Summary

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

View of the eastern side of the complex. At the far right is Building 20, the Processing Plant. To the left of this is a car park and Building11, the Power House featuring the chimney and the water cooling towers. Next to the Power House is Building 12, the engineering workshops and next to this is Building 13, Paper Finishing. To the left of Buildings 12 and 13 are three single storey buildings, Building 3, Emulsion Coating; Building 4, where roll films were made and Building 5, where sheet films were produced. To the far left is the multi-storey Building 8, Head Office and behind this is Building 6, the Distribution Centre.

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 of the image is suburban housing. The factory complex is mid ground of the image. To the left is a multi-storey building with a car park in front. Behind this is a row of single storey hanger style buildings. To the right of the complex is a chimney and water cooling towers. In the background of the image is suburban housing and an open tract of land.

Physical Description

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

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