Matilda Bay Brewing Company

In 1983, Phil Sexton (a former brewer for the Swan Brewery), together with Garry Gosatti, John Tollis and Ron Groves, formed Brewtech Pty Ltd to brew commercial boutique beers. Due to lack of support from Perth hotels, the company purchased and renovated the Freemasons Hotel on South Terrace in Fremantle. The hotel was renovated, a micro brewery installed and renamed the Sail and Anchor, under the banner of Anchor Brewing Company. The first beer, Anchor Ale, "a dark, copper-coloured, traditional ale", was produced in late 1984.

In 1985, Brewtech opened its second venue, The Brewery Alehouse on Stirling Highway in Nedlands. The company also established a second microbrewery at 31 Carrington Street in Nedlands, which housed the Matilda Bay Brewing Company and began producing beers in 1985. In 1986, the company launched its first wheat beer, Redback, which went on to be one of the company's best commercial successes. In 1987, Brewtech Pty Ltd changed its name to Brewtech Limited, following which it made the decision to consolidate its business under the Matilda Bay Brewing Company banner. The company purchased another three outlets in Perth, including the Queens Hotel in Highgate and the Brass Monkey in Northbridge.

In 1988, Carlton & United Breweries purchased a 20% shareholding in the Matilda Bay Brewing Company, which led to the company in 1989 purchasing larger premises, the former Ford Motor Company building on Stirling Highway in North Fremantle, to brew its beers. In 1990, Elders IXL, which was renamed the Foster's Group, purchased the Matilda Bay Brewing Company in a deal that valued Matilda Bay at more than A$50 million. Carlton & United then sold the Sail and Anchor Hotel to the Australian Leisure & Hospitality Group, which subsequently closed the microbrewery operations at the hotel.

In 2000, the original brewers of Matilda Bay opened the Little Creatures microbrewery in Fremantle.

In 2005, the Matilda Bay Garage Brewery began operating in Dandenong South in an effort to brew small batches of more experimental beers, such as Alpha Pale Ale, Dogbolter, Crema, Barking Duck, and Rooftop Red Lager.

In June 2007, Foster's announced the Perth-based brewery would close in September and its beer production would be moved to its other breweries to improve cost and capital efficiency, with most of the larger volume production beers, such as Redback, Beez Neez, Fat Yak, and Bohemian Pilsner, being moved to the Cascade Brewery in Hobart.

In 2012, the company opened the Matilda Bay Brewery Bar in the former Cadbury factory building in Port Melbourne, relocating its brewery operations from Dandenong. The Brewery Bar was finally closed in 2014 with production of Matilda Bay beers moved to the Cascade Brewery in Hobart.

In 2019, Carlton & United Breweries and original founder Phil Sexton went into partnership to re-establish the brand, with a new brewery built in the Yarra Valley. The Yak beers were disconnected from the Matilda Bay brand and are brewed in Carlton & United Breweries facilities across the country, with Matilda Bay Brewing Company brewing a new range of beers out of its Yarra Valley brewery.