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971445

Title
Item 87: Milton Kent aerial views of Enfield, Smithfield, Villawood, 1969
Call number
ON 447/Box 060
Level of description
item
Date

1969
Type of material
Graphic Materials, Photographs
Reference code
971445
Issue Copy
Digitised
Physical Description
18 negatives - glass, gelatin silver - approximately 12 x 16.5 cm
ADMINISTRATIVE/ BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Millard Caravans History

The Millard history has its origins way back in 1947, with Jim Darlington building caravans in a small factory in Mortlake, a southern suburb of Sydney. Jim had two sons, John and his younger brother Peter. John would come in and give his father a hand building the vans in the early days.

Around 1954, the business was moved to 26 Wicks Road, North Ryde [it is now a block of home units] and John became the owner, with father Jim on hand for guidance. In an interview in 1969, John Darlington said he decided to go into the caravan business after looking at a caravan and commenting: “I’ll bet I could make a better one.” Younger brother Peter also joined the business, and worked his way up the ranks, starting as a carpenter and progressing up to the Executive team.
John’s wife May was perturbed because the early Millard caravan range was limited in colour to silver and green. She became involved in the interior decorating of the vans, and introduced the homely touch, especially in her choice of colours for full-length curtains and other furnishings.

It appears the brand name Millard was first introduced by John Darlington, whose middle name was Millerd (with an ‘e’). A check of family history websites shows this Irish name to be interchangeable with the name Millard (with an ‘a’).

By the mid-1960s, the Millard business had grown so big that a new factory was set up at Smithfield, an outer western Sydney suburb. By mid-1969, the factory employed 250 people, with a monthly output of 100 units. Through a network of dealers, it marketed a range of 60 models, from 13ft to 40ft.

Reference:
Blog. http://vintagecaravans.proboards.com/ (accessed April 24, 2012)
Scope and Content
BOX 060

ENFIELD
1. James N. Kirby General Electric factory, Cosgrove Road (includes Aluminium Supply and Walter Barr Ltd)
2. James N. Kirby General Electric factory, Cosgrove Road (includes Aluminium Supply and Walter Barr Ltd)
3. James N. Kirby General Electric factory, Cosgrove Road (includes Aluminium Supply and Walter Barr Ltd)
4. James N. Kirby General Electric factory, Cosgrove Road (includes Aluminium Supply and Walter Barr Ltd)
5. James N. Kirby General Electric factory, Cosgrove Road (includes Aluminium Supply and Walter Barr Ltd)
6. James N. Kirby General Electric factory, Cosgrove Road (includes Aluminium Supply and Walter Barr Ltd)

SMITHFIELD
7. Millard Caravans
8. Millard Caravans
9. Millard Caravans
10. Millard Caravans
11. Millard Caravans
12. Millard Caravans
13. Millard Caravans
14. Millard Caravans

VILLAWOOD
15. Cullen Bros. and Colgate-Palmolive
16. Cullen Bros. and Colgate-Palmolive
17. Cullen Bros. and Colgate-Palmolive
18. Cullen Bros. and Colgate-Palmolive
System of arrangement
Alphabetical by location
Access Conditions

Access via appointment
Copying Conditions
Copyright restrictions may apply: Photographs in this collection created before 1955 are all out of copyright. Photographs created after 1955 are in copyright.
Copyright status:: This collection has multiple rights owners
Rights and Restrictions Information:: Collection includes commissioned works
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Description source

Titled from box
Signatures / Inscriptions

Original box label:
1968
Millard Caravans
General Electric - Kirby Appliances
Cullen Bros.
Date note

Dated from box
Name
Millard Caravans
James N. Kirby (Firm)
Colgate-Palmolive Pty. Ltd.
Topic
suburbs
caravan factories
aluminium factories
electric equipment factories
cosmetics factories
Place
Smithfield (N.S.W.)
Enfield (N.S.W.)
Villawood (N.S.W.)
Open Rosetta viewer
IE8809120