Milton Kent's Annandale Aerial Photography, Beale's Piano Factory and St Brendan's Catholic Church

Milton Kent was among Australia’s early champions of aerial photography, combining a pilot’s licence with a fascination for industry and the modern city. From the 1910s, he photographed Sydney’s suburbs, factories and waterfront from the cockpit, turning streets and smokestacks into crisp geometric studies. His work helped popularise aviation while documenting a metropolis in rapid change.

In Annandale, his aerials included the Beale Piano Factory and St Brendan’s Catholic Church and Primary School, placing familiar local landmarks within a sweeping cityscape. Seen from above, these sites were more than buildings, they were markers of a suburb finding its place in industrial Sydney.

The Beale Piano Company was founded in 1879 by Octavius Charles Beale, who initially imported pianos and sewing machines before turning his attention to manufacturing instruments suited to Australian conditions. In 1902–1903, Beale opened a substantial factory at 47 Trafalgar Street in Annandale, Sydney, which quickly became one of the largest and most self-contained piano manufacturing works in the British Empire. The facility housed timber drying kilns, foundries, machining, cabinetry, polishing and tuning departments, making virtually every component under one roof.

Beale pianos were known for their patented all-iron tuning system, designed to withstand Australia’s heat and humidity, and the company’s instruments earned international recognition at exhibitions in London and beyond. At its peak the business employed hundreds of workers and produced tens of thousands of pianos, marking Annandale as a centre of industrial craftsmanship.

Today the former factory building has been converted into apartments and still stands as a heritage reminder of Annandale’s industrial past.

Another Annandale landmark feature in Milton Kent’s work is St Brendan’s Catholic Church which can be seen in the bottom right of the photo. If you look very closely, you can see people playing on the tennis court where the courtyard is now. Thank you Teo for pointing this out.

St Brendan’s has long anchored Annandale’s village centre, serving generations of local families through worship, schooling and community life. Established as the suburb expanded in the late 19th century, the parish grew alongside the terraces and factories that shaped Annandale’s character. Its church building became a familiar landmark, while St Brendan’s Primary School formed part of the parish’s early mission, educating children of working families in the district.

Over time, St Brendan’s has marked baptisms, weddings and farewells for neighbours across Annandale, remaining a steady presence as the suburb shifted from industrial hub to inner-west enclave.