Slate manufacturer breaks new ground with Australian order

A MANUFACTURING company producing world-famous slate has broken new ground with its latest order from Australia.

North Wales-based Welsh//Slate has been awarded the contract to provide roofing slate for refurbishment work on Ayers House in Adelaide.

Australia has traditionally been a major export market for Welsh//Slate, but up until now its reach has generally been restricted to Melbourne and Sydney.

Managing director Alan Smith believed the expansion into Adelaide represents a “significant geographical breakthrough” for the company.

He said: “Welsh roofing slate has historically been popular in Melbourne and Sydney, and is now being used in Adelaide as well.
“This prestigious job shows we are really spreading our wings in one of our key markets.”

Ayers House is considered to be one of the finest examples of Colonial Regency architecture in Australia, and remains the largest and best preserved of the houses designed by George Strickland Kingston.

Today it is a popular venue for weddings, business conferences and other functions.

The original Welsh slate roof is being replaced with a combination of 600x300 and 500x250 Heather Blue tiles from Welsh//Slate’s historic Penrhyn quarry in Bethesda, Gwynedd.

The Government of South Australia has purchased the slates, though refurbishment work is yet to begin.

Welsh//Slate, based in North Wales, is the world’s leading manufacturer of high- quality roofing slate, architectural and aggregate slate products.

The company employs more than 200 people across four quarry sites in North Wales.
Penrhyn Quarry, where the company is headquartered, has been operational since the 13th century and is thought to be the oldest and largest slate quarry in the world.

Welsh slate is used primarily for grade I and II listed buildings, plus high end commercial and self build projects.

It is currently being used as part of a multi-million pound refurbishment of an historic railway building in Melbourne, called Goods Shed 2.

Work to replace the original Welsh slate roof of the 130-year-old Glebe Town Hall in Sydney has also recently been completed.

Outwrite PR