This story began 114 years ago, when brothers Ernest and Alfred Wunderlich
began manufacturing stamped zinc building materials. You can see Wunderlich
products in old buildings all over Australia, including the 14 domes of
Sydney Hospital and the ornate 1888 stamped Zinc ceilings in Sydney Town
Hall. The business quickly expanded to all Australian colonies (now states,
and brother Otto joined them from London in 1900).
Wunderlich rightly claims to have painted the town red for over a century with the warmth and beauty of its natural terracotta roofing tiles.
Major changes to Wunderlich's operations began in 1969 when CSR Ltd purchased the company and various divisions were sold or amalgamated. The company was sold to Monier in 1983, and eventually re-acquired by CSR via a joint venture in 1988.
Originally the name Monier was the patented process which we now generally call reinforced concrete. The inventor was a French gardener, P A Monier (1823-1906). Initially he was trying to make flower pots of cement and sand mortar, but they kept on falling apart until he reinforced them with wire.
Patenting the idea in 1867, he exhibited the result of his invention at the Paris Exposition. The State Monier Pipeworks operated until 1935 setting up a number of factories throughout NSW. Change in government policy resulted in the sale of the business to a group of employees who formed Monier Industries in 1936. Remaining in business until 1941, when it was taken over by a new and small company which had been formed in 1936 - Cement Linings Ltd. Monier industries was changed to Monier Pipe Co Pty Ltd.
Cement Linings Ltd was the original company name and was first registered in NSW on 6 April 1936. Since then the name has changed and is now owned by CSR hence CSR Monier Wunderlich.
Both CSR Monier concrete and Wunderlich terracotta tiles come in an impressively wide range of colours and styles, to suit any home design from classical to contemporary. In fact, they offer the widest range of shades, styles and accessories in Australia. By choosing tiles, you'll have a more extensive variety of colours and profiles than any other roofing material, to create the perfect match for the design and colour of your home.
Concrete and terracotta tiles are made to strict strength specifications that meet Australian standards; contrary to public belief, concrete tiles do not become brittle or porous with old age. In fact, concrete actually strengthens over time, which is why it is used so often in the construction of bridges, buildings and dams.
