Advertisements from the Port Melbourne 1939 Centenary
The Greater Port Melbourne: Official Souvenir of the 1939 Port Melbourne Centenary Celebrations Committee booklet includes many advertisements from iconic Port Melbourne companies. Many more than I can feature here.
A lot of the ads are just simple text but in others, the Art Deco style of the day with an emphasis on modern industry can be seen in the layout and the portrayal of the company premises.
Ads for companies from outside of Port Melbourne such as Andersons Printing & Publishing in City Rd, Foster’s Lager and the State Bank of Victoria are also included in the booklet but for this selection I’ve limited myself to Port Melbourne companies.
Swallow & Ariell recalled their origins from 1854 bringing the story up to date with their modern factory completed in 1938.
The car industry on Fishermen’s Bend was well represented by GMH and Neal’s Motors. It is interesting to note that the GMH ad refers to Fishermen’s Bend where Neal’s ad refers to both Fisherman’s Bend and Fishermen’s Bend illustrating that both names have been used interchangeably and simultaneously for some time.
The ads for two engineering companies, Malcolm Moore and Daniel Scott, each feature their modern factories in Williamstown Rd.
The Nighingale Supply Co illustrated some of the many household products Made in Port Melbourne.
The Wilson Electric Transformer Co in Crockford St featured a photo of their 1000 KVA 3 Phase 22000/415 volt Ratio Oil Cooled Transformer (surely a sexy piece of equipment!) while Schumacher Mill Furnishing Works in Graham St, near the Gas Works, illustrated a selection of their machinery including a ‘self-contained mixing, dressing, elevating and packaging unit that they had recently supplied to a well-known Victorian Milk Factory.
The back cover of the booklet featured a colour ad for Swallow’s Ye Olde Englyshe Plum Pudding. Offering us an ‘invitation to luxury eating‘ and a timely reminder that Christmas was just around the corner!
