Summary

Colour aerial photograph of the Kodak factory complex and surrounding suburb at Coburg, 1965.

West view of the factory complex.The multi-storey building at front of the complex at this angle is Building 8, the Head Office. To the right of this is Building 9, Amenities and Building 10, Medical and Personnel. To the far right, is the chimney located in Building 11, the Power House. Building 6, the Distribution Centre is to the far left. Behind Building 8 are three single storey hanger style buildings. From left to right is Building 5, where sheet films were produced, Building 4 where roll films were produced and Building 3, the Emulsion Coating Building. Between Building 9 and Buildings 4 and 3 is Building 7, Testing. To the right, behind the car park is Building 2, where emulsion was made.

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

Photograph of an aerial view of a factory complex. In the foreground is suburban housing. To the right is cleared land. In the middle ground is the factory complex featuring a multi-storey building with a car park to the front. Behind this building are several single storey buildings. To the far right, nearly out of the frame, is a chimney and water cooling towers. In the background and to the left of the image is suburban housing and farmland.

Physical Description

Colour photograph printed on medium weight paper with a white border, portrait format.

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