Poole & Steel Pty. Ltd. records, 1902-1996

MLMSS 7701

fonds

1902-1996

Textual Records, Clippings, Photographs, Architectural and Technical Drawings

455840

1.0 metres of textual material, photographic prints and plans (3 boxes and 1 outsize box)

Arthur Hugh Poole (1863-1953) born in England migrated in 1878 with his family to Otago, New Zealand where he worked as a blacksmith's apprentice. In 1896 he moved to Dunedin and became a partner in the engineering works of Stevenson and Poole Ltd. building bucket dredges which operated in Otago. In 1902 he moved operations to Jembaicumbere, New South Wales building a gold dredge. On completion of his work and in partnership with James Steel he purchased the Australian Gold Dredging Co. at Balmain which later became Poole and Steel Pty. In 1919 they established a shipyard in Osborne, South Australia where three steel cargo vessels (Eurimbla, Eugowra, Euwarra) were built for the Commonwealth Government and subsequently purchased by the Broken Hill Pty. Co. Apart from ship building the Adelaide Works constructed railway wagons for the South Australian Railway and carried out the construction of dredges for harbour works. Due to the depression years following the First World War and the lack of orders the shipyard was closed, though the Balmain Works continued to build dredges for Siam, Malaya and Bulolo (P.N.G). At the outbreak of war in 1939, the works of Poole and Steel Pty Ltd. turned to full war production under the direction of Arthur Poole as James Steel had since retired. The company built seven corvettes, two oil tankers and one diesel tug for the Commonwealth Government. In 1945 Poole & Steel Pty. Ltd., became a public company with Mr Poole appointed as a company director -- Metal Trade Journal, Vol. XIX, no. 21 (Nov. 1953).

The records of Poole & Steel Ltd. Pty., mainly concerning the business dealings of the works located at Stephen St. Balmain (N.S.W.) as well as Osborne (S.A).

SERIES 01: Poole & Steel correspondence, 1912-1996

SERIES 02: Poole & Steel newsclippings, 1913-1968

SERIES 03: Pool & Steel miscellaneous, 1903-1959

SERIES 04: Poole & Steel association copies, 1914,1927

SERIES 05: Poole & Steel collection of photographs and plans