Summary

Description of the Sunshine Harvester Works head office.

Year established: 1909

The Sunshine Harvester Works' original head office was located at 668 Bourke Street, Melbourne. In 1909, the company's headquarters was relocated to 2 Devonshire Road, Sunshine. The building was designed by architect J. Raymond Robinson. Over the coming decades, the building was altered and extended to the north along Devonshire Road as the company expanded.

Many company departments were based in the head office, including sales and marketing, photography, personnel, printing, finance, purchasing, engineering and transport. A mailroom and library were also located in the building. In addition, there was a cinema room where staff could view agricultural films produced by the company for training purposes. Directors were also able to park their company cars in the exclusive director's garage where vehicles were maintained, washed and serviced each day by the garage attendant.

An impressive feature of the building was the boardroom. The oak-lined room featured a bay window which overlooked the factory and railway lines. Former workers recall the striking boardroom table which was first used in 1926. The table accommodated 16 chairs, the whole suite being polished timber with leather upholstery.

References
Ford, O & Vines, G. Brimbank City Council Post-contact Cultural Heritage Study: Place Reports for Heritage Areas and Individual Places, Volume 3, 2000. Available online: http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/Our_Services/Building_Planning_Engineering/Strategic_Planning/Our_Heritage
Ford, O 2001 Harvester Town: The Making of Sunshine, 1890-1925. Sunshine & District Historical Society Incorporated, Sunshine.
Ray Browne and Ken Porter (former Sunshine Harvester Works employees), personal recollections held at Museum Victoria, November 1999, March and June 2000, May 2003.
Related Narratives
Factory Site of Sunshine Harvester Works

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