Ashton Engineering started out as Mulguildie Auto and Engineering Services in 1947. Mulgildie is a small farming town just southwest of Monto in Queensland, the present population is about 114 residents. Founders, Doug and Roy Ashton were raised on a farm in the Selene District selected by their father Percy Ashton. Both boys were mechanically minded and gifted with their hands. The older brother Doug moved to Brisbane during the Second World War and was employed by Rodgers, while younger brother Roy joined the Air force. During his employment at Rodgers, Doug was building and fitting gas producers to cars and mechanical hoists to tip trucks.
During the war years, both of the local garages in Mulguildie had closed down and there was no one offering mechanical services in the district. Percy Ashton took a break from farming and purchased the grocers store in Mulgildie. Situated on that same allotment was one of the garages that had closed down; hence Doug and Roy took the opportunity to form Mulguildie Auto and Engineering Services.
In those early days their main tasks were to carry out motorcar repairs, converting wheel drive headers to PTO drive and general welding repairs for local farmers. In the years after the war life was pretty tough and when an ex-Army Blitz truck became available at a price of 100 Pounds, Doug and Roy could see the opportunity to get ahead. They purchased the Blitz truck and began to supplement their income by loading and carting bagged wheat to rail in the evening after a full days work at the garage. Around this time the Selene Coal Mine started production and was looking for transport to cart coal to Gladstone, so it was decided that Joe Hafner, a lifelong employee would camp at the mine and travel daily to Gladstone with a load of coal. The old Blitz was loaded at the mine with a front end loader, but at the other end had to be unloaded by hand, all five tonne of it. They soon gave this idea away as the Blitz was broken down more often than it was working. The gearbox was not designed to handle the loads they were carrying.
In the early 50’s Doug and Roy were in Rockhampton attending an auction, which came about when IBC took over W E Tozer & Sons, (situated top end of East Street, on the southern side of Royal Street) and were selling of excess workshop equipment. Doug and Roy purchased some of the items with the intention of taking it back to Mulgildie, before they realised that with W E Tozer & Sons out of the picture, there was an opportunity to set up business in Rockhampton.
The boys approached Monto solicitor Harry Bandit to negotiate the purchase of 293 Campbell Street. The building previously housed J M Smith who were tin smiths, they had come on hard times when Walter Reid started in town and they lost some of their key staff and management to them. As finance was hard to obtain at that time, the boys were financially backed by Ray Zillman, a grazier from the Abicorn District; he was related to Doug by marriage.
The purchase of 293 Campbell Street was finalised in 1955 and Ashton Engineering started trading from those premises the same year. Doug, Roy, Joe Hafner and Jack Stanley all moved with their families to the “big smoke”. The first they employee engaged in Rockhampton was Morrie Cagney, who was made redundant when W E Tozer & Sons closed down. During those first years in Rockhampton the work carried out was mainly jobbing work such as boring and keying sprockets and pulleys, small fabrications and repairs.
During the 60’s with the introduction of the Brigalow Scheme, scrub pulling, stick raking and dam sinking were in full swing and Ashton Engineering was in a position to take full advantage of the situation. They started producing earth moving equipment such as scrub canopies, stick rakes, tree spears and rippers. The dairy industry was also prominent at this time and together with the introduction of grain bulk handling equipment, Ashton Engineering were producing grain bins, grain augers, silo bases and open web truss steel buildings in kit form. Doug and Roy also developed the Aston Hammermill and travelled the agricultural show circuit demonstrating and promoting the mill. With demand for the hammermill growing, an agreement was reached with Alfa Laval to sell the mills under their banner.
As the Ashton brothers’ business became more successful so did the requirement for more workshop space and hardstand area, 289 Campbell Street was acquired, with a showroom and sales area being established for the sale of engineering hardware and hydraulic equipment, with one building available for lease. The next expansion was to Igloo 5, Monier Road, the present address. This building was built during the Second World War by the American Army as a store. It was an ideal work area to carry on with the production of hammermills and bulk handling equipment. The demand for hammermills was so great at one stage, 25 men were employed in their production, and most came back after the evening meal for a couple of hours more work (they don’t breed them like that anymore!). Eventually with the demise of the dairy farming industry, hammermills went out of production. Grain handling equipment became very competitive, so it was decided to change direction a little.
Ashton Engineering became involved in producing and erecting structural steel for buildings such as The North Rockhampton Library, the Rockhampton Golf Club and the CQUniversity Library to name a few. This Industry was also found to be very competitive, and full of hidden traps.
During the late 60’s early 70’s the second generation from Doug’s family started becoming involved in the business with Jack starting in the office before managing the fitting and turning side of the business. Paul started as an apprentice boilermaker before managing the steel fabrication side of the business. Doug’s two other children, Julie, who manages accounts, and Greg has also contributed to the business.
With the development of the coal resources in the Bowen Basin, Ashton Engineering identified a need to set up a modern workshop with up to date technology, and with that in mind started building a large fabrication shop with 2000 m2 work area, 5 overhead gantry cranes, CNC operated plasma/oxy cutting machines, CNC operated press brakes, plate rolls, form rolls and modern welding equipment. The machine shop, which is also 2000 m2 is equipped with CNC lathes, bed mill, horizontal borer and much more.
At present, about 20 staff are employed by the business. Great pride is taken in the number of apprentices we have trained over the years, starting with Morrie Cagney back in 1955 up to the present day.
Doug and Roy dissolved their partnership in 1982 and have both now passed on and Paul has entered retirement. Ashton Engineering is now in the hands of Jack and third generation family members Mitchell, Tansy (and husband Matthew) and Jenni. They are proud of the legacy left by Doug and Roy and uphold to continue in their footsteps of excellence.
