The Industrial Legacy of Goninan: From Wickham to UGL

In 1899, Alfred Goninan started his industrial business in Wickham making coal skips and rail wagons. He leased the abandoned works of Hudson Brothers in Greenway Street. The 5½ acre site was owned by Albert Danger, who lived at Baroona Station at Whittingham, near Singleton.

The business was set up as a family-owned company with working capital of £10,000. Twelve people were employed and small orders for general engineering were undertaken. The first major contract was for 100 coal wagons for Rhondda Colliery near Teralba. At this time coal mines were expanding into the Cessnock and Greta Region. The increased distance to the harbour meant there was a longer turn-around time, necessitating an increased number of rolling stock.

Goninan visited the Waratah Colliery to inspect some old coal wagons, with the intention of re-building them. He realised the idea would be financially unsound, but he noticed the name Baume-Marpent, Belgium, cast on some of the axle boxes. He gained the Australian agency for its wheels and axles, giving the company a boost in growth. Diversification into other areas such as underground winding engines and underground skips also occurred around this time.

The Wickham site expanded and employee numbers increased to 170. As a long lease could not be obtained for the Wickham property, the company started to investigate other suitable sites. The war effort interrupted the company’s plans, and the company became the first engineering company to make munitions for the Defence Department.

Photo: Broadmeadow Site, Aerial view, 1945, UGL Company Archives (Broadmeadow)

In 1918 the company purchased the former premises of the English and Australian Company’s copper smelter at Broadmeadow. By 1925, a boiler shop, a foundry, pattern shop, store, machinery shop, power house, blacksmith’s shop and wagon shop were operating on the 30-acre site. The plant was regarded as being the most modern in Australia and the office was reputedly the second largest administrative building in the district.

Alfred Goninan left his position as Company Chairman and Managing Director in 1933. He had been in these positions for 34 years and was succeeded by his brother, Ralph. He continued working in the role of General Manager and Director until 1946 when he was succeeded by his son, Ralph (Junior).

Goninan’s continued to expand and secured many overseas contracts, especially from America. Mr William Howard-Smith was elected chairman of Goninan’s in 1957 and in 1964 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Howard Smith Company Limited. Large contracts included the Carrington Basin Coal Loader for Maritime Services in 1967 and a government contract for the construction of 150 double-deck train carriages. This was one of the largest contracts awarded for passenger carriages and was the first time Goninan’s had built carriages.

In 1999 Howard Smith decided to sell the business, one hundred years after the company was established. It was purchased by United Group and the name changed to United Goninan. Further changes occurred in 2005 when the name changed to United Rail Group and in 2009 to UGL Limited. The company continues to operate from the Broadmeadow site.

Source: Julie Keating, Adamstown & Broadmeadow: The Early Days of Settlement