W.McLean & Co were a water meter manufacturer based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company's era of activity was from the early 1900's to the 1920's. Main industry of operation was water meter manufacturing, specializing in mechanical residential billing meters. The meters were mainly made of cast iron and brass, often with cutaway designs to showcase internal mechanisms. One notable artifact is a 1920s cast iron and brass cutaway display water meter manufactured by W. M'Lean and Co., which was auctioned in 2025 by Leonard Joel in Australia. This piece measured 19 cm in height and was designed to visually demonstrate how water meters functioned (Pictured below). W. McLean and Co. was among the first Australian companies to produce mechanical water meters for residential billing, part of a broader movement in the 1880s–1920s to regulate and monitor water usage across urban centers. Their meters contributed to early water conservation efforts and fair billing practices, helping municipalities manage water as a precious resource. Key Points:- • Founder: William McLean (1845–1905), a Scottish-born merchant who emigrated to Australia in 1853. • Early ventures: McLean initially worked in hardware before establishing his own firm. By the 1870s, he partnered with others to form McLean Bros & Rigg, a major ironmongery and machinery importing company in Melbourne. • Transition to William McLean & Co.: After various partnerships, the firm evolved into William McLean & Co., which specialized in hardware, machinery, and municipal equipment such as water meters. 💧 Water Meter Manufacturing • Period of activity: The company was producing water meters by the early 20th century. Surviving examples date from the 1920s, including cast iron and brass display models. • Designs: Their meters were mechanical, with brass collars and calibration markings, typical of early billing meters used by councils to measure domestic water consumption. • Market: They supplied meters to municipalities in Victoria and possibly other Australian states, contributing to the modernization of urban water supply systems. There is very scant surviving information for this company. (The Museum recently acquired in Feb.2026 a rare surviving W.Mclean 3/4" water meter from Melbourne for its collection).