Brackenbury & Austin Pty. Ltd. were located at 7 Nickson Street in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills (Google Map/Street View in 2011 showed a large, single-story factory). In the Sydney Morning Herald for 22/1/1949 they advertised that they had:  ….capacity available on their 10' x 4' x 4' metal planing machine and their No.1 Richards Horizontal Boring Machine and on 1/1/1950 they offered: machine tools reconditioned to original accuracy - all suggesting that the company must have diversified into small lathe production as a means of keeping busy.
Run by a Mr. Brackenbury and the Austin Brothers (sons of the founder) the active life of the Company probably finished in the late 1950s (or at least, production of lathes is likely to have ended by then) with a legal de-registration noted as late as January, 2006. After closure, apprentices were transferred to other factories - though they were shocked to discover that these lacked the close-knit, family atmosphere present at B & A with its seventeen or eighteen-strong workforce and personal involvement of the owners. Alan Austin continued his career by going to work in the drawing office at Nuttall Engineering (he had a degree in engineering and designed most of the jigs used at B&A).
At least three models of Brackenbury and Austin were produced, the two shown on this page and one (described here) badged as the Veem and Premo. Of the other two types, one, with a centre height of 43/16-inches and a between-centres' capacity of 17-inches, resembled a Drummond M Type and was also offered as the New Gregco or Gregco 918  - Gregco being (almost certainly) the trade name of H. P. Gregory, a firm of Sydney machine-tool merchants.  The lathes could be bought direct from the makers and, in 1948, when the one shown at the top of the page was purchased, it cost £A115 - about the same as a Myford ML7. From its appearance it seems to be an especially well-built lathe with neat detailing and a decent specification. The third lathe down, Serial Number 1049 (against the blue background), was chosen by its new owner as being superior to the Myford in swing, the size of the spindle bore and general heaviness of build. Although the serial number (stamped into the bed) might indicate a series starting at 1001 the top slide was numbered 991, but over-stamped to 1049. Perhaps a faulty slide was spotted on a lathe ready for dispatch and an alternative substituted.
Bored through 3/4", and with a 15/16-inch x 10 t.p.i. Whitworth nose, the No. 3 Morse taper spindle ran in plain bronze bearings. 6 speeds were provided, three by direct flat-belt drive and three backgeared. The 8 t.p.i. leadscrew was driven by a conventional changewheel set consisting of: 2 x 20t. 30t, 35t, 40t, 45t, 50t, 55t, 60t and 65t. Supplied with the lathe were an 8-inch faceplate, a plain threaded backplate and a countershaft pulley - but, unlike so many competitor machines, no countershaft unit. The other example to appear (in green, below) seems to be rather different - and of frankly crude construction.
If any reader can help with further information or photographs concerning Brackenbury & Austin lathes, or the Company's history, the writer would be pleased to hear from you..