Early Life and Family Background: D. Curtis: Perth Glass Works, Havelock Street, Perth
Daniel, also known as Donald – Curtis, was born in 1868 at Chain of Ponds near Adelaide, South Australia. He was the fifth of twelve children born to Thomas Curtis and Margaret (née Ferguson). His working life began in the bottle industry at the Lion Brewery in Adelaide, where he was employed as a bottle washer.
Arrival in Western Australia and Founding the Perth Glass Works
Curtis arrived in Western Australia around 1899 aboard the ‘Innaminka’, landing at Albany. By 1902, he was working as a bottle dealer from Stirling Street in Perth and Packenham Street in Fremantle. His brother, Archibald Curtis, was also in the trade at this time. By 1904, Donald recognised that bottles arriving from England and the Eastern States were inconsistent and caused difficulties for local manufacturers. With suitable sands available, he established Perth Glass Works just off 217 Havelock Street, creating Western Australia’s own supply of bottles.
Early Production and Challenges, The Horseshoe Trademark and Expansion of the Business
Beginning in 1905, these bottles were loaned to manufacturers and later returned for redistribution. Early examples were mainly champagne-shaped. Although securing skilled tradesmen was initially difficult, the factory was revitalised in 1908 when experienced workers from South Australia arrived, along with new moulds enabling a wider range of bottle shapes. In 1910, Curtis displayed his wares at the Exhibition of Arts in Hay Street and soon after registered his well-known ‘Horseshoe’ trademark, a symbol likely inspired by his passion for horse racing.
During this time, his brother Archibald operated a Marine Dealers premises in Fremantle. Meanwhile, the Redcastle Brewery in Belmont—managed by Sydney George Elliott—was linked with Curtis through shared industry involvement. In 1915, Curtis published numerous advertisements asserting ownership of Perth Glass Works bottles bearing the horseshoe mark, warning that bottles not returned to his depot would be reclaimed.
Following the death of brewery owner George Hughes during WWI, Curtis became proprietor of Redcastle Brewery in 1918, acquiring all assets and machinery.
Perth Glass Works closed temporarily in 1921 due to a wages dispute, prompting Curtis to focus more heavily on expanding and improving the Redcastle Brewery with the support of his brothers. By the 1930s, the brewery was producing ale and stout in both bulk and bottled forms, including PGW crown seals marked with ‘RC’.
Later Years and Perth Glass Works Today
Curtis lived at ‘Hill 60’ in Belmont in the early 1930s and later moved to his new home, ‘Keer Weer’. His diminishing eyesight meant that his brothers took over management of the Pier Street depot. Brewery manager Sydney Elliott passed away in 1935.
By 1939, Curtis still appeared in Post Office Directories with several business and residential listings. He held 14,000 of the 20,000 shares in Redcastle Brewery Ltd, with the remainder held by family members and the estate of T. Curtis.
Donald Curtis died at his Belmont home ‘Keer Weer’ on 25 June 1940 at the age of 72 and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. His estate passed to his adopted daughter, Mavis (Mrs Albert Thomas Harris). No marriage record has been found for him. Control of the brewery later passed to his nephew, Reginald Curtis.
Today, Perth Glass Works bottles are highly collectable due to their wide range of colours—including shades of green, bluish-green, amber and brown—as well as their variety of forms. They can be found in cork-stoppered, ring-seal and crown-seal styles, with a distinctive pickle or chutney-shaped bottle featuring the trademark horseshoe emblem.
References
The West Australian. (1910, February 1). The West Australian. (1915, June 25). The West Australian. (1940, June 27).
The West Australian. (1940, November). The West Australian. (1940, November 5). Quiz, Adelaide. (1905, March 24).
Western Mail. (1908, March 7). Daily News. (1912, March 25). Daily News. (1915, December 18). Daily News. (1934, September 22).
Daily News. (1935, March 6). Daily News. (1936, November 4). Daily News. (1940, June 25). Daily News. (1951, June 1).
Sunday Times. (1915, March 7). Sunday Times. (1915, December 19). Kalgoorlie Miner. (1918, March 9). Kalgoorlie Miner. (1934, January 11). Westralian Worker. (1933, November 24). The Groper. (1933, November 25). Guardian. (1940, July 5).
Vivienne Sinclair
Edited Trudi Anne Gribble