Summary

Digital photograph featuring Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd employees Thelma McGregor and friends, Melbourne, mid June 1948-1949.

Thelma McGregor (later Thelma Sneazwell) and her sister Freda (later Freda Cuthbert) both worked at Kodak. Thelma worked in Developing and Printing from 1939 - early 1950s and Freda worked in the Plate Department from 1935-1941 and 1942-1945. Thelma and Freda have provided the earliest memories of Kodak Australasia working life that has yet been identified. These memories of their work at Kodak's Abbotsford factory are captured in an oral history interview that is also in the collection.

Thelma and her work friends are captured in this photograph on a Saturday afternoon visiting another Kodak work colleague, their fore-lady from the printing room, Janet Madden, who was in Greenvale Sanatorium with TB (tuberculosis) for a long period of time. Kodak would send a car to drive Janet's work colleagues to visit her on a Saturday afternoon, then bring them back. After she recovered from her illness, Janet did not return to the Developing and Printing Department, but took a position as front entrance receptionist at Abbotsford, and continued in this role when the Coburg factory opened.

During the week, on a Wednesday afternoon, Kodak staff would also be driven to visit ill colleagues at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, for example Margaret Clemo, who contracted polio and was bedridden for some time.

The photograph was taken by the driver of the Kodak car, a Kodak employee. Pictured left to right is Thelma McGregor (later Sneazwell), Irene Whitworth (later McColl), Beryl Titterton (later Robertson), Joan Verdon, Shirley McCloud.

Irene and Beryl were junior printers at the time of this photograph, Joan worked in sorting, and Shirley was also a printer. Beryl was also a champion cyclist.

(Joan Verdon's sister Maureen also worked at Kodak, in the Research Laboratory for 10 years from 1954.)

Description of Content

Five women standing arm in arm, in front of cars and trees, with a building in the background. The women are all wearing winter coats and court shoes. Some have handbags and gloves.

Physical Description

Digital file. Original photograph was landscape orientation with white border.

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