From the Williamstown-Chronicle, 31 October 1947, p9 nla-page 6749683
Category Archives: Employment
Advertising – Footscray Tech Magazines
Not normally known for advertising, W. G. Goetz placed these advertisements In the Footscray Technical School magazine. Form 7 students visited W. G. Goetz in 1957.
Below: ‘Footscray Technical School Blue and Gold 1947 no. 7
Magazine of the Footscray Technical School, 1947. Victoria University Archives, VUS 42.’
Page 30
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Below: ‘Footscray Technical School Blue and Gold 1948 no. 8
Magazine of the Footscray Technical School, 1948. Victoria University Archives, VUS 42.’
Page 26
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Below: ‘Footscray Technical School Blue and Gold, 1949 no. 9
Magazine of the Footscray Technical School, 1949. Victoria University Archives, VUS 42.’
Inside front cover
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Below: ‘Footscray Technical School Blue and Gold 1950 no. 10
Magazine of the Footscray Technical School, 1950. Victoria University Archives, VUS 42.’
Page 40
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Below: ‘Footscray Technical School Blue and Gold 1953 no. 13
Magazine of the Footscray Technical School, 1953. Victoria University Archives, VUS 42.’
Page 53
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Below: ‘Footscray Technical School Blue and Gold 1973
Magazine of the Footscray Technical School, 1973. Victoria University Archives, VUS 42.’
Page 40, top right
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Student Visits 1957
Always keen to promote engineering as a career, W.G. Goetz hosted student visits. In 1957 on page 2 of the Footscray Technical School magazine, the school principal wrote that ‘groups of Diploma students were taken on visits to various factories and industrial works, as part of their training in machine shop technology.’
W. G. Goetz was visited by the seventh form students, who left a favourable impression on the company. In a list of Form 8 students on page 35 (‘Pertinent Pars’), there is included a Grahame Goetz. It seems that the magazine mis-spelled his name Graeme, who was the grandson of Emil Goetz, one of W. G. Goetz’s sons. (Emil is pictured wearing a bowler hat in the 1905 West Melbourne factory photo). However, it seems reasonable to assume that Graeme (or Grahame) being in Form 8 at the school that year was the reason that W.G. Goetz was one of the companies visited by the Form 7 students.
Below: Portion of ‘The Principal’s Page’, Footscray Technical School Blue and Gold 1957 vol. 4 no. 2, page 2. Magazine of the Footscray Technical School, 1957. Victoria University Archives, VUS 42. Read the full edition here.
Application for Leave
Need to take leave at W. G. Goetz? Fill out this form!
Engineering Apprentices – 1951
Williamstown Chronicle, 26 January 1951, p.7
Jobs, jobs, jobs!
A collection of job advertisements from ‘The Age’ newspaper.
13 March 1940. p.18
2 February 1946. p.18
23 March 1946. p.19
29 June 1946. p.19
27 January 1951. p.12.
In the early 1950s, Goetz brought skilled tradesmen from the U.K. under a migration scheme sponsored by the Victorian Chamber of Manufacturers. As part of the scheme, Goetz was obliged to provide accommodation for workers and therefore purchased suitable properties at Newport and Williamstown.
In addition to the cost of the accommodation properties, extra finance was needed as Goetz had acquired an interest in a foundry in Grace Street Dandenong in 1948, and made outright purchase in 1949 whereupon they commenced construction of an ‘up to date’ facility on the site. By 1951, the new foundry was still incomplete, requiring an additional ₤8,000 to complete the work.
Therefore, in April 1951 the company made available an issue of 35,000 ₤1 5% Cumulative Preference Shares.
31 March 1951. p.30
1 March 1952. p.41
New Employee Work Agreement, 1978
Above: Thumbnail image only. To download the document as a PDF, click this link: Work_agreement_1978
The 1978 standard new employee work agreement, provided a short history of the company plus working terms and conditions.
The official history claims September 1875 as the foundation date, but no evidence has been found for commencement in that year. Contrary evidence suggests a later date; perhaps 1878 or 1880. See this page for details: ‘Beginnings – Queen Street Melbourne’
Thanks to Ron Collins for the work agreement document.
Apprenticeship Brochure
Goetz was a great place for training apprentices.
Above: From ‘The Navy’ magazine. July 1950, Vol 14, no. 7, p.6. Click image for larger version.
Click the image below to enlarge, or download the PDF version by clicking here 770Kb
I worked at W. G. Goetz & Sons from February 1979 until Easter 1983 as an Apprentice Fitter and Turner in Engineering side of Goetz. I believe that working at Goetz gave me a great start to mine (maybe didn’t recognize this at the time) and many others working careers. Most apprentices I know or hear of that worked there are successful in both that careers and at life. To think back to our old bosses such as Scotty, Bluey, Thommo and Hec Mitchell gave us the traits they installed in us should be applauded.Most of my time was spent on the Lathes but the type of different machines that you could be placed on was vast and I would be surprised if any current apprentices get this opportunity. I think I was successful at my job as midway through my 4th year I was employed as the Quality Control Inspector or this maybe was to keep me out of the way HA HA.Thank you to the many tradesmen how taught me many things. Theo Moltz, Jimmy Bird, Macca, Ray, Colin, Steve and may more and the other apprentices who some I still see and some who unfortunately has passed away, life is too short.Goetz was a special place and it still surprises me how many people who I didn’t know but worked there.My trade gave the chance to become a Maintenance Planner, Manufacturing Manager and now Own and operate my own Engineering Company.Thank you for taking the time to read my story.Best regards,Trevor Dunstan