West End Brewery is one of South Australia's oldest and most iconic breweries, founded in 1859 by William Knox Simms, John Haimes and Edgar Chapman on Hindley Street in Adelaide. Established in the early colonial era of South Australia, the brewery grew steadily over the following 150 years, evolving through a series of mergers and name changes. It eventually became part of the South Australian Brewing Company and later came under the ownership of Lion, one of Australia's largest beer groups. Over its long history, West End Brewery built its reputation on approachable, session-style lagers and bitters tailored to the South Australian palate. The brewery's signature beer, West End Draught, became a staple of the local drinking culture, while West End Bitter — introduced in its notable form around 1910 — helped the South Australian Brewing Company assert dominance over the state's beer market for much of the twentieth century. The portfolio centred on well-crafted, consistent lagers that resonated deeply with South Australian drinkers for generations. After more than 160 years of continuous brewing, Lion announced in 2020 that the West End Brewery in Thebarton, Adelaide, would permanently close in mid-2021. The brewery's rich archive is preserved by the State Library of South Australia, ensuring its legacy as a cornerstone of South Australian brewing history endures.