The Baines company dates back to 1947 when seventeen-year-old John Baines built his own truck from an ex-World War II Blitz vehicle. His business grew in many directions, concentrating on haulage of bulk materials including coal, coke, sand and aggregates. He diversified into motor vehicle cartage between Sydney and Wollongong. The company’s focus through the 1960s and 1970s was on plant and equip
ment hire, including initial civil works for Westcliff Colliery, civil works for other collieries and winning sand and clay for local brickworks. By the mid-1970s, John needed a larger premises for his growing fleet and purchased land in Woonona from Bulli Brickworks. A few years later in 1978, with the help of good friend Dave David, John moved into concrete manufacture at the Woonona site. With the success of this venture, and seeing the need for a local manufacturing plant at Helensburgh, he built a new factory there. In 1982, he purchased the fledgeling masonry operator Colorstone at Appin, to which he added a further pre-mixed concrete plant. Over the past thirty years, the masonry operation has grown into a highly automated competitor in the New South Wales market, supplying a blend of masonry, paving and its own patented range of retaining wall blocks. The same high standards of product quality and service are a hallmark of the Baines Masonry operation and a reflection of the standard set by John. The Baines group of companies remains essentially a family company, with three generations of the Baines family actively involved with its businesses, as well as two generations of a number of its early employees. We continue to take great pride and satisfaction in our quality of both product and service.
