Category Archives: People

Hector Mitchell

Many thanks to Denis Mitchell for the following information regarding his father, long-time Goetz employee, Hector.

Denis writes ‘This is a photo of my father, Hector Andrew Mitchell who worked at Goetz his whole working life. I also worked there, starting as an apprentice in the tool room, Mick O’Brien was the foreman of the tool room at the time, my bench was in front of Alf Goetz’. Photos c1960

Below: Hector Mitchell’s apprenticeship certificate, dated 18th February, 1941, for the apprenticeship trades of Pattern Making, Brassfitting, Fitting and/or Turning, Blacksmithing (Engineerng), Machinist, Copper and/or Brass-smithing.

 

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.

Goetz Dust Coats

These Goetz dust coats were a heavy navy blue cotton drill, supplied by Jones Workwear of West Footscray. Jones was established in 1893, later renamed Can’t Tear’em P/L. In November 1980, they again changed their name to CTE P/L. A recent web search failed to find any current presence of them. Click images  for larger views

Generic dust coat with embroidered Goetz pocket and visible buttons. 

Another design had hidden buttons and an iron-on Goetz logo, with embroidered employee name. 

Thanks to Terrence Linehan’s daughter Robyn for supplying the coats

Cricket match report, poem

Thanks to Ray for the items.

A report from a Sunday cricket match between W. G. Goetz staff and the Goetz Die Shop, undated other than a reference to November. The report includes that “Ernie Pond after being hit for six first ball, realised he had 2/- on the game & so took three quick wickets.” Two Shillings shows that the game was during a pre-decimal currency year (i.e. prior to 14 Feb 1966). Other than that, the year and date of the game remains a mystery!

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Goetz cricket poem, 10 June 1970.
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Canteen, parties and Christmas

Some photos supplied by Ray Pond, whose father Ernie was a Goetz employee. Dates unknown except where noted. If anyone has any info to share, please leave a comment!

Click images below for larger versions.

Ernie Pond as Santa. Text on the rear of the photo indicates that the photo was professionally taken:
‘A Candid Photograph by Raymond Mudford, .. Forrest Street Sunshine’.

 

Altona, 29 November 1981 – possibly a Goetz Christmas party

5 September 1975 – during a Goetz dinner perhaps?

 

Sporting Teams

W. G. Goetz & Sons employees fielded cricket, tennis and football teams at various times. Please leave a reply if you have any information to share.
 

Below: The Goetz Die-Shop football team 1962. Click image for larger versionGoetz-Die-Shop-Football-0909-1962

Above: Instructions to the photographer about names for the above Die Shop footy team photo reproductions, hastily scribbled on to a job timecard. Click image for larger view

 

Below: An undated Goetz cricket team. Click image for larger version

Cricket-Team-WG-Goetz

 

Below: Another Goetz cricket team. Date unknown. Thanks to Ray for the photo.
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Below: A Goetz tennis team. Date unknown. Thanks to Ray for the photo.
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Otto Goetz

Youngest son of Gottlob and Sarah Goetz, Otto Theodore ‘Jack’ Goetz served as Chairman from July 1953 to 196? following the death of brother Albert.
Above: From The Herald (Melbourne), 7 July 1953 p.6. Otto was elected Chairman of Directors. Peter Moss appointed as director to replace Albert Goetz, who had died  27 December 1952.
Below: The Age, 8 July 1953 p.6 reports that Otto’s appointment was to replace James Moss.

Otto, Albert and James Moss had also served as directors with RVB Engineering, next door to the W. G. Goetz factory in Hall Street, Spotswood.

Otto, pictured at the opening of Harvester House on 22 May 1939, when he was aged 42.

Otto ‘Jack’ Goetz (middle row, left) pictured at the 1951 Australian Canners Conference in Melbourne. Weekly-Times, September 12th, 1951 p.54

Below: Otto Theodore Goetz business card. Chairman & Managing Director. Date unknown, but as it has a postcode, it would have been used after 1st July 1967 (the date 4-digit postcodes were introduced), up to the time of his retirement. Otto died in Decemer 1971, aged 75.

Otto Theodore Goetz became a great fan of horse racing, and a member of the Victorian Club, 141 Queen Street. Built in 1880, the club became the scene of the Great Bookie Robbery on 21st April 1976, where robbers stole between $1.5m and $15m in untraceable notes; the takings from 116 bookmakers after the Easter weekend races at Caulfield and Moonee Valley.

Below: Otto’s membership card for 1965-66

Victorian-club-OT-Goetz

 

Below: Otto ‘Jack’ Goetz, 29 September, 1955 on the day of his daughter Shirley’s wedding to Howard Glover.

Otto died on 23rd December 1971, aged 75, remembered in this obituary in the Australian Food Manufacture magazine, 19 January 1972, p.8.