Amongst the industries frequently proposed for Gladstone was a major fertiliser works and Shirley’s Fertilisers established a small factory on the southern edge of town in 1925 (this site was later occupied by the Port Curtis Motel). It was little more than a mixing plant that took advantage of the waste from the nearby meatworks to provide bone calcium and organic matter to mix with other imported ingredients. To help the works to start, the Harbour Board hired its concrete mixer to the company to assist in the building works and then it quoted attractive export dues. The company merged with Australian Cooperative Fertilisers (ACF) and in rationalisation, the plant closed in 1930.
Photo from GOING IN DEEP.
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