Summary

Colour aerial photograph of the Kodak factory complex at Coburg with acetate overlay marking building numbers and a key with titles, 1965.

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

Colour aerial photograph of a factory complex. To the left and background of image is suburbia. To the left is a series of single storey buildings running diagonally from the left corner to the rear of image. To the right in the foreground is a car park and a multi storey building. behind this is a car park and a building with a chimney and water cooling towers. The acetate overlay featires a key with numbers from 1-20 and corresponding names of buildings on the photograph that have been numbered.

Physical Description

Colour photograph printed on medium weight paper with a white border. Acetate overlay with black ink print.

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