, but returned to Adelaide in 1854, when he opened a shop in Clark's Buildings, Hindley Street selling English beers.
Samuel Waller Humble arrived in South Australia from London aboard City of Adelaide in July 1839
John Hayter arrived in South Australia in August 1840 aboard William Mitchell and managed a few hotels including the John Bull Hotel on Currie Street. He formed a partnership with Simms in 1851 to operate the Pirie Street Brewery, which they relinquished in 1854. In 1853 he and Simms purchased James Chambers' mail coach business for around £14,000. In April 1855, Hayter disposed of his share in the business, and by mid-1859 was insolvent. He had a home in Unley, block 111 and part of 112, which he disposed of in 1859 and 1860. He had a daughter Sarah, who married John Marshall on 16 October 1855. Further information is lacking.
James Thomson Syme, a Scotsman, arrived in Adelaide in 1857 and worked for Primrose's Union Brewery until 1863 when he joined in partnership with F. S. Sison. He returned to Scotland in 1882, died of gout in Edinburgh, His estate was not cleared for probate until 1911.
Frederick Samuel Sison, an Englishman, was a traveller for E. J. F. Crawford before joining with Syme. He married Lucy Bartlett, a sister of Harry Bartlett. He accompanied Syme to Britain, but after the latter's death returned to South Australia, and settled in Port Lincoln, where he built a mansion, "Boston House", which still stands. Sison and Bartlett were great mates, went fishing together.
Dr. Andrew McIntyre married Mary Kell on 18 June 1857; had residence in Brougham Place, died in Glasgow. Mary's sister Emma Kell married Frederic Wicksteed in 1847. She had a brother Frederick Polhill Kell.
William Polhill Wicksteed was born in North Adelaide, son of Frederic Wicksteed and Emma Wicksteed, née Kell, and educated at Whinham College and St. Peter's College.He was involved in the Commercial Travellers' Association. A daughter married a son of William Randell.
