144 replies to this topic

[RallyRed]

First time I have seen any reference to " IDEC" on the big sign.

Google tells me  - " GMH subsidiary, IDEC (the Industrial and Domestic Equipment Company).

[Indy Orange]

Yeah, this stuff.https://aso.gov.au/t...products/clip1/

[RallyRed]

Very good, .....just shows the stupidity of political comments like "....we are no good at making stuff in this country" etc.

[Indy Orange]

When I went to high school ,they taught mechanical ,wood work ,metal work ,brick laying as an option.I’m not sure if they do this anymore ,but it was a good introduction into those trades after year 10 ,most got apprenticeships afterwards.Manufacturing in this country has certainly lost out,and the younger generation unfortunately are missing out.

[claysummers]

Manufacturing was driven by cheap unskilled labour from war ravaged Europe. Now we bring in skilled migrants in preference. Different times. Our standard of living is so high now and we can't compete in the global market. The only way we can keep the wheezing economy going is to stimulate the building g industry by immigration. Can't we see this isn't sustainable?

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[Shiney005]

I just found a photo of the Hamilton press at Woodville. The biggest in the southern hemisphere at the time. (1939)

 

 GMH Panel Presses 1939 (3).jpg   121K   11 downloads

[Shiney005]

This is turning bigger than Ben Hur.  I've been in front of the computer for 5 hours now. There is so much research to trawl through, and I am enjoying every minute of it. But I must get off my butt and do other things as well.  More tomorrow.

[S pack]

I just found a photo of the Hamilton press at Woodville. The biggest in the southern hemisphere at the time. (1939)
 
GMH Panel Presses 1939 (3).jpg

Couple of ghost workers in that pic Laurie.

[Shiney005]

Yeah, the shutter speeds weren't too great in the '30s.

[Seymour Beer 1]

Top work Shiney

[Shiney005]

I gotta take a step backwards here for a moment as I didn't know about the City Road premises in Melbourne until yesterday.  There is next to no information on the web about this place except for an in depth article on the HRC website.

In 1926 General Motors Holden (Australia) Pty Ltd decided to build assembly plants in all mainland states. They acquired the City Road premises in July and had started production  by the end of that year. The registered offices of GMHA were on a mezzanine floor as well as the offices for the Victorian branch who also oversaw Tasmania. 

 

 c1930 City Road Plant exterior small.jpg   299.67K   4 downloads

 

The City Road Headquarters also had an exhibition space and many cars were on display there. The City Road plant was the only plant other than Woodville to stay open during the depression.

In 1934, the first export bodies were produced destined for Singapore, with it being reported that more were heading to Java and India.

By 1935, demand had overtaken the ability to supply ( It was also over run by rats) and Laurence Hartnett began negotiations to acquire the Fishermans Bend site. During its ten year tenure, the City Road plant turned out 75,000 cars with the last being a Pontiac Six Coupe on 4th september 1936.

As Fishermans Bend was being built, equipment was stripped from City Road, and by the end of the year it had been purchased by International Harvester Co and was demolished.

 

Staff at end of 1927.

 

 1927 City Rd Staff Named.jpeg   293.68K   5 downloads

 

 Body Shop at City Road..jpeg   204.5K   4 downloads

 

 BRG-213-73-5-4.jpeg   229.42K   4 downloads

 

 1936 View of City Road Plant.jpeg   245.53K   4 downloads

 

 1936 Sept 4 completed cars on end of line.jpeg   317.18K   4 downloads

 

Second last day of production. 4th Sept 1936.

 

 Second last day of production at City Road. 4th September 1936.jpeg   226.3K   5 downloads

 

 

 Holden_Body's_badge_on_a_1928_Chevrolet_National_tourer_(8701042412)_st_small.jpg   297.13K   4 downloads

 

 Screenshot 2022-06-24 094820.png   380.41K   4 downloads

 169 City Road Melbourne.png   1.69MB   4 downloads

[rexy]

That Holden Body Tag is a gem.

Wish they had continued that until the end.

 

The world is full of change. I wonder if anyone will care about many things like this a generation after anyone saw it with living eyes.

 

People still talk about Ancient Rome I suppose!

[308 Sunbird]

Thanks Laurie- never heard of that factory.

[Shiney005]

I have only just found a photo of the "Beverly" plant. I know nothing else about it so far.  I have become buried in the South Australian State Library. I would estimate they would have around 5000 photos, with most coming from GMH itself. Unfortunately, only a percentage have been scanned, but I have to click on each thumbnail to see if the full size one is there or not.  I won't put any more posts in here until I finish going through them.

[RallyRed]

Nice work mate...keep it up. 

[Shiney005]

That Holden Body Tag is a gem.

A couple more from early times. 

I know the one I posted above was the first.  The oval shaped one is on my uncles 1938 Buick, and the other rectangle one is from a 1929 Chrysler.

 

 Early nameplate 2.5.png   156.96K   4 downloads

 

 Early nameplate 3.5.png   302.33K   4 downloads

 

 early Holden-Logo-history small.png   549.04K   4 downloads

[Shiney005]

Dave is giving me a hand here, but if anybody knows anything about the Finsbury, or Strathpine plants................................

[u1 71]

 Screenshot_20220627-211004_Samsung Internet.jpg   119.67K   4 downloads

[Shiney005]

OK.      I need to start back at the beginning but I cant edit now so I will put up a few more pics now of the plants I have already covered.

Woodville. S.A.

 

Unloading the 1000 ton press off the boat in 1938. Eyepeelers grandfather was there that day, as were plenty of other onlookers.

 

 Unloading 1000 ton press 1938 1.jpeg   320.64K   5 downloads

 

 Unloading 1000 ton press 1938 2.jpeg   345.34K   3 downloads

 

 Unloading 1000 ton press 1938 4.jpeg   332.04K   3 downloads

 

 Unloading 1000 ton press 1938 5.jpeg   256.52K   3 downloads

 

 

[Shiney005]

The Hamilton in operation in 1953.

 

 1953.jpeg   251.47K   4 downloads

 

Of course there was more than one press though.......

 

 Press Room.jpeg   261.47K   4 downloads

 

Inside the engineering dept strong room. In the lead up to war, this information would have been top secret. 

 

 Strong Room.jpeg   200.58K   3 downloads

 

 Strong Room in Engineering dept.jpeg   260.57K   3 downloads

 

With the war underway, a new repairs workshop was called for.

 

Old workshop 9th march 1943.

 

 Repairs garage. 9th March 1943..jpeg   248.91K   3 downloads

 

 Repairs garage. 9th March 1943 interior2.jpeg   294.54K   3 downloads

 

New repairs garage 1944

 

 Repairs garage. New Pump.jpeg   202.51K   3 downloads

 

Cars being fitted with gas producers.  I will build one of these one day for my 1932 International. I have had a look at the one made by Kurt Johannsen (the fellow who invented the road train) and they can be made a lot smaller now. Kurt's one allowed him to start on petrol, and then switch over to mulga once the engine was warm. A tank of fuel would last him a year, and that was in a 1980's V8 Oldsmobile. He got about 4 kays per kilo of wood.

 

 Repairs garage. New Interior.jpeg   234.25K   3 downloads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shiney005]

Gas producer fitted to a Buick.

 

 Gas Producer Buick 2.jpeg   241.64K   3 downloads

 

 Gas Producer Buick 3.jpeg   247.28K   3 downloads

 

The GMH system used a base unit to start the cars in the event of no petrol being available.

 

 Gas producer starter setup 2.jpeg   299.38K   3 downloads

[Shiney005]

Items built at Woodville during the war years.

 

Folding boats.

 

 Folding boats. 24th Dec 1941.jpeg   284.46K   3 downloads

 

Foot press built at Woodville. "War Finish" painted on front.

 

 Foot press made by GMH Woodville.jpeg   239.73K   3 downloads

 

Tank carrier truck.

 

 1942b.jpeg   237.64K   3 downloads

 

Bombs leaving plant on Chev truck.

 

 Bombs on truck leaving plant.jpeg   305.58K   3 downloads

 

Gypsy Major motor.

 

 Gypsy major.jpeg   238.46K   3 downloads

 

Standby power for nickel plant. They also had a coal fired power plant for the rest of the factory.

 

 Standby power for suction fan-Nickel Plant-power restrictions.jpeg   255.79K   3 downloads

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shiney005]

Photos in state archives include hundreds of the weld locations in Pontiac, Chev and Buick cars, with this one being a 39 Buick. Bloody handy if you were restoring one. They even have photos of every hand tool used in the plant, as well as prototypes and every brochure ever put out, but unfortunately you can't access most of these unless you are physically in the State Library.

 

 Photos in state archives include hundreds of the weld locations in Pontiac, Chev and Buick with this one being a 39 Buick..jpeg   194.67K   3 downloads

 

Cars built there around this time included Vauxhaul, Oldsmobile and the Pontiac silver Arrow.

 

 Vauxhaul 1940 coupe.jpeg   285.6K   3 downloads

 

 Oldsmobile March 1939.jpeg   344.36K   3 downloads

 

 Pontiac Silver Arrow 1940 Coupe 19 April 1944.jpeg   293.59K   3 downloads

 

 

 

 

[Shiney005]

Another big press in use.

 

 1939 a.jpeg   299.46K   1 downloads

 

Seven and a half acre storage shed for finished product.

 

 7 and a half acre storage shed for finished cars and trucks.jpeg   236.52K   2 downloads

 

 BRG-213-207-1-692.jpeg   196.31K   2 downloads

 

 

Export Holdens stored at Woodville.

 

 Export Holdens stored at Woodville.png   1.48MB   2 downloads

 

 

 Export Holdens stored at Woodville2.png   1.42MB   2 downloads

[Shiney005]

Back to Birkenhead, where you can see why they ended up with the corner of the building removed in the 50's once the new road and bridge were constructed.

 

 1small.png   227.5K   2 downloads

 

 1953.jpeg   304.72K   2 downloads

 

Plenty of bodies were made here, including the 50,000th Holden.

 

 1949.jpeg   231.83K   2 downloads

 

 1951 Nov 21 50,000th Holden built yesterday.jpg   135.59K   2 downloads

 

The war effort mainly saw 40 foot patrol boats and pontoons being built here.

 

 6 sept 1943.jpeg   297.68K   2 downloads

 

 40 foot motor boat being built at Birkenhead Plant.jpeg   319.99K   2 downloads

 

 40 foot work boat.jpeg   196K   3 downloads

Pontoon assembly and storage, with Blitz cabs in the same shed.

 

 Pontoon assembly.jpeg   222.39K   1 downloads

 

 Pontoon and cab storage.jpeg   223.43K   1 downloads