The Wunderlich business in Sydney was founded in 1885 by Ernest and his two brothers Alfred and Otto Wunderlich who all came from Germany. They produced decorative building materials which included pressed metal ceilings, metal shop fronts and terra cotta tiles and cladding.

 

The brothers opened the Wunderlich factory in North Sunshine in 1927. The factory produced terra cotta and faience tiles for the facing of city buildings, durabestos building sheets and asbestos pipes.

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In 1969 CSR bought the factory and subsequently sold it to James Hardie in 1977.

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The site closed down in 1983 and has since been converted into the Westend Market Hotel and a Dan Murphy's Store.​

 

In the mid 2010's an increase in the number of people who had fallen ill or died from mesothelioma was observed in the population of the North Sunshine Residents and this has been attributed to the asbestos from the former Wunderlich factory.

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Photos: S&DHS