Buzacott and jam making machinery

Buzacott

The Buzacott group of companies can be traced back to 1849 when the founder Mr A.B. Armstrong founded an engineering merchant business that later became known as Buzacott Co. Ltd. located at 9 Market Street Sydney. The business expanded but remained in the ownership of the Armstrong family – moving from father to sons - after the death of its founder. In 1889, Ernest Walter succeeded his father Thomas, who was the son of A.B. Armstrong.  In 1902, it became a limited liability company, trading as Buzacott and Company, with Ernest at the helm as Chairman of Director’s while his brother, Walter Verney was a director.

 

Buzacott entered the world of engine manufacturing at the turn of the century when the marine oil engine was introduced into Australia.  Instrumental in this move was Walter Verney Armstrong, an electrical engineer by trade, who gathered information about manufacturing engines from the USA. Eventually, the company expanded to become one of the respected manufacturers of fences and gates as well as pumps, wool presses, elevators, corn crushers and chaff cutters.  Today, engineering enthusiasts restore Buzacott engines and machinery while one of their Trademark products, Cyclone fencing, is still sold to this present day.

 

In later years, the company manufactured refrigerators under an agreement forged with Westinghouse and the name of the company was changed to Westinghouse Rosebery Ltd until it was taken over by the EMAIL group in the 1940s.

 

The company even produced motors and dynamos that went to the Antarctic with Douglas Mawson. Buzacott was responsible for producing farm and station accessories like the canning machinery used by Harry Smith at Seven Hills.



Harry Smith's canning outfit may have been similar to the one in this advertisement c1915

Two early advertisements

 

Ref: Buzacott engineering archive, article Peter Arfanis, 1992, Powerhouse Museum

        Various newspaper articles