Godfrey Hirst migrated to Geelong from England in 1885 and worked for the Victorian Woollen and Cloth Company as a weaver until he set up his own business making flannel in 1888. Hirst, in partnership with Charles Shannon, a wool broker, and Charles Smith, purchased the Barwon Woollen Mill in 1890 which was renamed the Excelsior Number One mill. In 1899 the partnership purchased the Victorian Woollen and Cloth Company, which became Excelsior Number Two mill. Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd was incorporated in Victoria on 14 October 1909. In 1966, the company was taken over by McKendrick Bros (Canberra) Pty Ltd but still operates under its original name as a manufacturer of carpets.