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

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