Castlemaine Perkins
An Australian brewery in Brisbane and the historic home of the XXXX beer brand.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Castlemaine Perkins is a historic Australian brewing company and brewery based at 185 Milton Road in Milton, Brisbane, Queensland. Its Milton brewery is best known as the home of XXXX, one of Queensland’s most recognisable beer brands. The site remains an important industrial and visual landmark, positioned opposite Milton railway station and associated with the distinctive XXXX signage that is visible from the surrounding suburbs and from roads leading into Brisbane’s inner city. The brewery’s origins date to 1877, when brothers Nicholas and Edward Fitzgerald joined with a Brisbane commercial firm to acquire the site of a failing distillery. They established a brewery there under the Castlemaine name, drawing on the Fitzgeralds’ existing Castlemaine Brewery interests. Brewing began in 1878, and the first beer made at the site was XXX Sparkling Ale. The brewery’s history is therefore tied both to the Fitzgerald family’s brewing activities and to the broader development of commercial brewing in Queensland. A separate strand of the company’s history came from Patrick Perkins, who founded the Perkins Brewery in Toowoomba in 1866 and expanded into Brisbane through the purchase of the City Brewery in 1872. After Perkins’s death in 1901, the Perkins brewing business continued as an important Queensland operation. In 1928, the Castlemaine Brewery acquired the Perkins brewing company, creating the business known as Castlemaine Perkins Limited. The combination brought together two significant regional brewing histories and provided the corporate foundation for the brewery that later became closely identified with XXXX. The company concentrated exclusively on brewing by 1916. In 1924, after the brewery employed German brewer Alhois William Leitner, XXXX Bitter was introduced with a new advertising approach. The campaign used a small, smiling, winking man in a suit and boater hat, later known as the Fourex Man. The character became one of the most recognised commercial symbols in Queensland and helped give XXXX a distinctive local identity. Although called a bitter, XXXX Bitter is a lager. Other important products associated with the brewery include XXXX Gold, a mid-strength beer, and XXXX Summer Bright Lager, a lower-carbohydrate pale lager. Castlemaine Perkins underwent major corporate changes in the late twentieth century. In March 1980, it merged with Tooheys to form Castlemaine Tooheys. Bond Corporation purchased Castlemaine Tooheys in 1985, and Lion Nathan acquired the business in 1992. Castlemaine Perkins is now a wholly owned entity of Lion, which is controlled by Japanese brewing interests. The Milton brewery continues to operate, preserving a direct connection between the current production site and Queensland’s nineteenth-century brewing industry. The brewery has also acquired heritage and civic significance beyond its commercial role. The large brick complex, Milton railway station and passing trains have appeared on XXXX packaging, with labels depicting steam, diesel and electric trains over different periods. The site’s prominent red neon XXXX sign and neon Fourex Man are enduring elements of Brisbane’s built environment. Brewery tours have been offered to organised groups, allowing visitors to connect the company’s industrial history with the production and marketing of XXXX. In 2009, the brewery was named a Q150 Icon of Queensland under the category recognising structures and engineering achievements. Castlemaine Perkins was also inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in the same year for its contribution to the state’s economic development.
History
Castlemaine Perkins developed from two important strands of Queensland brewing. In 1877, Nicholas and Edward Fitzgerald partnered with a Brisbane commercial firm to purchase the site of a failing distillery at Milton. The partners established a brewery connected with the Fitzgeralds’ existing Castlemaine Brewery interests, and brewing commenced in 1878. Its first recorded beverage was XXX Sparkling Ale. The location at 185 Milton Road became the enduring home of the brewery and, eventually, of the XXXX brand. The other major predecessor was the Perkins Brewery. Patrick Perkins began brewing in Toowoomba in 1866 and expanded his operations to Brisbane in 1872 by acquiring the City Brewery. Following Perkins’s death in 1901, his business remained part of Queensland’s brewing industry. The Perkins brewing company was purchased by the Castlemaine Brewery in 1928, creating Castlemaine Perkins Limited. This transaction consolidated two established brewing histories and gave the combined company a strong regional base. By 1916, the company had limited its activities entirely to brewing. A major branding development followed in 1924. After German brewer Alhois William Leitner joined the brewery, XXXX Bitter was launched with a new advertising campaign. Its central character was a small man in formal clothing and a boater hat, shown smiling and winking. Known as the Fourex Man, the figure became a particularly familiar Queensland advertising symbol and helped make XXXX more than a product name: it became a visual expression of local identity. The brewery’s corporate structure changed substantially in the 1980s and 1990s. In March 1980, Castlemaine Perkins merged with Tooheys to create Castlemaine Tooheys. Bond Corporation acquired Castlemaine Tooheys in 1985. Lion Nathan then acquired the company in 1992. Castlemaine Perkins subsequently operated as a wholly owned entity of Lion, a Japanese-controlled brewing group. Despite these ownership changes, the Milton site continued as an operating brewery and remained associated with XXXX. The physical brewery is a prominent brick industrial complex opposite Milton railway station. Its red neon XXXX sign and a neon representation of the Fourex Man have made it a recognisable Brisbane landmark. The brewery, railway station and trains have also been incorporated into XXXX packaging; different editions have depicted steam, diesel and electric trains. Tours have been conducted for organised groups, extending the site’s role from manufacturing facility to heritage and visitor attraction. Castlemaine Perkins received formal recognition in 2009. As part of Queensland’s Q150 celebrations, the XXXX Brewery was named one of the state’s Q150 Icons in recognition of its structural and engineering importance. In the same year, Castlemaine Perkins was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame for its contribution to Queensland’s economic development. The company continues to be identified with beer production in Queensland, particularly through XXXX Bitter, XXXX Gold and XXXX Summer Bright Lager.
- 2009
Queensland heritage and business recognition
[1]The XXXX Brewery was named a Q150 Icon of Queensland, and Castlemaine Perkins was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.
- 1992
Acquisition by Lion Nathan
[1]Lion Nathan acquired Castlemaine Tooheys, bringing Castlemaine Perkins into the Lion corporate group.
- 1985
Bond Corporation acquisition
[1]Bond Corporation purchased Castlemaine Tooheys.
- 1980
Merger with Tooheys
[1]Castlemaine Perkins merged with Tooheys in March to form Castlemaine Tooheys.
- 1928
Castlemaine acquires the Perkins brewing company
[1]The Castlemaine Brewery purchased the Perkins brewing company, creating Castlemaine Perkins Limited.
- 1924
XXXX Bitter and the Fourex Man campaign
[1]XXXX Bitter was introduced alongside a new advertising campaign featuring the character later known as the Fourex Man.
- 1916
Operations focused exclusively on brewing
[1]The company restricted its operations entirely to brewing.
- 1878
Brewing begins at Milton
[1]Production began at the Milton site. The first beverage made there was XXX Sparkling Ale.
- 1877
Milton brewery site acquired
[1]Nicholas and Edward Fitzgerald partnered with a Brisbane commercial firm to acquire a failing distillery site and establish a brewery connected with the Castlemaine name.
- 1872
Perkins expands to Brisbane
[1]Patrick Perkins extended his brewing operations to Brisbane by acquiring the City Brewery.
Products and positioning
A Queensland-rooted brewery whose identity is closely associated with the XXXX beer brand, the Milton brewery landmark and the industrial heritage of Brisbane.
Lager · 1924
XXXX Bitter
XXXX Bitter is the brewery’s signature XXXX beer. Introduced in 1924, it is marketed under the name “Bitter” but is described as a lager. Its identity is strongly connected with Queensland, the Milton brewery and the long-running XXXX visual language, including the Fourex Man and railway imagery.
Mid-strength beer
XXXX Gold
XXXX Gold is a mid-strength beer associated with the XXXX portfolio. It extends the brewery’s principal brand into a lower-strength offering while retaining the regional identity and visual heritage of XXXX.
Low-carbohydrate pale lager
XXXX Summer Bright Lager
XXXX Summer Bright Lager is a pale lager described in the reference material as a 4.2% alcohol-by-volume, low-carbohydrate beer. It represents a lighter product format within the XXXX range.
Sparkling ale · 1878
XXX Sparkling Ale
XXX Sparkling Ale was the first beverage recorded as being brewed at the Milton site after production began in 1878. It represents the brewery’s earliest documented product, before the later development of the XXXX portfolio.
Marketing campaigns
- 1924Fourex Man advertising campaign
Queensland · Australia
The launch promotion for XXXX Bitter used a small suited character with a smile, wink and boater hat. The figure became known as the Fourex Man and developed into one of Queensland’s most recognisable advertising symbols.
Outcome. The character became a durable part of XXXX’s brand identity and Queensland popular culture.
Brand decisions
1992
Acquisition by Lion NathanM&ABackground
Castlemaine Tooheys had been purchased by Bond Corporation in 1985.
Action taken
Lion Nathan acquired Castlemaine Tooheys.
Aftermath
Castlemaine Perkins became part of the Lion corporate group and continued operating as a wholly owned brewing entity.
1980
Merger with TooheysM&ABackground
Castlemaine Perkins entered a period of corporate consolidation in the Australian brewing sector.
Action taken
It merged with Tooheys to form Castlemaine Tooheys.
Aftermath
The merger changed the company’s corporate identity and preceded later ownership by Bond Corporation and Lion Nathan.
1928
Acquisition of the Perkins brewing companyM&ABackground
The Castlemaine Brewery and the Perkins brewing business were both established participants in Queensland brewing.
Action taken
Castlemaine acquired the Perkins brewing company and formed Castlemaine Perkins Limited.
Aftermath
The transaction combined the two predecessor businesses under the Castlemaine Perkins name.
1924
Introduction of XXXX BitterProduct launchBackground
The brewery employed German brewer Alhois William Leitner and developed a new product and advertising approach.
Action taken
It introduced XXXX Bitter and supported it with a campaign featuring the Fourex Man.
Aftermath
XXXX became the brewery’s defining brand, while the Fourex Man became a widely recognised Queensland symbol.
1916
Concentration on brewingStrategyBackground
The company had previously been connected with broader brewing operations and predecessor businesses.
Action taken
It restricted its operations entirely to brewing.
Aftermath
The decision established brewing as the company’s sole operating focus before the later growth of the XXXX portfolio.
Sources1 sources
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