Series 2: John Vicars & Co. business operations and associates records

MLMSS 11772/Boxes 4-6, 9-15
MLMSS 11772/Boxes 7X, 8X, 19X

series

1859-1997

Textual Records, Clippings, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Ephemera, Architectural and Technical Drawings

9669332

2.45 metres of textual material (10 boxes and 3 outsize boxes) - manuscript, typescript

John Vicars Senior (1820-1894) was employed by Thomas Barker to manage his tweed mill, Barker's Mill, in Sussex Street, Sydney, 1872. In 1873, Vicars acquired Barker's Mill and ran it under his own name, John Vicars & Co. until the company relocated to Marrickville, Sydney, 1894.

John Vicars & Co purchased Sydney Woollen Mills, originally Parramatta Woollen Mills, 1914. It continued to operate as Sydney Woollen Mills. In 1965 John Vicars & Co. merged with Australian Woollen Mills to form Textile Holdings Ltd. Both entities continued to operate under its original names. Textile Holdings Ltd was responsible for strategic and policy matters. It ceased operations after John Vicars & Co. was taken over, 1976.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

This series contain records and correspondence relating to the purchase of Barker's Mill and the formation and operation John Vicars & Co. It includes ledgers, patents, contracts and agreements relating to the operations of the business.

BOX 4
FOLDER 17
Financial statements of Barker's Mill, 1859-1894

FOLDER 18
Contracts, agreements, tenders and quotations relating to commercial, government and not-for-profit organisation transactions, 1870-1888

FOLDER 19
Barker's Mill company reports, 1881-1885

FOLDER 20
Black bound volume of tweed factory half yearly balances, 31 December 1874-30 June 1881; small volume with metal clasp labelled, 'Mr John Vicars Factory A/c', bank account book, 1875-1877; exercise book labelled, 'Balances', consists of monthly trial balances, 30 January 1875-31 May 1877; small volume labelled, 'City bank 1878', bank account book for J&W Vicars, 1878

Two bound employee wages dockets wrapped in paper, for individual work contracted by OB Ebsworth, manager of Sussex Street mill prior to Thomas Barker, 1874-1875, 1871-1889


BOX 5
FOLDER 21
Contracts, agreements, tenders and quotations involving Miller's & Dauncey, Treasury of New South Wales, Chief Secretary's Office, Public Service Tender Board Department, New South Wales Government Railways, W.S. Cook & Sons, Ivan Henry, Defence Department, Nightingale Supply Co., Sydney Wool Selling Brokers Association, John Vicars & A.E. Bottomley, 1897-1945

FOLDER 22
Records relating to Isaac Braithwaite, Kendal, Yorkshire; Ballarat Woollen & Worsted Co. Ltd; various firms and stock agents; Victorian Woollen & Cloth; South Australian Woollen Mills; New Zealand Wool Buyers, including correspondence, agreements, transaction records and other materials, 1866-1912

FOLDER 23
Correspondence between Robert Vicars and Beaumont Richard Pty Ltd relating to the shares and Beaumont Richard company, 1940-1948

FOLDER 24
Records relating to Cumberland Textiles, Fletcher Jones Pty Ltd, Dundas Woollen Mills, Trade Commission & Protection, Wool Trade Protection, including correspondence, manifesto of The Protection & Political Reform League of New South Wales and other records, 1901-1955

FOLDER 25
Records relating to John Vicars & Co. prospectus and statement of accounts, 1951-1962

FOLDER 26
John Vicars & Co balance sheets, 1894-1913


BOX 6
Small cloth bound volume, cost register of clothing manufacture and supply, 1896-1898
Bound volume labelled 'Minute book' on spine, cost book of materials: instructions for yarn and cloth, 1924
Large bound volume, wages register, 8 January 1919-1930s


BOX 7X
Cost book showing wages in all departments of the mill, 1960-1965


BOX 8X
Ledger of suppliers in alphabetical order, including Government Ordnance Department, 1914-1916


BOX 9
Bound volume labelled, 'Wages book': wages register from the old factory of John Vicars & Co, Sussex Street, Sydney to the new factory at Marrickville, 8 January 1892-6 December 1895
Bound volume labelled, 'Journal': wages register, 14 April 1904-4 July 1907
Bound volume labelled, 'Cash book': private ledger, January 1902-1914


BOX 10
Bound volume labelled, 'Ledger' in maroon and gold: cash book private ledger, 1 June 1920-1 August 1930
Bound volume labelled, 'Ledger' in red: cash book private ledger, listing investments, shares, dividends, profit & loss, travelling expenses, advance accounts, 1930-1980


BOX 11
FOLDER 27
Financial records including balance sheets, 1911-4, 1916, 1924, 1927; state income tax, 1916, 1922, 1924-6; federal land tax, 1922, 1924-1925, 1928; correspondence relating to federal income tax assessment act and the distribution of profits and dividend shares, 1921-1923; other taxation and financial records relating to the Sydney Woollen Mills, 1917-1948

FOLDER 28
Correspondence relating to taxation and financial matters of Sydney Woollen Mills between Thomas, Davis, Sheedy & Co. accountants, S. McKellar White & associates, Frederick J. Smith & Johnson public accountants, David Fell & Co. chartered accountants and others, 1926-1949

FOLDER 29
Records relating to conversion of Commonwealth War Loan Bonds and Carpet Manufacturers, Five Dock shares, including correspondence and plant inventory, 1921-1944
Bound volume, John Vicars & Co. shareholders meeting minutes, 1914-1920
Bound volume, John Vicars & Co. directors meeting minutes, 1914-1920
Red leather bound volume, John Vicars & Co. directors meeting minutes, 1920-1936


BOX 12
Two kalamazat binder volumes, John Vicars & Co. board meeting minutes, 1951-1962


BOX 13
FOLDER 30
Deburring machine patent certificates and other records relating to the inventions of James Frame, Robert Vicars and Sir William Vicars, 1929-1933

FOLDER 31
Patent certificates, correspondence and other records relating to the Spruson & Ferguson No. 2 deburring machine, 1933
Correspondence relating to problems with the Vicars Deburring Machine in South America, April-May 1933
Agreements, patent certificates and other records relating to the rights of the Oscar Stone and Samuel Bull Deburring Machine being sold to John Vicars & Co., 1934-1937

FOLDER 32
Correspondence between Spruson & Ferguson, Patent Attorneys and Robert Vicars relating to the British patent application for a screw propeller, 1934-5
Three instruction guide brochures relating to the Vicars patent deburring machine, including photographs.

Blue print plan of the Vicars patent deburring machine, prepared by Taylor Woodsworth & Co Ltd, Leeds, England, 1930 (Box 19X)

FOLDER 33
Six bound notebooks relating to fabrics, dyeing and manufacturing; and SPA suit samples booklet included in the John Vicars Centenary, 1876-1907, 1973
Large bound volume, operations and instructions ledger, 1937-1941


BOX 14
FOLDER 34
Overseas business trip reports by members of the Vicars family and associates, 1963-1969

FOLDER 35
Overseas business trip reports by members of the Vicars family and associates, 1970-1975, 1991

One volume in black binder titled, 'Report covering R.H. Gulley overseas trip, 7/3/49-10/8/49'
One volume in navy binder titled, 'Reports covering the overseas trips of Messrs. J. Balmforth & F. Hall period 7-11-74 to 23-1-75'


BOX 15
Ten exercise books and notepads of various sizes relating to overseas business trip notes and reports by John Vicars (1937-), covering trips to Paris, France; Italy; Shanghai, China; Hong Kong; USA; Canada; Japan, 1963-1997

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder