Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- c. 1916 - 1979 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
30m
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
In 1910, Ernest James and Walter Reginald Hume (Hume Brothers) established the Humes’ Patent Cementiron Syndicate Limited in Adelaide, which later became Hume Brothers Cement Iron Company Limited. Hume Brothers Cement Iron Company Limited operated factories in Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart and abroad, manufacturing centrifugally-spun reinforced concrete pipes by methods patented by Hume Brothers. Eventually Hume Brothers Cement Iron Company Limited became the Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited and was incorporated in Melbourne in August 1920. Shares in Concrete Constructions Pty Limited, established in 1914, were also sold to Hume Pipe Company in 1920. Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited opened factories in all states of Australia and in New Zealand, manufacturing high-quality spun concrete pipes, fabricated steel products, plastics and plastic pipes and products, concrete roofing tiles and building products. Singapore Hume Pipe Company Limited was incorporated in Victoria in 1922 and operated the Hume processes in Malaya. Subsequent changes of names were Hume Pipe (Far East) Limited in 1933 and Hume Industries (Far East) Limited in 1948.
In 1923 Hume Steel Limited was formed in Victoria to operate patented processes in steel pipe and electric welding machinery. Hume Steel Limited originated the concrete lining of steel pipes, which became the accepted practice throughout the world. Steel Pipe and Lining Company (Hume) Limited was registered in Victoria in 1928 to acquire the whole of the foreign patents of Hume Steel Limited.
On 22 March 1950 the name Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited was changed to Humes Limited. A separate company, Hume Industries (NZ) Limited, was formed in 1951. On 1 July 1952 Hume Steel Limited went into voluntary liquidation and was taken over by Humes Limited as its Steel Division. Wunderlich Humes Asbestos Pipes Proprietary Limited was formed in August 1960, jointly owned by Humes Limited and Wunderlich Limited. In 1964 James Hardie (Asbestos) Limited took over this company; by 1965 it had been wound up. In 1988 Humes Concrete and the ‘Hume’ name were sold to CSR Limited. Smorgan’s acquired Humes that same year. In January 1990 Humes Limited changed its name to SCI Steel Limited (Smorgan Consolidated Industries).
Repository
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Hume Pipe Company (Australia) Limited – minutes of meetings, 1920-7; Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1920; prospectus, 1920; correspondence, 1917-49; papers relating to shareholders, 1920-32; financial records, including annual reports and balance sheets, 1925-49; legal agreements, 1916-47; staff provident and investment funds papers, 1930-41; superannuation fund record book, 1947-9; papers re. development of concrete pipes, 1920-40; technical reports, 1940s; insurance policies, 1947-9; printed material and newspaper cuttings, 1920s-40s
Hume Steel Limited – Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1923; correspondence, 1942-52; subject files, 1929-51; superannuation fund record book, 1947-9; financial records, including annual reports and balance sheets, 1935-47; insurance policies, 1947-9; legal agreements, 1924-35; patents, 1924-35
Humes Limited (Head Office) – agendas of Directors’ meetings, 1953-6; correspondence, 1950-8; subject files, 1944-76; financial records, including some annual reports and balance sheets, 1950-72; Memorandum and Articles of Association of subsidiary and associate companies, 1919, 1930, 1937; prospectus, 1951-68; papers relating to shareholders, 1956-79; organisational charts and reports, 1950s-70s; subject files, 1935-78; photographs, 1918-68; printed material 1927-74; Concrete Division - correspondence, 1950-61 and office files, 1954-9; Concrete Products Division – correspondence, 1968-71; Steel Division – correspondence, 1952-61; Sales, 1960-1; Share Office, 1968-71
Humes Limited (Victoria Branch) – subject files 1950-1; correspondence, 1952-8; financial records, 1952-66; wages book for Tumut works, 1957-61
Hume Pipe (Far East) Limited (Head Office, Melbourne) – Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1922, 1938; correspondence, 1937-47; legal agreements, 1922-46
Hume Industries (Far East) Limited (Melbourne Secretary) – Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1948; correspondence, 1950-8; financial records, including some annual reports and balance sheets, 1950-6; prospectus, 1948; printed material, nd
Rheem-Hume (Far East) Limited (Melbourne Office) – Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1946; correspondence,1946-50; financial records, including annual balance sheets, 1947-58
Concrete Constructions - financial records, including annual reports and balance sheets, 1920-9, 1952-5; insurance policies, 1947-9
Martin Stoneware Pipes Proprietary Limited - minutes of Directors’ meetings, 1926-60; financial records, including annual reports and balance sheets, 1953-8; share register, 1926-63; printed material, 1963
GD Guthrie & Company Proprietary Limited (later Bendigo Pottery Proprietary Limited) - minutes of Directors’ meetings, 1940-62
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Digitised copies of some items at https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/9163
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Entered from deposit description, May 2012