Pope Products
{{Short description|South Australian manufacturer chiefly of refrigerators, washing machines and irrigation components}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2019}}
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{{More citations needed|date=December 2013}}
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{{Infobox company
| name = Pope Products
| image = Pope Products Ltd(GN15024).jpg
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| image_caption = Pope Products factory
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| fate = Amalgamated with A. M. Simpson and Sons
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| successor = Simpson-Pope Holdings Ltd.
| founded = {{start date|1935}}
| founders = {{unbulleted list| Sidney Barton Pope | Harley Clifford Pope}}
| defunct = {{end date|1963}}
| hq_location =
| hq_location_city = Beverley, South Australia
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| services = Manufacture of domestic goods
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Pope Products Ltd. was an Australian manufacturer, based in Beverley, South Australia, best remembered for washing machines and refrigerators.
The company was founded in 1935 by Sidney Barton Pope (18 February 1905 – 2 September 1983) (generally referred to as "Barton" or "S. Barton Pope" and from 1959 "Sir Barton") and his brother Harley Clifford Pope (6 April 1908 – ) to manufacture irrigation equipment with an initial capitalisation of £15,000 in £1 shares.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11006165 |title=New Registrations |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=9 January 1935 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
History
Barton Pope and his brothers Raymond and Harley were born in Northam, Western Australia and moved to South Australia with their parents in 1913. Their father, previously a storekeeper, began manufacturing irrigation components at their 56? 66? Robert Street, West Croydon home. The boys were educated at Pulteney College (later Pulteney Grammar School) and at age 14 Barton began working for his father. What started as a father and son operation grew into a small business registered in 1928 as "Pope Sprinklers Ltd." with shareholders Henry, Barton and Harley Pope, Lily Maria Pope and J. H. Richards.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73727489 |title=Monetary and Commercial |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=16 October 1928 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} A new company, "Pope Products Ltd." was floated in 1934 to take over the assets of the old company, which went into voluntary liquidation. Shareholders were the two Pope brothers, R. F. Smith, S. H. Carman and Winifred Laura Browne.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35117694 |title=Company Registrations. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=4 July 1934 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=12 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Around 1935 the company moved its operations to Charles Road, Beverley. From 1939 an increasing output from the factory was directed towards the war effort; chiefly stamped and cast parts for munitions destined for the Commonwealth munitions factory at Maribyrnong, Victoria and for aircraft production at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation at Fishermans Bend. The factory underwent significant expansion in the immediate post-war period.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43506995 |title=Expansion of S.A. Industries |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=18 August 1945 |access-date=29 March 2013 |page=9 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
The company acquired premises in Finsbury
The company was not noted for employee relations: in the early days they made extensive use of juniors 14–16 years of age as machine operators and menial labour to avoid paying award wages (hence its local nickname "The Boy Farm").{{cite book|chapter-url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pope-sir-sidney-barton-15839/text27038 |title=Biography – Sir Sidney Barton Pope – Australian Dictionary of Biography |chapter=Pope, Sir Sidney Barton (1905–1983) |publisher=Adb.anu.edu.au |accessdate=3 December 2013}} Accidents were not uncommon.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29631799 |title=Claims under Workmen's Compensation Act |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=26 October 1929 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35016133 |title=Compensation Apportioned. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=3 November 1934 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47776386 |title=Workmen's Compensation Cases. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=12 January 1937 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} With growing union militancy and the Communist threat in the late 1940s, Pope Products became a model employer. It introduced a generous incentive scheme;{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2721203 |title=Incentive Payments Produce Results |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=29 July 1947 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} in 1953 bonuses to its workers exceeded dividends paid to shareholders; the same year it instituted an employees' recreation hall{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48276319 |title=Incentives Exceed Dividends. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=1 August 1953 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} and sponsored sporting activities for its workers and staff.
The company entered the Australian vernacular. "Is the Pope a washing machine" was a popular play on the rhetorical question "Is the Pope Catholic?"
Products
The output of the various Pope Products factories included:
- Lawn and garden sprinklers{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55475441 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly | date=8 December 1976 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=90 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- Agricultural Sprinklers: Typhoon, Monsoon, Premier and Butterfly. With the Butterfly sprinkler also being extensively used in domestic applications.
- "Ned Kelly" repeating cap gun, "Aussie" single-shot cap gun
- Woodworking tools: planes, chisels{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97950014 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=Sunday Mail |location=Brisbane |date=5 December 1954 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=32 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- Rotary lawn mowers, endorsed by Lew Hoad{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103109469 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=11 November 1960 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=22 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- Hand and powered "tumbler" mowers{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47507762 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly | date=17 October 1956 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=62 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- Wringer washing machines{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47247668 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly | date=3 April 1957 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=49 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- Refrigerators{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55474224 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly | date=5 December 1956 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=14 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- PopeAire air conditioners{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103075485 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=20 January 1960 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=22 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- Pope-Motorola television sets and Hi-Fi Stereo Cabinets, endorsed by Jack Davey{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51940422 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly | date=25 June 1958 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=39 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
- Electric motors{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18437100 |title=Pope Electric Motors. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=5 July 1954 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=4 Supplement: Sydney Engineering And Industrial Exhibition |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Amalgamation
In 1963 Pope Products and A.Simpson and Son amalgamated as Simpson-Pope Holdings Ltd. to manufacture washing machines and refrigerators. This company became Simpson Holdings in 1979 was absorbed by Email Limited in 1986, which in turn became part of the Electrolux manufacturing group in 2000.
Pope is part of Toro Australia.{{cite web | url=https://www.popeproducts.com.au/about-us | title=Pope Products | About Us }}
Family
Raymond, Barton and Harley Pope were sons of Henry Pope and his wife Sarah Anne, née Nunn (ca.1868 – 7 March 1947).{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93342419 |title=Family Notices. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=13 March 1947 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=30 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} The two younger sons were talented violinists; Harley in particular was described as "brilliant".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36608716 |title=A Boy Violinist |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=17 October 1923 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
=Barton Pope=
Sidney Barton Pope married Lily Maria Howard on 19 March 1927; they divorced in 1942.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92382243 |title=Undefended Divorces. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=17 December 1942 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=20 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} He married again, to Ada Lillian McCarthy née Hawkins on 15 June 1944 shortly after her divorce.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92708789 |title=Undefended Divorce Actions. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=25 November 1943 |accessdate=28 March 2013 |page=25 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} Barton's children included:
- Barbara Barton Pope (9 September 1928 – )
- John Brenton Pope (20 February 1933 – )
- Ian Murray Pope (13 June 1938 – )
- adopted daughter Susan Pope
Barton Pope was admitted to the SA Chamber of Manufactures in 1929{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35749622 |title=Chamber of Manufactures |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=19 July 1929 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} and was its president in 1949. He was knighted in 1959 "for services to commerce and industry".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103106795 |title=Three A.C.T. Knights in Investiture. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=11 November 1959 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
Their home for many years was Martin Ave, Fitzroy, South Australia. He owned a number of country properties: Yarindale station,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93862169 |title=Agricultural Section. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=1 November 1951 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} 17 miles (30 km) from Meningie and citrus orchards at Swanbury and Allawah, near Swan Reach{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45780165 |title=Blind Man Overseer of Two Properties. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=2 November 1951 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} He was a pioneer of the use of trace elements to restore fertility to ancient soils.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93864347 |title=Agricultural Section |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=25 October 1951 |accessdate=29 March 2013 |page=11 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
=Harley Pope=
Harley Clifford Pope (6 April 1908 – 14 July 1985) married Alison Victoria Sterling (24 May 1910 – 21 October 2009) on 23 April 1935. Their children were:
- David Pope ( – )
- Elizabeth Pope (4 April 1943 – )
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.popeproducts.com.au/}}
- [http://www.htpaa.org.au/oztools-images/pope/pope-hist.pdf Pope and Falcon woodworking planes]
{{Tool manufacturers}}
Category:Australian companies established in 1935
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Adelaide
Category:Home appliance manufacturers of Australia
Category:Lawn mower manufacturers
Category:Tool manufacturing companies of Australia
Category:Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning companies
Category:Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies