5a.Brink Brothers – Part 1
Updated 19/05/2026
Brink Brothers of Montagu is visited by Montagu Stories.……….
This document attempts to remember a MONTAGU BUSINESS GIANT from the peak of the business to its gradual disappearance from the town of Montagu.
Brink Brothers Montagu Head Office (Corner Du Toit and Bath Street) and retail outlet at the beginning
Picture: Jaco de Kock Collection
This document attempts to remember a MONTAGU BUSINESS GIANT from the peak of the business to its gradual disappearance from the town of Montagu. The story starts with pictures of the properties owned by Brink Brothers during its existence as taken in 2019 which shows the size of the business empire in a bygone time. The story continues with the growth and achievement of Brink Brothers which is best viewed in their 50 year Golden jubilee publication. The story then ends with some possible reasons for the disappearance of Brink Brothers
Pictures: Montagu Museum
Brink Family
L/R back: Abram, Maria(later Mrs. Castles and Mrs. Andrew Hofmeyr), John and Louis
Front: Ernst and Peter
(John and Peter were the original Brink brothers)
The company owned the following properties in Montagu at their peak:
Head office complex. Corner Du Toit and Bath Streets. This building had two stories. The upper level housed management with all the traditional support staff for a big organization. The ground floor was a traditional large retailer catering for all the goods one would expect to find in a large city.
The new and improved BB head office
The head office building burns down
Picture: Jaco de Kock collection
The rebuilt Brink Brothers reopens
The new head office and store
BB staff hard at work
A look inside the BB flagship store in Montagu
3 Coloured pictures: Gerald Batt
Pictures: Montagu Museum
The head office building corner Bath and Du Toit Streets 2019
Cash Store
Across Bath Street was their cash store. The original building was enlarged a number of times. After it was sold the building burnt down was rebuilt and then demolished to make way for the building occupied by Agrimark today (2020).
Brink brothers Cash Store corner Bath and Du Toit Streets
Picture: Brink Brothers Golden Jubilee publication
The Cash Store building fire
Picture: Montagu Museum
New building new era
The Hardware Store
Brink Brothers had a separate hardware store on the corner of Du Toit Street and Bath Streets.
Picture: 2019
Probably the heart of the BB operation was the canning factory which was just past the police station on the same side of Bath Street. The complex had an area where the farmers could offload their produce, the canning factory proper (Montagu pips 2020) and the company workshop building (Spilhaus 2020).
The Canning Factory in the old days
The factory in full swing
Pictures: Montagu Museum
A visit to the canning factory
A memory of a visit to the Canning factory in 1954 is shared by Gertrude Panzenberger-Smith: I was 5 at the time. My parents might have known the owners from their business, my mom being a photographer, and my dad an office machine mechanic. Also, they were Viennese charmers who got themselves invited everywhere (I was also born there). I only know the date because they dated their negatives.
Pictures: Gertrude Panzenberger-Smith
The building 2019
The group workshop building (2019)
The Cold Rooms
The cold rooms were situated at Die Fort on the corner of Bath and Barry Streets.
The old company cold rooms converted into living accommodation. (2019)
The Grain Mill
BB also bought the Marais Grain Mill on the corner of Piet Retief and Mark Streets.
The old grain mill building (2019)
Distillery and Wine store
The company also had a Brandy and Wine distillery and store. This building stood next to the Brink Brothers head office which can be seen on the left of the picture below.
The original Brink Brothers distillery and wine store in Bath Street. On the left is the original Brink Brothers head office.
Picture: Montagu Museum
The Hotel
Brink Brothers then took and major decision and built a luxury hotel in Mark Street which for its time could match the best accommodation available in South Africa.
The Hotel stands proudly waiting for guests
Guests enjoying one of the amenities offered by the new hotel
The garden takes shape
Guests relax in the garden
Hotel Avalon Market Street during its heyday another proud part of Montagu’s history
Pictures: Transnet Heritage Library Photo Collection
Picture Lizette and Danie Retief (2025)
The Hotel building is today (2023) a residential apartment complex
The Garage
Brink Brothers garage in Bath Street under construction
The garage in another era
Pictures: Montagu Museum
Advert: Dorp Dinge July 1984
Garage in Bath Street (2023)
Anelma Oosthuizen: The Venus cinema Mark Street (Shoprite 2025) was built and owned by the Brink family.
Picture: “Transnet Heritage Library Photo Collection”
The Home in upper Kohler Street once owned by The MD of Brink Brothers George Brink
Picture 1947: Transnet Heritage Library Photo Collection
Flip Kriel(2024): Hierdie huis staan waar George Brink se huis gestaan het. George Brink se huis het ‘n grasdak gehad en die naam was”Amper bo” of “Hooggenoeg” – ek kan nie meer onthou nie. In 1966 of 1967 was ek ‘n paar dae met verlof op Montagu. Ek stap huistoe en net toe ek om die hoek van Bad-en Kerkstraat gaan, sê iets vir my ek moet omkyk en sien toe net vlamme en rook teen die bult. Ek het dadelik geweet dis George Brink se huis wat aan die brand is. Reg voor my in Kerkstraat staan mev. Kellerman met iemand en gesêls. Sy groet my glimlaggend maar ek sê net “George Brink se huis is aan die brand” en wys in daardie rigting. Mev. K. kyk soontoe en word spierwit. Ek was bevrees sy gaan daar in die straat flou val.
