Contact Council
t (03) 9205 5555
e info@yarracity.vic.gov.au
Home Page > Services > Arts & Culture :
In this section:
Abbotsford convent
Aboriginal affairs
Art galleries
Billboard
Billboard2
Billboard3
Billboard4
Busking permits
Commission
Cultural plan
Events Sustainable
Events
Exhibition program
Festivals and events 2007
Festivals and events 2007_2
Festivals and events 2008_2
Festivals and events_2008
Festivals and events_2009
FTH
Index
Information
International Women's Day
Jenny Steiner
Out There Billboard
Out There Billboard09
Plaque - Dolls House
Plaque - Doll’s House
Plaque - Organ Factory
Plaque - Shot Tower
Plaque Alma Wool
Plaque CH Primary School
Plaque Denton
Plaque Foy & Gibson
Plaque John Wrens Tote
Plaque John Wren’s Tote
Plaque Kodak
Plaque Trueform Boot Factory
Plaque Yarra Falls Mills
Plaque Yorkshire Brewery
Plaque
Room to create
Scott Rankin
Sustainable Events
Theo Sidiropoulos
YAARTS
Former Kodak Factory
4 Southampton Crescent Abbotsford
Kodak Photo of the former Kodak building, Southampton Crescent 2007
The Kodak Factory was built in 1928 by Kodak (Australasia) Ltd to service the expanding photographic manufacturing business of Thomas Baker and John Rouse. ‘The building is of local architectural significance and is noteworthy for its contribution to the industrial streetscape in Southampton Crescent and also as an example of the high density industrial development characteristic of Edwardian and post Edwardian Collingwood’ (Ward 1989).
The building is a large brick building of predominantly five stories with an additional storey to Duke Street. The north facing façade to Southampton Crescent is concave to follow the curve of the street. This makes it an unusual building. There is a massive pier on the north-east corner. The building is divided into nine bays by the use of pilaster strips. The main entrance is in the central bay marked by a narrow canopy with three storeys of continuous glazing above, whilst the bays on either side of the main entrance have windows grouped in threes, with splayed sills which are stuccoed. The 1928-29 Rate Books valued the factory at £1550.
The manufacture of photographic supplies began in Abbotsford in 1884 when chemist Thomas Baker set up a small cottage industry in his home Yarra Grange, which was located between the river and the site of the existing Kodak building. He was the first person in Australia to successfully manufacture and market photographic dry plates, his Special Rapid plates. This was a major advance over the inconvenient and cumbersome wet plate process. In 1887 Thomas entered into partnership with John Rouse, an accountant. Their business Baker and Rouse Australia Laboratory grew and expanded by making high quality matt and glossy bromide paper and taking over existing photographic companies.
In 1905 Baker and Rouse were granted the Australia wide agency for Eastman Kodak USA products. By 1908 they had formed a partnership with George Eastman to become Australia Kodak Ltd. In 1920 the name changed to Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd. The factory was built to house the ever expanding business of manufacturing coated paper and film as well as the new Kodak Duplitized X-Ray Film. The factory continued to be used as the base for Kodak Australasia to further develop Kodak products in Australia including Kodachrome film, cameras and during the Second World War to manufacture film and paper for aerial reconnaissance, mapping and medical X-rays. In 1959 due to the continued expansion of the business Kodak Australia moved to new premises in Coburg.
The former Kodak building then became part of Carlton & United Breweries and is currently the Fosters Group Abbotsford head office.
Thomas Baker, his wife Alice and sister-in-law Eleanor Shaw had an interest in scientific research and philanthropy. Their greatest benefaction was to the Alfred Hospital in 1922 setting up a biochemistry department for cancer research and finding a cure for tuberculosis. Under their wills a trust was set up to underwrite the research work of the Baker Institute. Today the Baker Institute is one of the leading medical research institutes in Australia - a fitting tribute to an enterprising young chemist.
References
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 2000 Online Edition, Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Chapter 12, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, University of Melbourne
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/842.html
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Biographical entry Baker, Thomas (1854-1928)http://adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs
Australian Women OnLine Biographic entry, Baker, Alice (1855 - 1935) http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs
Barrett, Bernard, 1971, The inner suburbs: the evolution of an industrial area, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic.
Kodak(Australasia)Pty. Ltd., 1985, Milestones in the history of Kodak (Australasia)Pty .Ltd., Kodak Corporate Publication, Coburg.
Ward, Andrew, 1989 Collingwood Conservation Study.
Further information
Arts & Cultural Services c/o Richmond Town Hall,
333 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Telephone 9205 5029
Email info@yarracity.vic.gov.au
Links
Within this site
Yarra City Councl
External sites (Yarra City Council accepts no responsibility for the information or opinions contained within external sites)
Collingwood Historical Society
| Text
size