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Melbourne, Sunday
The body of Mr J R Webster, who for the past 30 years carried on business in Melbourne as a watchmaker and jeweller, was found in the Yarra last evening. The deceased had been much depressed lately owing to financial reverses. He was 61 years of age, and leaves a widow and a grown up family.
Following an earlier short lived partnership with Edwin Jones in c.1854, H.S. Walsh entered into partnership with his sons, Frederick and Alfred, in 1855, the firm being styled 'Walsh & Sons'. H.S. Walsh retired c.1860 and the business was then renamed 'Walsh Bros.'. The Walsh brothers sold their business and retired in 1881.
Frederick Walsh was also a MP in the Victorian Parliament:
Source: The Black and White List; or, The Elector's Hansard: Being a synopsis of the votes on the most important questions that engaged the attention of the Sixth parliament of Victoria. Together with a list of likely candidates at the approaching general election. - Victoria Parliament - 1871
Francis Kennedy is a native of New South Wales, and was born at Illawarra in 1869. After he left school, he was apprenticed to a watchmaker, and has since continued in the trade. He went from Illawarra to Sydney, where he started on his own account, and in 1895 left New South Wales for Western Australia, proceeding to Coolgardie. After remaining there for a year, Mr. Kennedy transferred his energies to Menzies, where he established his present, jewellery business. Mr. Kennedy is a member of the Menzies Municipal Council.
Source: Twentieh Century Impressions of Western Australia - P.W.H. Thiel & Co. - 1901
John Fleet was sentenced to seven years transportation c.1838. He was assigned to the Hobart Jeweller, David Barclay. Fleet was described in the convict indent as a Clock and Watchmaker, 22 years of age, 5'-3 1/2" in height and a native of Orkney.
Source: House of Commons Papers - Volume 42 - 1838
James Oatley was born in 1770, a native of Staffordshire, England, he was found guilty at Southampton Assizes on the 7th March 1814 and sentenced to Transportation for life. He was known to be in business as a Clock and Watchmaker in Sydney and was noted as 'Keeper of the Town Clock'. He was conditionally pardoned in 1821. He died on the 8th October 1839.
It is likely that his son, Frederick (1819-1890), took over the business, being described as 'Watchmaker to the Corporation'. Frederick Oatley is recorded in a New South Wales Directory of 1847 as being located at 332, George Street, Sydney.
Cunningham Macfarlane were recorded in Melbourne directories as being located at 165, Elizabeth Street from 1853 until 1888, and at 251, Elizabeth Street from 1889 until 1895. Presumably the above advertisement was published just prior to the relocation, or there may possibly have been a re-numbering of Elizabeth Street at that date.
Noted at the various addresses of 216, 354, 370, and 582, George Street, Sydney during the period 1876-1883. The partnership may have broken up around 1882, as Henry Forster alone appears at 582, George Street at that date.
The Phoenix Manufacturing Co. was established at Melbourne in 1916. Starting from its small original premises at 181, Little Collins Street it was later to grow into the largest plating company in Australia.
The founders of this business were A.I. Ward, A.E. Bennett, and J. Sharp. They started the business as a direct response to the interuption of imports from Great Britain of domestic items due to the First World War. Their venture was a successful one and in 1920 they moved to larger premises at Richmond and were noted as having 125 employees at this time, with the supervisors recruited from the great plating factories of Birmingham and Sheffield. By 1928 the new factory had been doubled in size and the firm continued to prosper until the 1950's.
During World War II, the production of silver plated items was halted and the firm manufactured items for the war effort. Following the end of hostilities the firm restarted production of its 'Imperial' range of EPNS products that was introduced in 1932 to compete with their great rivals Stokes & Sons's 'Georgian Silverware' range.
Like so many of the world's plating companies, the Phoenix Manufacturing Co. never managed to experience the success of their pre-war heydays, although their products were of a high standard of quality, they could not stand up to the public's growing demand for stainless steel domestic items and they finally closed down in the mid 1960's.
Edwards and Kaul, Melbourne. This firm of manufacturing gold and silver smiths, jewellers, watchmakers, and opticians, carrying on business at 5 Collins-street west, is one of the oldest manufacturing ones in the city. It was founded in Little Collins-street east in 1856, in a very primitive way, the principal business done at that time being the manufacture of gold and silver articles for the trade. At that period there was but a handful of shopkeepers in Melbourne, but with the steady progress of the city, trade increased, and the staff, then consisting only of the few principal journeymen in the city, and two apprentices, increased also. From the primitive style of hand-labour appliances, more modern notions were introduced; lathes, dies, casts, &c, were imported from Europe, together with the best skilled labour, and the old premises being found too small for the ever-growing requirements, more commodious ones were taken at 85 Collins-street east, nearly opposite the Argus office. A steady increase of business then set in, and that, combined with private practice, gave this firm the manufacture of almost all the gold and silver public and private presentations, prizes, and gifts of those days. They gained high encomiums from the press for their finished craft, notably the Duke of Edinburgh gifts, the Garibaldi sword, the gold casket presented to the late Captain Standish (which was acknowledged to be a masterpiece of art), and numerous gold cups, trowels, dinner and tea services, &c. From 1866 to 1874 the firm experienced great difficulty in obtaining silver, and thousands of ounces of old plate was purchased by them and melted for the production of lines of new work. No difficulty was experienced in getting gold, which was always obtainable from the diggings. Since the opening of the Mint, however, the silver difficulty has been overcome. Yet, although standard gold and silver is purchasable at the Mint, the public have no general guarantee of the quality of the metals. Intercessions were made by the firm when the late Hon. J. G. Francis visited England, to have a "hall mark" established, but without effect. Since then the firm has combined retail trade with manufacturing, with the result that more extensive accommodation was required, and in consequence central premises were engaged at 31 Collins-street west, where a new industry sprang up, namely, the utilisation of colonial products for home presents, the consequence being that native gold and silver have been extensively used for making ornaments in conjunction with emu, ostrich, and black swan eggs, the nut of the burra or Queensland bean, and various Australasian shells, and West Australian pearls. The Queensland opal is also largely used for articles of jeweller, room ornaments, and the like. In the production of these, the most modern appliances and the most talented artisan labour have been utilised. The firm has exhibited its works of art at all the principal exhibitions, and has been awarded numerous gold, silver and bronze medals, certificates, and other evidences of its skill. In 1876 still more extensive premises were found an absolute necessity for the ever-growing operations of the firm, and it succeeded in obtaining its present commodious ware and work rooms at 5 Collins-street west. There, in order to keep pace with the time, suitable workshops have been erected, so that the firm is now in keeping with the importance of the city, and can maintain its prestige as one of the most modern, as well as the earliest manufacturing firms of gold and silver in Victoria.
Source: Victoria and its Metropolis, Past and Present - Alexander Sutherland - 1888
Real German Silver
Our German colonists of Bendigo have woke up to the idea that the pen is mightier than the sword, aud have accordingly provided Prince Bismarck with a gorgeous inkstand to match it, manufactured by Messrs. Edwards and Kaul, of Collins-street. After seeing it, we venture to say it will be harder to beat the inkstand than the pen; in which case the French had better give up all idea of avenging Sedan for the present.
The partnership of Samuel Brush and William Drummond was founded in 1872. Samuel Brush died in 1878 and the firm was eventually renamed Drummond & Co. William Drummond died in 1917.
A convict record for the Watch and Clockmaker, William C. Baxter, detailing a punishment of a month in chains for sending an unauthorised letter.
William Baxter, a journeyman watchmaker aged 42 years, received a life sentence on the 24th November 1834 after having been found guilty at the Old Bailey of the theft of a watch from his employer, John Phillips of Goswell Street, London. Baxter was transported on board the convict ship 'Mangles' along with another 309 convicts on the 24th April 1835, bound for Van Diemen's Land.
