Cairns, Wilson & Amos: Early Water Meter manufacturers or suppliers in Melbourne. Overview Cairns, Wilson & Amos operated from the Carron Iron Yard at 74 Flinders Lane East, Melbourne in the mid-19th century. Their 1863 advertisement in The Age claimed they were manufacturers of colonial water meters, offering sizes from ½ inch to 4 inches, with an "improved dirt box" and departmental approval. This places them among the earliest known Australian firms to publicly assert involvement in water-meter production. Other premises: Dudley Street West — “Carron Iron Rolling Mills”, location of the foundry, smelter and machine factory. Advertisement Claims Product: Colonial-made water meters, ½" to 4" Features: Improved dirt box Validation: Tested and approved by the Water and Sewerage Department Pricing: Sold at same price as imported meters Historical Context Date of advertisement: April 17, 1863 Location: Carron Iron Yard, 74 Flinders Lane East Business type: Importers and traders in engines, boilers, iron goods, and industrial machinery Analysis of Credibility While the advertisement is explicit, there is no surviving physical or archival evidence of Cairns, Wilson & Amos water meters: No known surviving meters, No technical drawings or patents, No municipal procurement records referencing their meters, No continued presence in later water-meter manufacturing history Given the era, "manufacture" may have included: Assembly from imported components, Local casting of meter bodies, Rebranding imported meters with minor modifications. Verdict Cairns, Wilson & Amos likely engaged in limited local assembly or adaptation of water meters with imported parts in the early 1860s. Perhaps making the castings alone in their foundry. However, their role appears brief and commercially marginal, with no enduring impact on Australian meter manufacturing.