Summary
Menu from the dinner commemorating the official opening of H.V McKay Massey Harris' offices, showrooms and warehouse at Geebung, Brisbane in 1954. The 17 acre site included a modern 100,000 sq. ft. building and new railway station named 'Sunshine'. Three hundred and fifty guests attended the grand opening, including company directors and local, state and federal politicians.
The dinner menu included oysters, cocktail sauce, fried whiting, tartare sauce, saratogas, roasted chicken breast, grilled bacon, green peas, baked potatoes, bombe alaska, nuts, cheese straws, Melba toast and coffee.
The donor's father and grandfather were Massey Harris agents in Queensland.
Part of a collection of photographs, negatives, moving film, artefacts, documents and trade literature belonging to the H. V. McKay Sunshine Collection. The McKay collection is regarded as one of the most significant industrial heritage collections in Australia. The collection relates to the agricultural manufacturing firm, the Sunshine Harvester Works. The Australian operations of this company were originally founded by Hugh V. McKay in the 1890s in Ballarat. Between 1906 and 1907, McKay moved production to Sunshine where the firm became one of the largest industrial businesses in Australia. Change in ownership is a recurring theme in the company's history. In 1930, it merged with Massey-Harris to become H.V McKay Massey Harris. In the mid-1950s, the company was absorbed by Canadian agricultural firm Massey-Ferguson. Production in Sunshine ceased in the mid-1980s, following almost 100 years of manufacturing agricultural equipment.
Physical Description
Cardboard printed on both sides with blue text. A sketch of the company's premises appears inside the menu
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Meredith White, 02 Jul 2013
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Place & Date of Event
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Inscriptions
Printed in blue on the cover: 'To Commemorate the Official Opening / of the new Offices, Showroom and Warehouse / of H.V McKay Massey Harris (QLD) pty Ltd / Bilsen Road, Geebung / DINNER / LENNON'S HOTEL / BRISBANE / THURSDAY, 11 th NOVEMBER, 1954'
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Classification
Manufacturing & industry, Agricultural & horticultural equipment, Official ceremonies
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions - Closed
134 mm (Width), 204 mm (Height)
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Overall Dimensions - Open
268 (Width), 204 (Height)
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References
'Sunshine Expansion', Queensland Country Life, 11 Nov 1954, p.13.
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Keywords
Agricultural Implement Works, Official Openings, Menus, Dinners, Food & Drink Consumption