Summary

Colour aerial photograph of the north-east aspect of the newly constructed Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd factory complex in Coburg, circa 1965.

The photograph is part of an album prepared in about 1965 for the Kodak parent company at Rochester, in New York State in the USA.

Architect Harry Norris of H A & F L Norris & Associates, created the design for the new factory and individual buildings, while the building contract was awarded to Lewis Constructions Pty Ltd. In the foreground and rear of the image is suburban Coburg. Centre of the image, the building with the chimney and water cooling towers is the Power House. To the far left is the multi-storey Building 8 which housed the Kodak Head Offices and Sales and Marketing Division. To the left and rear of this is Building 6, Distribution Centre. To the right of this building is Building 5, Sheet Finishing. Next to this is Building 4, Roll Films and Building 3, Emulsion Coating for film and paper products.

The still uncompleted Coburg factory complex was officially opened on 14 April 1961 by the Prime Minister, Robert G. Menzies with Dr. A Chapman, President of Eastman Kodak Company, in attendance. The complex was the national headquarters of Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd and its manufacture of silver halide photographic products. It replaced the Abbotsford factory where Kodak had been operating since 1908. The Abbotsford premises eventually closed in 1966.

Kodak manufactured and distributed a wide range of photographic products to Australasia, such as film, paper, chemicals, cameras and miscellaneous equipment. Its client base included amateur and professional photographers, as well as specialist medical and graphic art professionals who used photography, x-ray and other imaging techniques.

This photograph is part of the Kodak collection of products, promotional materials, photographs and working life artefacts collected from Kodak Australasia in 2005, when the Melbourne manufacturing plant at Coburg closed down.

Description of Content

Aerial view of factory site with multiple buildings and a tall chimney. Residential housing is located in the foreground and background. Factory buildings and parked cards are located in the mid-ground of the photograph. Undeveloped land is visible at far left and mid right of the photograph.

Physical Description

Colour photograph printed on light weight paper, landscape format.

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