Walker Brothers (soap)


Walker Brothers was a pioneer soap manufacturer in the British colony of South Australia.

History

Thomas Moody Walker and his wife Mary Ann Walker, née Lamb, of Lincolnshire, England, emigrated to South Australia with their three children aboard Lord Goderich, arriving in April 1838.
He founded a candle factory in Wakefield Street, Adelaide in 1840 and by 1841 was producing enough to advertise his wares, and was making soap a few months later, the first in the field, though Burford's was making candles a few months earlier.
At the Exhibition of 1845 his soaps were praised by the judges as comparable in quality to those of English manufacturer Paton and Charles, while those of Wright & Linn's Hindmarsh Soap Manufactory and W. H. Burfords were barely inferior. His candles and Burford's, however, were not rated as highly as those of A. H. Davis of Moore Farm. The judges opined that future importation of both soap and candles would be not only needless but unprofitable.
In 1847 he gained a wine and beer licence for the Fountain Inn, on his property, adjacent to the factory, but after three years allowed it to lapse and converted the place for his private use.
By 1876 the company was being managed by the brothers Thomas Moody Walker, jnr, and Frederick Charles Walker; weekly production of candles was around.
The firm prospered, and plans were put to the Woodville Council for a new factory to be built at Ridleyton, but were resisted by nearby residents, especially Croydon, which had become a popular middle-class suburb, and quite reasonably anticipated a continual nuisance smell from such a factory.
Frederick Charles Walker retired from the business in 1880, leaving Thomas Moody Walker, jnr, in sole charge.

Other interests

T. M. Moody was an adherent of the Order of Oddfellows for sixty years and held a high position in the Society.

Family

Thomas Moody Walker married Mary Ann Lamb in Boston, Lincolnshire, arrived in South Australia in April 1838. Among their children were: