Category Archives: Newspaper Clippings

All-Australian Exhibition 1929

The Victorian Chamber of Manufacturers held an “All-Australian Exhibition” in Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building between 14th September and 9th November, 1929. The previous exhibition in 1924 was visited by 500,000 people (1).

The exhibition was opened at 3pm by then Premier Sir William McPherson on Saturday 14th September. (2) Exhibits included an aeroplane, clothing, pianos, boot polish, spark plugs, water taps, and a myriad of other products. The Working Man’s College and another dozen technical schools exhibited (3). Many well known names were present among the 142 exhibitors, such as Kiwi Boot Polish, H.V.McKay, Aspro, BHP, ICI, Sanitarium, and of course, W. G. Goetz & Sons!

W. G. Goetz & Sons exhibited at Stand 48.
Click images for larger view.


W.G. Goetz & Sons listing. The Argus, 13 September 1929, p. 16

Goetz Stand location (circled). The Argus, 13 September 1929, p. 15

 

(1) Examiner, Launceston, Tas, 25 July 1929, p. 7
(2) The Argus, 13 September 1929, p. 13
(3) The Argus, 3 October 1929, p. 13

Australian Canning Convention, 1951

Otto Goetz attended The Australian Canning Convention, which was held from Tuesday 4th to Thursday 6th of September 1951 at the Manufacturer’s Buildings, 312 Flinders Street, Melbourne (nowadays 300 Flinders St offices and carpark).

Dinners over the three consecutive days were held at the Menzies and Australia Hotels.

Below is a report about the convention from The Murrumbidgee Irrigator, Fri 5 Oct 1951, p. 1

Goetz at Harvester House Openeing 1939

On 22 May 1939, the new headquarters of the International Harvester Company of Australia
P/L,  was officially opened by the then Victorian Premier Mr. Dunstan.

On the corner of City Road and Balston Street, South Melbourne, it was a good thing that the site covered four and a half acres (1.8 ha), as there were 2,000 guests present! 

‘Representatives of Federal and State Governments, municipalities, and agricultural and business interests were present’. (The Argus, 23 may 1939, p. 10)

As part of the ‘business interests’, there was a presence from W. G. Goetz & Sons. In this photo taken at the official opening celebrations is L-R: Capt. J. H. Moss (age 56), E. M. McLean (not known if he was from Goetz or another business), Otto Goetz (age 42) and Albert Goetz. (age 54).


The Australasian, 27 May 1939, p. 32. According to the accompanying article, around 2,000 guests attended the opening!

Around the same time, International Harvester opened its assembly factory at Geelong. On 4 August 1950, the first sod was turned at its 23 hectare site in Dandenong, officially opening in August 1952.

Edgell and the 11PSV Can Closer

In the 24 August 1959 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, there was a 7-page series of articles about canned food. Among the articles were entries congratulating Gordon Edgell & Sons Ltd. on the release of their new product – Edgell-Gerber Baby Food, manufactured at their new plant in Bathurst. Around the same time, in order to supply Edgell with cans for the baby foods section, Containers Limited opened a can making plant nearby.

The W. G. Goetz & Sons advertisement featured the 11PSV 4-head high speed automatic can closing machine, as used by Edgell.

 


Sydney Morning Herald, 24 Aug 1959, p. 14

 

Can seamer at the Containers Limited plant, near the Edgell factory, Bathurst. Difficult to tell in this photo, but perhaps another Goetz machine?

RVB Engineering

RVB Engineersing were W. G. Goetz & Sons neighbours in Hall Street, Spotswood. In the early days of RVB, some Goetz members served on the RVB Board of Directors and assisted Roy Butler to get started with RVB. Roy Butler had sold some surpless land to Goetz for the W. G. Goetz & Sons factory.

RVB made tyre guages, automotive horns and other pneumatic equipment – some of it using Goetz machinery. Below is an advertisement referencing the Melbourne International Trade (Fair 27 February – 16 March 1963, Royal Exhibition Buildings), showing some RVB products. From The Age, February 28 1963, p. 17 “International Trade Fair Supplement”.

Among other exhibits at the Trade Fair was Donald Campbell’s Bluebird land speed record car – at the time he was still to beat John Cobb’s 15 year old record of 394.2 mph (634 kmh). Campbell broke the record at Lake Eyre, S.A., on 17 July 1964 at 403.1 mph (648.73 kmh).

Otto Goetz and Capt. James Moss on the RVB Board

W. G. Goetz & Sons bought their Hall Street site from Roy Butler of RVB Engineering.

The land was previously owned from 1911 by Bickford, Smith and Co. Explosives, who had become associated with the chemical firm, Nobel (Australasia).

In 1939 Nobel moved and RVB purchased “about 520,000 square feet: Mr. Butler retained 240,000 square feet and sold the remainder to Messers. Goetz”. The Argus, 22 May 1956 p.15

See 1930 aerial photo of the site about half way down on this page.

Along with Roy Butler, Albert and Otto Goetz and Capt. James Moss were founding members of the RVB Engineering company. At times, both Otto Goetz and Capt. James Moss served on the RVB Board of Directors.

The Argus, 2 October 1953, p. 13

During May 1956, RVB celebrated its 21st year of operation. Below is an exerpt from and article in The Argus, 22 May 1956, p. 10 “A Great Firm Comes Of Age”, in which Roy Butler pays tribute to the management of W. G. Goetz & Sons for their support in the early days of RVB.
    

Employment, early 1950s

An assortment of employment advertising durinig the early 1950s.

 

Foreman Maintenance Fitter
Williamstown Advertiser, 21 April 1950, p. 8

 

Junior Draftsmen
The Age, 5 August 1959, p. 28

Engineering Apprentices
Williamstown Chronicle, 24 November 1950, p. 4

Female Capstan Lathe Operator
ToolSetterorTurner
Williamstown Advertiser, 22 August 1952, p. 5

 

Process Workers
Williamstown Advertiser, 9 October 1953, p. 5

Tool Setters
Williamstown Advertiser, 1 October 1954, p. 5