Paddle Bros.
Paddle Bros. (est. 1894) were boot and shoe makers.
Background
The company was started by Joe Paddle and his seven sons[1], from a small shed in Carlton.[2] Paddle then moved to a factory in Fitzroy. There was also a factory in Mornington, Victoria.[3] A pair of children's shoes made between 1901 and 1910 are in the collection of Museum Victoria.
Paddle Bros. had several premises in Ballarat, including in a small factory in Grenville street, at the former Ballarat Guncotton Factory and in a custom built factory in Yarrowee Street, Sebastopol.[4].
Location
Location 1 - Lydiard Street, Ballarat This was the first Paddle factory in Ballarat, but they soon moved to a larger building in Grenville Street.[2]
Location 2 - Grenville Street, Ballarat
This factory was opened in 1944 to make use of the local labour supply.[5][2]
Location 3 - Former Ballarat Gunmetal Factory
In 1959 it was announced that Paddle Bros. of Melbourne, were to take over the Ballarat Guncotton Factory at Ballarat, making a total of three factories in Ballarat.
Location 4 - Yarrowee Street, Sebastopol
The new, purpose built factory was opened in 1960.[5]
Location 5 - Barkly Street, Ballarat. This factory was the former Emu Shoes factory, purchased by Paddles.[2] It employed 130 people. The factory was burned down in a fire on 3 February 1963.[6] Four weeks production of children's shoes were lost and all the machines were destroyed. Damage was estimated at 108,000 pounds.[6]
Rivers
In 1982 Paddle Bros. Shoes Pty. Ltd. was purchased by Rivers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.[5]
Workforce
The 1959 full production workforce was expected to be 50 people employed in the production of children's shoes, and a total 152 employees in the three factories. In 1989 Mars employed over 100 people. [7]
John Beacham, Caretaker
References
- ↑ 1948 'WORTH Reporting.', The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), 14 August, p. 18, viewed 16 January, 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47220773
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Dixon, Matthew. "Former Rivers workers remember the company’s long history", The Courier, 8 December 2013, [1]
- ↑ Shoes - M. & A. Paddle, White Leather, circa 1901-1911 - Museum Victoria, [2], 2014, access date: 16 January 2014
- ↑ The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) Tuesday 5 July 1949
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Email from Neil Paddle to Clare Gervasoni, 11/05/2012
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shoe factory destroyed by fire in Ballarat, The Age, 4 February 1963, pg 2., [3]
- ↑ Ballarat School of Mines Institutional Plan, 1989.
Further reading
- The National Library of Australia holds the Paddle Bros. archives. The collection consists of financial records dating from 1911 as well as minutes, correspondence, records of incorporation, photographs and miscellaneous material of the proprietary company. There are also various papers dealing with client and employee matters. Libaries Australia ID No.9100703
H. Scarpe 23:24, 8 March 2012 (EST); --C.K.Gervasoni 23:15, 5 March 2013 (EST)