Wilsons (NZ) Portland Cement Co Ltd
Date established
1884
Date closed
1956
History
Wilsons Portland (NZ) Cement Ltd
1867 Nathaniel Wilson started producing hydraulic lime at Warkworth
1885 John Wilson & Co was manufacturing Portland cement commercially – first time in Australasia
1901 New Zealand Portland Cement Co was established & operated on Limestone Island in Whangarei Harbour
1912 Mr G Winstone & Mr Wilson went on an overseas tour to purchase the latest in equipment for the new company The Dominion Portland Cement Co which was established (Winstone Ltd distributor)
1918 Amalgamation of Dominion Portland Cement Co, NZ Portland Cement
Co, & John Wilson & Co to form Wilson’s Portland (NZ) Cement Co Ltd. All production was concentrated on the Portland site. The operations at Limestone Island ended that year but continuing production at Warkworth until 1929.
1921 Wilson’s set up a subsidiary company, Wilson’s Collieries Ltd, to mine
coal at Waro, near Hikurangi.
1933 the Waro mine was abandoned after flooding but continued upgrading and expansion at Portland led to the plant reaching production capacity of 26,000 tonnes a year by 1960.
1970 The company was taken over by the Golden Bay Cement Company and Winstone Ltd each holding 50% of the shares.
1980 The Golden Bay Cement Company became the sole owner by
1988 the company ownership changed again with Fletcher Challenge Ltd taking over and decisions were made to concentrate cement production at Portland with the Golden Bay plant at Tarakohe closing in 1989.
1867 Nathaniel Wilson started producing hydraulic lime at Warkworth
1885 John Wilson & Co was manufacturing Portland cement commercially – first time in Australasia
1901 New Zealand Portland Cement Co was established & operated on Limestone Island in Whangarei Harbour
1912 Mr G Winstone & Mr Wilson went on an overseas tour to purchase the latest in equipment for the new company The Dominion Portland Cement Co which was established (Winstone Ltd distributor)
1918 Amalgamation of Dominion Portland Cement Co, NZ Portland Cement
Co, & John Wilson & Co to form Wilson’s Portland (NZ) Cement Co Ltd. All production was concentrated on the Portland site. The operations at Limestone Island ended that year but continuing production at Warkworth until 1929.
1921 Wilson’s set up a subsidiary company, Wilson’s Collieries Ltd, to mine
coal at Waro, near Hikurangi.
1933 the Waro mine was abandoned after flooding but continued upgrading and expansion at Portland led to the plant reaching production capacity of 26,000 tonnes a year by 1960.
1970 The company was taken over by the Golden Bay Cement Company and Winstone Ltd each holding 50% of the shares.
1980 The Golden Bay Cement Company became the sole owner by
1988 the company ownership changed again with Fletcher Challenge Ltd taking over and decisions were made to concentrate cement production at Portland with the Golden Bay plant at Tarakohe closing in 1989.
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