freelance archivist to process the records of Cuming Smith & Co. Ltd.
which later came to the UMA. He was also employed to assist in mounting a large exhibition of mining records in the Lower Melbourne Town Hall and in other tasks, so that I knew him well enough to be pleased when he was appointed to the permanent UMA staff in July 1973.
It is no secret that Mark does not blow his own trumpet, or resort to the strategems which most of us employ to attract attention to ourselves; however, you do not have to work with him long before being struck by his claims to notice. You observe that he generally knows what Australian historians have written and what they are working on, and that he keeps an eye on what is being published. He was already conversant with the content of a few collections
Bulletin of The University of Melbourne Archives
UMA
No. 19, August 2006
M
ark’s association with the UMA goes back further than mine, since as a fourth year history undergraduate he met founding University Archivist Frank Strahan in 1959, the year before the UMA’s inception in July 1960. I cannot contribute anything to your picture of Mark in his student days, except for one story — of his black Singer car being driven, carefully and deliberately, through the old Union House. He knew something of the discussions leading up to the establishment of the UMA, and when that occurred was at once enlisted to help in some of Frank’s record- hunting trips around Victoria, supplying the transport then lacking until the Strahans acquired their station wagon.After a period in Canberra he reappeared at the UMA where we met in 1967, when he was soon engaged as a
Mark Richmond Retires
Cecily Close
On a sad note, we announce the retirement of Dr Mark Richmond from the staff of the University of Melbourne Archives at the end of 2005, after 32 years service. Mark started at UMA in 1973, although he was party to many collecting expeditions around country Victoria with the late Frank Strahan in the 1960s. Mark will be missed by the staff for his deep knowledge of the collections, his wit and for his fair-mindedness in all matters. He will be missed by researchers for his exhaustive research service and patience.
A farewell function was held for Mark on the 17 February 2006 where many expressions of gratitude were offered by colleagues, researchers and friends. The tribute below is a transcript of the speech given by Dr Cecily Close at the occasion. Dr Close is former Senior Archivist at the UMA and worked with Mark for 25 years.
Mark Richmond at his farewell function held on 17 February 2006. (Photo by John Ellis)
I
n the last 12 months there has been a major restructure within the University of Melbourne’s Information Division (now called Information Services) which has impacted upon the UMA. We are now part of the Cultural Collections Group, Information Management, within Information Services, under the leadership of Michael Piggott, Manager of Cultural Collections and University Archivist.Nevertheless, changes proceed, and major staffing alterations have commenced. We have a new Principal Archivist, Helen McLaughlin (see page 3), who reports to Michael Piggott and manages the whole UMA operation.
As a consequence of the restructure, two new positions have been created into which senior staff have been appointed:
Senior Archivist — Collection Management (Sue Fairbanks) and Senior Archivist — Reference and Outreach (Jane Ellen). These Continued on page 3 when he arrived and soon made himself familiar with more,
roaming over a wide range of subject matter in the course of assisting readers, in preparing exhibitions and finding-aids, and in writing a few entries for the Australian Dictionary of Biography.The last-mentioned, completed with so little fuss that one took me by surprise when I looked at them today, exhibit that agreeably easy style familiar from his other writing, including business correspondence. I hope that we will see more writing from Mark in retirement.
He was already something of a walking Gazetteer on Victoria and beyond, having studied the growth of selected country towns for his Ph.D. thesis, written a motoring guide to Sydney and back, and spent considerable time in the recreational driving which remains a favoured pastime. He served for a while on a National Trust committee and retained his interest in what we now call heritage buildings. You soon discover that Mark has an excellent memory including, to an enviable degree as far as I am concerned, an excellent visual memory, which enables him to recall images when illustrations are wanted. Of course, memory was always supported by finding aids, and he has shared in the preparation of these. He contributed much to the published UMA Guide to Collections of 1983 in the way of entries and editing;
and his personal copy, full of subsequent annotations, became a useful resource in its own right. Computerised recording eventually eased the task for him as for others of searching across the archival holdings; some would say indeed that computer searching has rendered knowledge of collections and memory unnecessary and no longer relevant as attributes in archivists. Well, this may occur in time as more and more data is entered and systems become ever more powerful; though what I hear and experience in archives which have devoted years to constructing their computerised databases, suggests that the new and occasional user will continue to need a knowledgeable, experienced and helpful archivist to guide him through their complexities. However this may be, tributes to Mark’s help from researchers show that knowledge of content and the ability to think across collections as well as search across them, will add value to the Archives for a long time yet. He is a researcher’s archivist, and while the archivist’s trade has other very important branches, that is a very worthwhile thing to be in an archives set up expressly to support research.
He has of course done much more than deal with research enquiries; and it is hard to think of any archival activity in which over time he has played no part. He was always ready to do anything necessary to keep the show on the road, including the hard, physical work required in those days when we were a small band of enthusiasts operating with multiple, usually unsuitable locations, some with stairs and no lift and with impossible unloading facilities, and without the benefit of a repository attendant. When cooperating in producing the numerous displays required, often at short notice, his contribution was well chosen and attractive; his own well-researched exhibition on World War II, ‘Your Greatest Challenge’, of a few years ago
characteristically emphasised the effects of war on the men involved. Cursed with a hawk-like ability to detect typographical and grammatical errors, he has responded beyond the call of duty to appeals for aid in proofreading and editing documents, including for publication.
Since he has a keen eye for character it is just as well that he is unusually fair and generous in his judgments. The abilities and achievements of others are appreciated, and their foibles or worse appear to arouse more amusement than irritation. As someone who got to know him only recently remarked, he is
‘inclusive’ in his relations with others. A high level of discretion has made him a trusted colleague, both personally and professionally. These qualities are not only pleasant to find in the workplace, but decidedly advantageous in dealing with readers and administrative colleagues around the University. Rather late in the day I discovered how well he can deal with tricky situations, to which he brings a straight bat.
Archives and history are already a rich mix to nourish a retiree, but Mark also has an informed interest in the visual arts, literature and music, a love of the Australian countryside, and of overseas travel. Mark and his partner Judy have already covered a lot of ground journeying in Indonesia, India and Europe, and are planning further adventures. He can hardly fail to have an interesting retirement, and we wish him a long and enjoyable one.
News Notes
Sue Fairbanks Senior Archivist Collection Management
U
MA’s new Principal Archivist, Helen McLaughlin, began working with us on 1 May. Her position is a new one that entails overall management of the Archives with responsibility for all executive functions. In the new structure, Helen manages two teams: Collection Management and Outreach and Access. The first has responsibility for ‘back- of-house’ activities such as appraisal, accessioning and processing collections, while the latter looks after the ‘front-of- house’, including reference, exhibitions and promoting the greater use of archives.Helen comes from an employment background of both archives and records management, but it is the former that she claims as her real love. She has a BA from Monash University in History and Anthropology and a Graduate Diploma in Information Management (Archives and Records) from the University of Melbourne. She has worked as archivist or records manager at Records Services at the University of Melbourne, the Victorian WorkCover Authority and the Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory. Prior to joining UMA she was the manager of Business Records at Victoria Police since 2001.
She also has expertise in the management of electronic records.
Helen has been busy familiarising herself with the UMA collections and is delighted with what she has found to date. ‘I love the multiplicity of interests that UMA represents and am
UMA’s New Principal Archivist
positions signal the concentration of effort of senior staff along functional lines, especially as larger changes within the University mean that our ability to build wider relationships with academic teaching staff and to promote the use of our collections by undergraduate students is vital to our future.
Beyond these changes, we have again been lucky in receiving project funding for several initiatives. In 2005 we acquired the private papers of the former Prime Minister, the Hon. Malcolm Fraser in a joint project undertaken with the University’s Faculty of Law. Records covering Mr Fraser’s family and post- parliamentary career have been acquired from Mr Fraser’s office and from the National Archives of Australia (NAA).
As part of the transaction with the NAA, we have agreed to set up complementary and linked websites to ensure that the total holdings of Mr Fraser’s parliamentary and personal papers are known and that a certain number can be available via the web.
The University’s Law Faculty has provided the services of a project archivist, Dr Caitlin Stone, to develop the website with the assistance of web designer Andrew Stephenson from the
The UMA’s new Principal Archivist Helen McLaughlin with UMA volunteer John Ellis taken at a recent morning tea to celebrate the success of John’s recent exhibition
‘Speak Out!’ (Photo by Lindsay Howe)
fascinated by the range of people that walk through our doors.
You can find a mining company manager rubbing shoulders with a greenie or a left-wing trade unionist. It makes for a very stimulating mix’, she says.
Cultural Collections Group. The University’s trial site has been shown to Mr Fraser who has made constructive suggestions and expressed approval of work so far. The website is not yet public as a launch is planned with an appropriate event at the Law School where Mr Fraser’s library of over 3000 books will also be eventually displayed.
In other initiatives, the University’s Miegunyah Trust has funded a one year project to arrange and describe the archives of the Grimwade Family and their associated business and philanthropic interests, as well as a web guide to them. An historical society of the Victorian township of Benalla has become our partner in a project to identify and digitise the photographic glass plate negatives of Benalla photographer, William John Howship (see page 4).
Finally, a mid-year review of projects undertaken by our volunteers, placement students and casual staff shows once again that they are of wonderful assistance to our small permanent team, and we thank them for their participation.
Continued from page 2
A
n important collection of historical images documenting Benalla and its surrounding district is to be made available for the first time to the local community through a project commenced earlier this year by the UMA in partnership with the Benalla and District Family History Group (B&DFHG).First proposed in late 2004, this multi-staged project aims to raise funds from the local Benalla community to preserve and make more publicly accessible the contents of the William Howship collection of 1250 glass plate negatives held by the UMA.
Managed by the UMA, the first stage of the project involves the rehousing, listing and digitisation of the collection. Work commenced on this stage in February and is now nearing completion.
The second stage will be managed by the
B&DFHG and will involve a community-based project to identify and add stories to the images.
The final stage will see the entire collection catalogued onto the UMA’s online photographic database, UMAIC, which will make the collection available both locally and internationally.
Once on UMAIC the images will be available also on the national photographic online gateway, PictureAustralia, further enhancing the collection’s profile.
With the considerable help of the J.J. Merrigan Trust, the Tomorrow/Today Foundation and the Swanpool Directory Project Group, the B&DFHG has been able to provide the funds required for Stage One of the project. Funds have also been raised by the sale of a very popular calendar using images from the collection, which was produced by the B&DFHG.
The Howship collection of 1250 dry plate glass negatives was created by professional photographer William John Howship between 1904 and 1931. Having remained in a trunk on Howship’s old business premises for many years the glass plates were acquired by the UMA in 1964 as an example of the work of an early 20th century photography business.
Of great historical value, this rich collection documents early 20th century Benalla and the surrounding district in great detail.
The images include views of early buildings that have since been replaced, scenes of local events such as the great floods of the
area, coronation celebrations and military ceremonies as well as a large body of portraiture.
Having been lost to the area for many decades the return of these images will greatly enhance the visual history resources available to the community. The latter have already benefitted from the collection in another unique way. The photos that depict the regular floods that used to occur have enabled the community to identify potential flooding risks that changes in the current water management practices pose.
One of the highlights associated with the project is an exhibition showcasing the collection which is currently on at the Benalla Art Gallery. Sponsored by the B&DFHG and the University of Melbourne’s Goulburn Valley campus, over 50 images representing the diverse and rich nature of Howship’s work are on show.
The exhibition opening, held on 2 July, was a highly successful event and was well attended by members of the local community. Speakers included Professor Warren Bebbington, Assistant Vice Chancellor (University Relations) from the University of Melbourne and Dr Jeff Brownwigg who is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Cross-cultural Research, Australian National University.
The exhibition was on display at the Benalla Art Gallery until 13 August.
UMA Helps Benalla Recover Rich Legacy of Early Photographs
Jason Benjamin Coordinator, General Reference and Outreach
W.J. Howship’s business premises in Nunn Street, Benalla, c. 1918.
United Tinsmiths’ procession with two men in armour, 1908.
Under the Burning Sun of the Colony: the Eight-Hour Day Movement
Grace McQuilten Guest Curator, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne
T
his year marks the 150th anniversary of the gain of the eight-hour day in Victoria. The exhibition ‘Under the Burning Sun of the Colony: the eight-hour day movement’ commemorates this significant occasion by showcasing the unique holdings of the UMA.In a rousing speech in 1856, one of the pioneers of the eight- hour day movement and the first working-class Member of Parliament, Charles J. Don, described the struggle of the 19th century worker ‘under the burning sun of this colony’. His evocative description captures the character of the eight-hour day campaign, which combined a fighting spirit with concerns for the quality of working life. The eight-hour day victory was the first of its kind both in Australia and internationally, marking a pivotal stage in the development of the labour movement.
Sourcing original and rare documents, photographs and ephemera from the UMA, this dynamic exhibition traces and captures the extraordinary spirit of a campaign that ignited an international movement.
The University of Melbourne holds a pivotal place in the history of the eight-hour day movement. On 21 April 1856 stonemasons at the University of Melbourne ceased work and marched through the streets of Melbourne, gathering labourers and workers along the way in a demand for eight hours labour, eight hours rest and eight hours recreation. As one of only two institutions in the country that collect significant trade union material, the collections at UMA provide a unique source from which to piece together this incredible history. Rare documents including newsletters, newspapers, flyers, posters, certificates, photographs and minutes from meetings are featured, along with iconic items such as the Tinsmiths’ Union armour. This armour, a treasure of the UMA, was worn by officials and members in eight-hour day parades and is a magnificent display of the skill of the tinsmith’s trade.
As evident in this image (above right) of the Tinsmiths’ Union in procession, celebrations of the eight-hour day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were spectacular events, gathering thousands of workers, families and sightseers for festivities that included parades, picnics and sporting competitions. A great sense of public pride accompanied these parades, as this enthusiastic reportage in The Argus (21 April 1890) conveys:
What a sea of faces! What miles of human beings wedged closely in to witness the triumphal procession of the Knights of Labor (sic) — to witness the greatest procession that ever takes place in the world … ‘A magnificent display’.
Beyond a mere regulation of working hours, the eight-hour day
campaign has always signified a greater appreciation for the value of both work and play in social life.
The efforts of the Victorian eight-hour day pioneers symbolised the democratic spirit of colonial Australia, and signalled the beginning of working class representation in government, the establishment of trade unions and the formation of the Trades Hall Council. Their achievements, however, did not extend into all areas of working life. Importantly, ‘Under the Burning Sun of the Colony’ acknowledges the histories that have fallen through the gaps of this narrative, including failed attempts by female workers to achieve equivalent working conditions and the silent history of indigenous workers. While such narratives have been muted, their stories persist with a force that highlights the contemporary struggle for workers to achieve fair conditions in working life. In order to accurately capture the rich and various materials within the UMA, along with the complex history of working life in Australia, the exhibition presents narratives that reflect a process of democratic debate and the complex history of working life in Australia.
The depth of any archive lies in the possibilities it holds for the discovery of new histories. In addition to materials from the Continued on page 6
Under the Partisan Prophets for Peace in the UMA
Rob McArthur PhD Candidate, University of Melbourne
A
number of years ago I rather foolishly decided to abandon a fledgling teaching career and, instead, have spent the last two years investigating the ideological, philosophical and spiritual lives of Melbourne’s infamous ‘Peace Parsons’ — the Reverends Alfred Dickie, Frank Hartley and Victor James — a triumvirate who led the controversial Australian Peace Council (APC) from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. During the early years of the Cold War, these three prominently and rather notoriously aligned themselves through the APC with what the majority of Australians understood to be the most undesirable elements on the political landscape — members of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) — to promote variously the causes of peace, nuclear disarmament and civil liberties.Despite their notoriety, however, very little has been specifically written about them. While informative, that which has been written has only presented a very limited (in some cases, overly hagiographical, in others, overly caricatured) picture of lives and activism. Such histories are fine for families keen to protect the memory of cherished individuals, or for cold war warriors keen to demonstrate the foolishness of those who supported the communist side, but they add little to general scholarship. In order to understand what it was that made these people tick, what it was that on the one hand guided them to take up a noble and principled stand on many occasions for a range of unpopular yet righteous causes, and on the other defend the indefensible (for example Stalin’s Russia), a deeper exploration is required.
Thankfully, an invaluable insight into their lives has been made possible by the materials donated by the James, Dickie and Hartley families to the UMA. Through the course of the last two UMA, the exhibition will also present key items from other institutions. The original minutes of the Operative Stonemasons Central Lodge will be on display for the first time, on loan from the Noel Butlin Archives Centre in Canberra, along with a full- scale reproduction of the original eight-hour day banner from Museum Victoria. ‘Under the Burning Sun of the Colony’ brings these historical items into a contemporary context where the passion, belief, struggle and achievement they symbolise will not be lost on audiences today who are faced with their own work challenges on a daily basis. Part of the state-wide Celebrate 888 anniversary events, the exhibition is on at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne until 17 September 2006.
For more information contact:
Grace McQuilten, Guest Curator, Ian Potter Museum of Art University of Melbourne, 3010
tel: 61 3 9389 5201
email: [email protected] web: www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au or
Joanna Bosse, Assistant Curator, Ian Potter Museum of Art University of Melbourne, 3010
tel: 61 3 8344 0109
email: [email protected] web: www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au
years, a detailed examination of the various letters, newspaper clippings, speeches, collections of prose and sermons (to mention some of the myriad pieces of evidence contained within the many, many metres of material in the three collections at the UMA) has revealed the complexity of their relationship with their respective churches, parishes, various politicians, allies and enemies.
In the case of Dickie and Hartley, the material held at the UMA has revealed the intricate interplay between the political and the spiritual in the formation of their own worldviews. The revelation of this complex relationship between the spiritual and the secular aspects of their lives has enabled me to develop and elucidate a better understanding of their motivations and passion for the various causes they espoused. Further, it has helped me make clear why they were able to work so closely with members of the CPA (whose advocacy of ‘atheistic materialism’ put them beyond the pale for most of the Peace Parsons’ colleagues and
‘decent’ church folk in general), and to contextualise such behaviour. Thanks to the collections in the UMA it can now be demonstrated that what others understood to be an unholy alliance, an expression perhaps of cynical political opportunism, clerico-political activists such as Dickie and Hartley understood to be merely in keeping with what they perceived to be
‘God’s Will’.
Without the detailed collections contained in the stores of the UMA these fascinating, controversial and (for some) infamous fixtures of the post-war political landscape would never have their stories told in full. Such research would of course be impossible without the tireless and friendly help of the UMA staff, whose assistance has been invaluable and whose friendly demeanour has made such an enormous task seem that much less arduous.
Continued from page 5
O
ne of the many events associated with the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the eight-hour day movement being celebrated this year was a highly successful exhibition of photographs by documentary photographer John Ellis at the Counihan Gallery in Brunswick.Titled ‘Speak Out!’, the exhibition showcased a selection from the large body of work created by John over 30 years of recording activism in Australia and included many images which now form part of the John Ellis photographic collection held by the UMA.
The theme of ‘Speak Out!’ was community activism in the context of artists as activists and profiled writers, musicians, artists, actors, poets, filmmakers and broadcasters who have regularly been at the forefront of social activism in Australia.
Sponsored by the UMA, Search Foundation and the Moreland City Council,
‘Speak Out!’ was a popular event which recorded over a thousand visitors in the three weeks it was on display and attracted much praise.
The John Ellis photographic collection held by the UMA consists of approximately 12,000 images dating from 1971 to 1996. John is also a much valued long-term volunteer at the UMA.
John Ellis speaking at the exhibition launch. (Photo by Dean Cooper)
Speak Out! Exhibition Success
APPM Project Success
R
ecently, the first stage of a project to arrange and describe the Associated Pulp and Paper Mills (APPM) collection was completed. Although business or company history is not generally regarded as interesting, the recent publication of Robyn Annear’s A City Lost and Found: Whelan the Wrecker’s Melbourne (Black Inc.2005) illustrates that for those with patience such records can be a vital resource. In this case, the collection provides material for a lively social history of northern Tasmania, as well as interesting documents for economic history and geography, areas receiving renewed interest interstate.
Aside from this, the records provide valuable documentary evidence on the histories of Australian building and architecture, engineering and applied chemistry. In particular, they are essential to the history of paper and papermaking, a field regarded internationally as a serious area of scholarship since it is crucial in the identification of approximate dates and
provenance of manuscripts and art works. It also has a particular importance for bibliographical areas such as the history of the book, and the history of printing and publishing in Australia.
The company’s history can be tracked from the 1920s and 1930s to its takeover by AMCOR in the 1990s.1APPM came into existence under the leadership of Gerald Mussen, with later assistance from chemists, I.H. Boas and L.R. Benjamin. All of them had recognised the potential of the eucalypt wood for papermaking. With backing from Amalgamated Zinc (De Bavay’s) Ltd. Mussen formed Tasmanian Paper Ltd. When the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Herald formed Australian Newsprint Mills at Boyer, Tasmania, they hoped that Tasmanian Paper Ltd would join them. In the meantime, however, Tasmanian Paper Ltd went ahead and built a paper mill at Burnie, with the backing of North Broken Hill, Broken Hill South and Consolidated Zinc. While Amalgamated Zinc mined
Jason Benjamin Coordinator, General Reference and Outreach
Teresa Pagliaro APPM Project Achives Assistant
Continued on page 8
UMA Bulletin
Editor: Jason Benjamin; Layout: Stephanie Jaehrling
Produced by: Publications, Information Services, University of Melbourne ISSN 1320 5838
The University of Melbourne Archives University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
Opening Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9.30 am–5.30 pm; Wed 9.30 am–7.30 pm Phone: (03) 8344 6848; Fax: (03) 9347 8627; Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/archives/archgen.html the zinc for the printing presses, the idea was that the new paper
manufacturers would provide the paper. APPM eventually produced a range of papers for different purposes — industrial wrapping paper for dairy products, cardboard for packing, fine writing paper and art paper.
In the course of manufacturing the paper, various allied industries emerged, such as timber making, particle-board manufacture and clay mining — clay being an essential constituent of paper. These other industries, becoming important in their own right, were then hived off to form subsidiaries or related companies such as Burnie Board Timber, Burnie Board Processing, and Ballarat Clay, while others concentrated on papermaking — Paper Makers, Papyrus, and Ballarat Paper.
Eventually, with the increasing emphasis on machinery for the specially evolved Australian product, APPM also took over Thomas Owen, a British papermaking machinery company which had been supplying them with machinery. It was until then based in Cardiff.
The APPM collection contains not only such items as annual reports and financial minutes but also the import and export shipping papers. These give a clear record of APPM’s growing export market throughout South East Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. There are also documents on such issues as tariffs on imported paper, which affected the local manufacturing market and the particular range of papers Australia decided to manufacture. Most interesting of all are the correspondence files.
As mentioned above, the history of paper in Australia has not as yet attracted much attention from scholars but internationally (perhaps because a longer history makes the task more urgent) it is seen of great importance, so much so, that some European countries have embarked on intensive and long-term projects
‘mapping paper’. This involves sourcing paper to the place it was made and dating it by various means — such as identifying its source components and watermarks. This then can be used as corroborative evidence in identifying documents or establishing whether they are the ‘real thing’. The value of this science to historical research in enabling the approximate dating of documents which lack sufficient internal evidence is obvious. It is equally important in art history where such information can help establish the provenance of a work.
Australian paper, and more particularly APPM paper, had distinguishing characteristics of which the APPM collection provides details. It was in Australia that the first substantial efforts were made to manufacture paper from the eucalyptus, a hardwood, although some initial pioneering had also been undertaken in America. Paper until then had largely been manufactured from softwoods such as pine, spruce and fir;
APPM increased the proportion of hard wood to soft woods.
This had various important effects such as improving the paper’s tensile strength. At another stage, sugar cane had been used.
The adoption of hardwood, however, was not without its problems and meant that the engineers had to adapt existing overseas machinery for the local wood. Such things as blades, for example, needed to be replaced more often. There was an ongoing need for innovation. Thus Australian engineers brought inventions to the paper manufacturing world which were patented internationally. The ‘Sloman Process’ was one which reduced the stages needed to make paper. It revolutionised the industry. The paper made by this process has unique characteristics and can be readily dated.2
The particular characteristics of Australian paper formed by the high proportion of eucalyptus, combined with the idiosyncratic flaws produced during different periods of manufacture, are well documented in the correspondence; each technical innovation produced unique results. The complaints files provide fascinating exchanges between printers and the papermaker about how paper reacts if printed on the incorrect side — according to APPM something frequently done in Australia.
The problems of pricing in the local market, the British habit of dumping on the local market, the company’s rivalry with APM, difficulties involved in transporting raw products and paper interstate are all documented, providing a rich source for a history of the firm or of the industry.
1 APPM is to be distinguished from Australian Paper Makers (APM) which was in fact its competitor, an older company formed in the 1890s.
2 See Technology in Australia 1788–1988, by the Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technical Sciences and Engineering (Melbourne 1988), Ch. 4, VIII, ‘Forestry and Forest Products’ by W.H. Algar.
Continued from page 7
