Monogram

This Art Nouveau armchair belonged to Adah Emily Sherwood. It is made of a dark fine-grained wood which could be mahogany. It is quite delicate with a tall back and thin long lines above and below. The arm rests are gently curved and the seat front bowed which are all features typical of the period. The upholstery is contemporary. 

There is a plaque on the back slats of the chair which reads AES.

This is the monogram of Adah Emily Sherwood. The organic shapes and long sinuous lines are feminine, gentle and elegant.

The armchair is likely to have been purchased by Adah before A. G. Adams and his brother left to join the AIF.

A simple armchair becomes a symbol of the elegant fashionable world of Melbourne in the early 1900s, before families lives were shattered.

Huddart Parker Ltd

When A. G. Adams joined Huddart Parker Limited in 1912-13 it had only recently become a public company. On 1st January 1912 the company started with capital of 1,000,000 pounds. At the time, the main business was coastal shipping of cargo and passengers and trade was conducted in the southern states of the newly federated Commonwealth of Australia and across to New Zealand.

In 1914, at the outbreak of war, Huddart Parker Ltd, was at its highest point. A branch office had recently opened in Dunedin, NZ with Mr T.J. Parker (A.G. Adams' cousin) appointed Manager of that office. The 1914 the company also acquired coal interests in the Hunter Valley, NSW.

After leaving school A. G. Adams was employed as a clerk at Huddart Parker.

The Great War, took a significant toll on the company both in terms of the human impact, the loss of trade and the requisition of ships for use by the Admiralty.

Athol G. Adams, would have known many of the company men who enlisted to serve Australia and the Empire:

• Lieutenant W. T. T. Appleton - the Melbourne manager of the company and son of the then Chairman. Lieut. Appleton (7th Battalion, 1st AIF) was killed in action on 24 July 1916, aged 33, whilst leading his men in captured trenches close to Pozieres. He as buried where he fell.
• Mr L.S. Bull, son of Capt. P.W. Bull, General Manager, of Huddart Parker Ltd. L.S. Bull was a fourth engineer with the company when he enlisted shortly after the declaration of war. He trained at the Broadmeadows Camp with A. G. Adams. He saw action in the heavy fighting on the Somme in 1916 and later in Flanders. He was killed in action on New Years Day 1917 and is buried near Amiens.
• Lieutenant T. J. Parker, manager of the Dunedin office of Huddart Parker and grandson of the founding chairman, paid his own passage to England to join the Royal Field Artillery in 1915. He received his commission and saw service in Ypres salient. In 1916 he served with the Guard Divisional Artillery on the Somme. After being wounded at Guillemont we was sent to England for treatment. Whilst convalescing he acted as Adjutant of the Royal Horse and Field Artillery School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness. After recovering he was posted to Italy with the 23rd Divisional Artillery. Lieut. Parker volunteered to serve on a military mission to Austria after the Austrian revolution occurred. Lieut. Parker survived the war and returned to Australia to continue with the company. He was made a director in 1923.

From 1914 to 1918, Huddart Parker saw 70 staff members leave to serve their country. Thirteen of these were never to return. In addition, some of the company's vessels (Nairana, Zealandia, Ulimaroa, Hebburn and Coogee) were taken over by the Admiralty but continued to be manned by Huddart Parker crew. These men also put their lives in danger.

The Zealandia of Huddart Parker Ltd sailing under a partially completed Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Zealandia served, with a Huddart Parker crew, in both WW1 and WW2.

With many thanks to D.A.J. Parker for use of the family archives.

A.G. Adams - clerk at Huddart Parker Ltd

The Huddart Parker building in Collins Street, Melbourne

c.1914

After leaving Melbourne Grammar School at the end of 1912, and prior to enlisting in the 1st AIF, A.G. Adams worked in the offices of the Huddart Parker shipping company as a clerk.

The image above depicts the art nouveau Melbourne offices of Huddart Parker Ltd at 466 Collins Street, central Melbourne. A.G. Adams worked in this building. The building is recognisable today. 

The Huddart Parker company was founded as a partnership in 1876 by Thomas J. Parker snr, James Huddart, John Traill and Thomas Webb. By 1910 Huddart Parker was ranked 24th in the top 100 companies in Australia. Its main operations were coastal shipping based in Victoria with regular cargo and passenger lines along coastal Victoria and north to Newcastle and Sydney and later to Fremantle in W.A and Tasmania. By 1914 Huddart Parker had also diversified into coal mining and other investments.

For A.G. Adams the environment at 466 Collins Street would not have been unfamiliar. In 1914, there were substantial family interests in this company with A.G. Adams' mother, Adah Emily Sherwood, being a major shareholder as well as her sister Florence Parker (married, no issue) and half-sister Marion (May) Parker (married, no issue). Their father was one of the founders of Huddart Parker. Adah's nephew, Thomas J. Parker and his two sisters were also substantial shareholders. Unfortunately, by 1912, when A.G. Adams joined the family company, his grandfather and only uncle had both died. This had a significant impact on the family's interests.  Ernest was only 38 when he died.

A.G. Adams' cousin (Ernest's only son), Thomas J. Parker Jr., was also involved in the firm in 1914. He was seven years older than A.G. Adams and the same age as A.G. Adams' elder brother, Arthur. Thomas J. Parker Jr. also served in the 1st AIF (more about him later). A.G. Adams' elder surviving brothers, Arthur and Harold, had chosen to be farmers and were working on sheep properties in the Riverina.

It would have been very important to Adah Emily Sherwood (nee Parker) to have one of her sons trained in the workings of the family company. Adah was educated in Melbourne, London and Germany. It is believed she was a strong-willed, intelligent woman and that she tried, unsuccessfully, to become a director on the board of Huddart Parker after her father and brother died (1900 and 1898 respectively). If she was not able to protect her interests and those of her sons by being involved in the decision making of the company she would have wanted her sons to be involved from an early age. Athol Gladwyn Adams was chosen, or he chose himself, to be directly involved in Huddart Parker limited. He started as a clerk.

In the next blog post I will write about the impact WW1 had on the firm and its employees.

With many thanks to D.A.J. Parker for the use of his archive material including the photograph above.

School badges

These Melbourne Grammar School badges were awarded to A.G. Adams for various extra curricular activities.

Top row:

(Left) School Cadet Matches 1908 Junior
(Right) School Cadet Matches 1908 Junior.
These badges are marked STG Silv (sterling silver).

Bottom row:

1. WR (?) competition 1908.
2. Jubilee badge 1858-1908.
3. No engraving on the middle badge.
4. 50 yrds champion under 16, 2nd. and on the reverse MCEGS swimming 1910. This badge is marked STG Silv (sterling silver).
5. High dive under 14.

In 'War Services Old Melburnians, 1914-1918', ed. B. Kiddle, 1923', the obituary notice states that 

"Athol Gladwyn Adams .... was a prefect, in the crew and athletic team in 1912, and in the football teams of 1911 and 1912. He was a most popular boy." 

Football in Melbourne = Australian Football or Aussie Rules.

There are other trophies awarded to A.G. Adams but they are not available to be photographed at this stage.

Portrait of mother, taken to the front

This portrait of A.E. Sherwood was found with the personal effects sent home to Australia after the death of Lieut. A.G. Adams in 1917. The image is undated, nor does it have notes on the reverse. There are no studio markings.

It is a small size (6 cm x 12 cm), including the mounting, which would have been handy to keep in a soldier's wallet or diary.

Whilst we might consider this to be a formal portrait, it shows Adah in light blouse, with everyday jewelry and a simple hair style.  Her sons would have known their mother like this in their home in Melbourne.

Portrait of A.G. Adams as a school boy

This portrait of A.G. Adams was produced by the Melbourne studio Vandyke. They were operating in Bourke St and 274 Collins St in the city of Melbourne from about 1887.

The portrait is undated but appears to be of A.G. Adams as a school boy. He attended the Melbourne Grammar School from 1906-1912.

Glimpse of a school boy

This is a copy of a letter sent by senior boys of the Melbourne Grammar School to the Headmaster. We understand it was probably dated in 1911 or 1912.
Athol G. Adams (prefect) was the first to sign.
The text of the petition says:

"We, the undersigned, being senior boys of the school, do most strongly object to the treatment of Mr J. Wilson by Dr Kent-Hughes. And we most strongly resent Dr Dent-Hughes' interference in school sport."

We are not aware of the rest of the story. What brought about this letter of protest signed by 24 of the senior students? What was the outcome? Being the first to sign the letter - was it A.G. Adams' idea?

We do know that Mr Fred Knight, whose signature appears towards the end of the list, was a friend of the all four Adams boys. He referred to Athol G. Adams using the nickname: Tie-Tie.

Fred Knight lived into his 90s. He was a business partner and life long friend of Arthur Parker Adams (the eldest of the Adams boys). Fred Knight served in the Gallipoli campaign and also in France. His story can be found on the Melbourne Grammar School web-site: http://dbtw.mgs.vic.edu.au/dbtw-wpd/textbase/cll_archives.htm