The family run business was established back in 1946 by Bert (Herbert) Gilbert. Bert began the business in a very small factory in Elsternwick. He purchased the factory for 130 pounds with a deposit of 40 pounds and weekly payments of 1 pound.

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He produced a small cement tile with a double watercourse which he called Gilbert Tiles.

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From his modest start, when he used to apply the colours to the tiles with a fly spray. Bert battled on with two employees, building up a small clientele. He found difficulty in mixing the composition in a concrete mixer, with all the water surfacing to the top of the mix, leaving the sand and cement mixture far to dry.

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However, Bert experimented and came up with the idea of using a mixer, similar to a chocolate mixer. This idea proved to be a huge success and was later used by most other manufacturers, giving the composition an even mix.

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From 1950-1956 Gilbert Tiles began to manufacture a Bungalow pattern tile, which he made in the Elsternwick factory.

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Bert then made the move to Edithvale to a larger premises. Here he continued to make his own roof tiles and later on become a distributer for a larger roofing company.

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Years later Bert moved the business to the family home in Scoresby. It was then that he became a distributer for Whitelaw Roofing (now known as Bristile). This was also when Gilbert Roofing Tiles became the family business that it is today, with Bert’s employees including two of his sons Max & John.

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Upon the sudden passing of Bert in 1988 John took over the family business. With the business growing the office of Gilbert Roofing Tiles was moved to a factory nearby.

It was then in 2008 that the factory in Scoresby was becoming too small and Gilbert Roofing Tiles moved to 879 Wellington Rd, Rowville. Today it’s more of a family business than ever, John, his wife and their 3 children all working for the company.

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Gilbert Roofing Tiles continues its close partnership with Bristile, distributing only their quality roof tiles.