Summary

Black and white, silver gelatin photograph of the official opening of the Kodak factory complex at Coburg, 14 April 1961.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies is walking with Chief Managing Director and Chairman of Kodak Australasia, Henry F. Foote outside in the Kodak Coburg complex. To the left of the image, walking behind Menzies and Foote, is Fred Manning, manager of various Kodak branches since 1937. Behind Manning, General Manager of Manufacturing, Stuart Sanderson is talking to Kodak Australasia Company Secretary, [Joe] Ernest Page. Near a lighting pylon in the distance is Dr. A Chapman, President of Eastman Kodak Company.

Construction of the Kodak factory complex in Coburg began in 1957 on 23 hectares of former farmland. Since 1908, Kodak had been operating from the factory in Abbotsford and had gradually outgrown the premises. The Abbotsford factory remained operational while the Coburg plant was being built until it closed in1966. Architect Harry Norris of H A & F L Norris & Associates, created the design for the new factory and individual buildings for the manufacture of silver halide photographic products. The building contract was awarded to Lewis Constructions Pty Ltd. The still uncompleted 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.

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

A group of men are walking along a path in an outdoor industrial complex. Prime Minister Robert Menzies is in the foreground. Two photographers are to the right of the image. In the far ground, a group of people congregate close to a factory building. A large lighting pole stands centre of the image and a series of pipes run horizontally across the top of the image.

Physical Description

Black and white, silver gelatin photograph, printed on medium weight paper with a white border, landscape format.

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