Summary

Black and white silver gelatin photograph featuring the west end of Building 5, Sheet Film, on the right and the south side of Building 4, Roll Film, on the left, Kodak factory, Coburg, late 1959.

Buildings 4 and 5 were typical of the structural style used in many of the manufacturing buildings throughout the complex. They were single-storey, low profile, with encased steel columns and steel trussed roofs. They had brick outer walls allowing large open spaced interiors, with air-conditioning and other local services installed in the central ceiling space.

At this stage of construction both buildings had been completed along with the services gantry just visible on the side of the roadway running past the east ends of these buildings. Both Roll Film and Sheet Film operations had been transferred from the old Abbotsford factory, and production was underway in Buildings 4 and 5 respectively. Garden beds, lawns and shrubs had been planted around these buildings to complete the surrounding environment.

Building 5 occupied about half the area of Building 4. The main entrance to Building 5 was inset into the north wall with its only loading dock on the unseen south wall. The main entrance to Building 4 (directly opposite that of Building 5) was inset halfway along the south side. It featured windows towards the west for the office area and next to the loading dock where master coated rolls were accepted and finished products were shipped. Windows east of the entrance were for the Field Engineering Maintenance Group, which serviced production equipment in both buildings. Windows at the far east end were for a small plant room which included the condensate return tank and pumps.

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 after the manufacturing plant at Coburg had closed down the year before.

Description of Content

Image of streetscape looking east features the windows, loading dock and entrance on the south wall of Building 4 to the left. To the right is the west end of Building 5 surrounded by its manicured lawns and shrubs. The services gantry runs across the far east ends of each building.

Physical Description

Black and white silver gelatin photograph printed on light weight paper, landscape format.

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