Geo. Hall & Sons, more recently known as Hall's, was a

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...

manufacturer founded in 1849 in Marryatville, South Australia (a suburb of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

) by English immigrant George Hall (1818-1881). The plant later moved to Norwood, using water from natural springs. Its most well-known product was

ginger beer Traditional ginger beer is a sweetened and carbonated, usually non-alcoholic beverage. Historically it was produced by the natural fermentation of prepared ginger spice, yeast and sugar. Current ginger beers are often manufactured rather than ...

, popularly known as "Stonie's". After George's death, the company continued to be owned by his descendants, until it was taken over in 1972. The Hall's brand name continued until 2000.

History

Beginnings

Hall was born in Waldron, Sussex, England, on 19 March 1818. During his teenage years, He had pursued the brewing of non-alcoholic drinks as a hobby. After working as a laundryman for about 14 years in both England and France, Hall and his family decided to emigrate to the new colony of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, arrived in

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...

in 1849, and settled in the new village of Marryatville. Hall started producing

soda water Carbonated water (also known as soda water, sparkling water, fizzy water, club soda, water with gas, in many places as mineral water, or especially in the United States as seltzer or seltzer water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, ...

, specialising in "Stonie" ginger beer, then sold in ceramic bottles, by 1851. J150W-Hall

Amongst the oldest

aerated water Aerated water is, correctly speaking, water to which air is added. The term is, however, frequently applied to carbonated water. Purpose of aeration Sulfur compounds dissolved in water are not necessarily dangerous, but can give the water a b ...

manufacturers in South Australia, in 1869 George was joined by sons Henry, Thomas and Edward in the firm, which then became known as Geo. Hall & Sons. In 1872 they moved from the Marryatville site to larger premises, a former soap and candle factory on the corner of Edward Street and the Norwood Parade, where their major competitor was W Woodroofe & Son. By 1970, Hall & Sons produced 30,000 bottles an hour.