Summary

In 1884 the business William Sloan & Co (est. in Melbourne in 1858) became the Union Mortgage & Agency Co of Australia Ltd. The company's domicile was transferred in 1886 to the United Kingdom, where a new company under the same name was formed and the old company liquidated. Originally wool and produce selling brokers and stock and station it moved into the sugar industry with the acquisition of The Palms, Kalamia, Seaforth and Pleystowe Estates in Queensland. In 1894 a subsidiary Australian Estates & Mortgage Co Ltd was established. The Union Mortgage & Agency amalgamated with Australian Estates & Mortgage in 1899 with the former going into liquidation. The Australian Estates & Mortgage sugar business expanded in 1924 when the Amalgamated Sugar Mill Ltd was formed. This company was gradually taken over by Australian Estates. In 1927 the NSW Pastoral Co Ltd was formed in London to acquire properties in New South Wales. In 1936 the Australian Estates & Mortgage changed its name to Australian Estates Co Ltd. After the Second World War it underwent extensive growth and expansion. For a full list of acquisitions and subsidiaries consult with NBAC. Australian Estates (London) Ltd (first called Australian Estates Co (Southern) Ltd) was formed in 1957 in London to take over all business in the United Kingdom. Australian Estates was taken over by CSR Ltd in 1975, the London end of the business wound up and a new board set up in Australia.

Archival resources

John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, (formerly John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection)

• Australian Estates Company Limited records, 1890 - 1952; John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, (formerly John Oxley Library, Manuscripts and Business Records Collection). Details

Noel Butlin Archives Centre, Australian National University, (formerly Archives of Business and Labour)

• The Australian Estates Company Limited records, 1884 - 1989, Various, contact archive for details; Noel Butlin Archives Centre, Australian National University, (formerly Archives of Business and Labour). Details
• The Australian Estates Company Limited records, 1885 - 1950, Various, contact Archive; Noel Butlin Archives Centre, Australian National University, (formerly Archives of Business and Labour). Details

University of Melbourne Archives

• The Australian Estates Company Limited records, 1877 - 1969, Acc No 1976.0046; University of Melbourne Archives. Details