Southcott, from 1886 in Adelaide, develops precision engineering for diverse design and manufacturing range
The Southcott Ltd factory in Gilles Street, Adelaide city, in 1936, after brothers James and Albert Southcott started the business in 1886.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
Southcott Pty Limited, founded in Adelaide in 1886 as a general engineering business by brothers James and Albert Southcott, remained entirely owned by the South Australia family in the 21st Century and had expanded nationally.
The Southcott brothers secured their place in Australian industrial history with their design and manufacturing of the ACME water cooler, a saddle-stitching machine for the Australian light horse military and stamp perforation machine for Australia Post.
The company operated as J.H. Southcott Industries in South Australia from the 1920s. The company’s involvement in hydraulics began in 1954 with the design and developing of axial piston pumps and motors. Hydraulics became the new basis of the Southcott business and the company remained the only Australian manufacturer of the complex units. A state-of-the-art plant made the hydraulic equipment, including complex manifold circuits and a wide range of hose coupling swaging machines up to 500-tonne capacity.
Southcott grew into a significant force in hydraulics, fluid connectors, electronic controls and engineering, providing customised solutions to diverse industries throughout Australia. Southcott serviced some of the state’s major transport, mining, and infrastructure companies.
Another part of the business involved restoring engines and components in the diverse range of engines used in classic, vintage, and veteran vehicles, particularly early three main-bearing slow-revving flat-head motors of the late 1800s and early 1900s. It also handled to the modern quad cam,four-valve per cylinder short-piston skirty high-revving and high-output later model engines. Southcott also provided machining services to many engine builders around the state.
Southcott cycle division stopped making bicycles in the mid 1990s due to economic climax and turned their focus on marketing and selling state-of-the-art international brands. Southcott cycle division operated from two main distribution warehouses, Adelaide and Melbourne, supplying bicycles and parts and accessories to the independent bicycle shops across Australia.
With a reputation built on precision machining, Southcott continued expanding its manufacturing capabilities. Its plants in Taree and Wingham were dedicated to make couplings and adaptors, while the Athol Park plant specialisedin manifolds, valves, pumps & motors. With advance\s in electro-hydraulic systems, the control systems group, in Newcastle, provided full in-house design and manufacturing systems.
Beyond Adelaide, Southcott had sales offices and service centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle, Devonport, Emerald and Perth.