Summary

Negative of Tom R. Hughes, the Victorian Sales Manager at H.V McKay Massey Harris.

Hughes joined the company's Sales Department around 1921 as an office boy. His duties included maintaining the ink supply, doing messages and filing. He moved into other company departments including shipping, accounts and the Melbourne Depot. Hughes also worked in the factory to increase his knowledge of the manufacture and assembly of agricultural equipment. His first majoy promotion came when he was appointed officer-in-charge of the Service Department where he worked with the company's servicemen. He returned to the Sales Department, spending a term as chief clerk and then joined the company's travelling staff for12 months. During this period, Hughes worked directly with the firm's agents and farmers, mostly in southern Victoria, attending to their machinery problems.

Upon returning to Sunshine, Hughes became Victorian Sales Manager following the promotion of Alex Simpson. Hughes was responsible for the control of sales in Victoria, the Riverina and Tasmania. He supervised his department's office staff, travelling staff and service personnel and over 250 agencies attached to the company.

A keen sportsman, Hughes was involved with a few sporting clubs in and around Footscray. He was the Captain and, later, President the Footscray Tennis Club. In addition, he held the Footscray District singles championship for four years and won many other trophies. Hughes was also a member of the Medway Golf Club.

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.

Description of Content

Portrait of man wearing a jacket, shirt and tie. He is standing in front of a roller door with his arms folded behind his back

Physical Description

Black and white negative.

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