Series 08: Carlo Salteri videorecordings, 1989-2005

VT 1464-VT 1471
MLMSS 8564/Folder 7

series

1989-2005

978232

0.18 metres of moving images (8 videorecordings in box and 1 DVD in folder)

These videorecordings were created by a number of companies outside both Transfield and Tenix. They would presumably have constituted commissioned works. It should be noted that Items 8/1 — 8/7 relate to Transfield; Items 8/8 and 8/9 relate to Tenix. These videos were received by Carlo Salteri in his capacity as Chairman of both companies.

The Williamstown Dockyard had been owned by the Federal Government but
Cabinet decided to privatise the Dockyard in 1987. At that time the first
tenders for the Navy frigates was given to Amecon (Australian Marine
Engineering Consolidated). At this point Transfield began to take control of
Amecon and by August 1988, Transfield controlled Amecon and the Dockyard.
In November 1989, Transfield won a $5.8 billion contract to build ten “Meko”
200 class frigates, eight for the Australian Navy and two for the New Zealand
Navy. The contract for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel was won by Transfield in April
1987, construction beginning in February 1988. This was a joint venture with a
Japanese construction company, Kumagai Gumi. The tunnel was completed in
August 1992.

8/1 (VT 1464) Launching of HMAS Melbourne, a guided missile frigate. Amecon, 8 May
1989 (PAL/VHS videocassette; 6’30”)
[The video depicts crowds entering Williamstown Dockyard with naval personnel and a navy band. It also gives aerial views of the Dockyard and groups of Amecon staff. Personalities depicted on the video include Mrs Hazel Hawke (wife of the then Prime Minister), who launched the frigate. Other personalities include Kim Beasley, Minister for Defence, and Paul Salteri of Transfield.]

8/2 (VT 1465) First construction video: the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, 22 January 1990 (PAL/VHS videocassette; 10’19”)
[The contract was approved by the NSW Government in April 1987. The tunnel was opened in August 1992. The video contains much technical data regarding the manufacture of the tunnel sections, built at Port Kembla. Each section weighed 33, 000 tons, and was towed by sea from Port Kembla to Sydney Harbour, taking 24 hours for the tow. The project was a joint venture with Kumagai Gumi, a Japanese engineering corn pa ny.]

8/3 (VT 1466) Just one word. Amecon & Avatar Film Productions, Melbourne, March
1992 (PAL/VHS videocassette; 13’35”)
[Amecon was a company which purchased the Williamstown Dockyard in 1987, and was subsequently taken over by Transfield. The video commences with what appears to be early sea trials of HMAS Melbourne, one of a new fleet of guided missile frigates. It then depicts early shots of 19th century Williamstown and early pictures of groups of Transfield staff. Other themes include the launching of HMAS Newcastle and the training of company clients at an engineering school called the Marine Engineering and Research Centre, part of Transfield.]

8/4 (VT 1467) The Sydney Harbour Tunnel (a Transfield-Kumagai joint venture): third construction report, Sydney, Showboat, June 1992. (PAL/VHS videocassette; 21 mm.)
[The contract for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel was approved by NSW Cabinet in April 1987. Construction commenced in 1988 and it was completed in 1992. The project was a Transfield-Kumagai joint venture. This video contains much technical data on the construction of the tunnel, and is very similar to Item 8/2. It includes images of Carlo Salteri at the joint venture signing ceremony.]

8/5 (VT 1468) The Birth of 05: FFG 05 (HMAS Melbourne) construction video. Transfield,
28 January 1993 (PAL/VHS videocassette; 20’19”)
[HMAS Melbourne was commissioned in 1992. This video contains great technical data on the construction of 05 (HMAS Melbourne) and includes shots of the ship going through extensive sea trials. HMAS Melbourne ship was the first navy ship to be built in Australia for 20 years. Reference should be made to Item 8/2, which contains similar information.]

8/6 (VT 1469) Transfield Group video. The Notion Picture Company, 3 September 1993 (PAL/VHS videocassette; 11’20”)
[This video outlines Transfield’s various activities, shipbuilding, technology and infrastructure. Shipbuilding was carried out in Melbourne, Perth and New Zealand. Technology encompassed the building of power stations and construction of loading facilities for coal and gas, and the building of ocean platforms for oil and gas. Infrastructure included the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, water treatment plants, and motorway bridges. Construction also took place in Malaysia, Laos and Thailand.]

8/7 (VT 1470) The Transfield Group. Produced by Creative Assignments for the Transfield Group. [n.d.j. (PAL/VHS videocassette; 15’lO”)
[This video depicts various engineering projects carried out by Transfield over a number of years; for example, The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, the Skitube linking Bullocks Flat with Perisher Valley and Blue Cow in the Snowy Mountains of NSW, the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, and almost every power station in Australia. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel was the largest public infrastructure project in Australia’s history. There is also an early image of Carlo Salteri and Franco Belgiorno-Nettis in their Transfield office.]

8/8 (VT 1471) Tenix: launch video; no other group has the capability, [n.d.] (PAL/VHS videocassette; 4’15”)
[This video emphasises the defence projects of Tenix, virtually excluding any other activities. There are images of defence equipment, for example army tanks and military planes, but there is no evidence of the involvement of Tenix in these activities. As a launch video, it would appear to be somewhat defective.]

8/9 (MLMSS 8564/Box 7) Innovation Place, 100 Arthur Street, North Sydney: work, focus, inspire. Townwood Pty Ltd., September 2005. (DVD; 4’27”)
[This is a promotional video advertising the proposed premium office space being designed for Innovation Place, 100 Arthur Street, North Sydney, the present headquarters of Tenix, the Salteri family company. The building stands on the former site of the head office of Transfield.]

Copyright status:: In copyright
Approval for reproduction required: from copyright owner
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy Copyright ownder

Taken from the Guide to Carlo & Roslyn Salteri archive / prepared by Kenneth Smith, Research Archivist/Consultant, 2011