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CELEBRATING 70 YEARS

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A Singular Vision - the A. G. Coombs Story explores the (I) ......

formative years and growth of one of Australia's leading building services companies.

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Headquartered in Melbourne, A.G. Coombs was established by Allan George Coombs in August 1945 at the end of the Second World War. A plumber by trade, Allan possessed nothing but a pushbike, a kit

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of tools and a bucket-load of determination when he

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started his business. Yet it was a time of opportunity

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and he was eager to capitalise on the work being generated by post-war construction and new housing

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developments.

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Assisted by a small business loan, Allan purchased

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an Austin utility truck, appointed his first apprentice and built a garage and workshop in the backyard of his brother's home. After outgrowing this space - and with his workload rapidly increasing - he purchased some land in Moorabbin and, by 1953, had built a factory and office in an area that was then just open paddocks. A man of vision, he also established on-site manufacturing facilities to produce ductwork and other sheet metal products.

A.G. Coombs' first big break came when it was contracted to install the plumbing at the Olympic Village in the lead up to the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. Soon after, Allan repositioned his business to focus on commercial air conditioning, which was being more widely introduced throughout Australia.

Between 1955 and 1963, A.G. Coombs installed the air conditioning and mechanical services at the former Royal Children's Hospital complex in Melbourne Dame Elisabeth Murdoch led a spirited fundraising campaign to build the hospital, which Queen Elizabeth II opened in February 1963. The project was recognised at the time as Australia's largest mechanical services contract.

With its reputation for technical excellence, A.G. Coombs has gone on to air condition and install

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the services in prominent facilities such as Wrest Point

CELEBRATING 70

Casino, Collins Place, the Walter and Biza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 120 Collins Street, .....

Continued on back flap...

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A Singular Vision The A.G. Coo mbs Stor y

MARCELLA HUNTER

CELEBR ATING 70 YEARS

A SINGULAR VISION THr A.G COOMBS STORY Published by A.G. Coombs Group Pty. Ltd. 26 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin Victoria, Australia 3189 Telephone: 61 3 9248 2700 Website: www.agcoombs.corn.au

Designed in Australia by Theme Park Level 1, 39 Burwood Road, Hawtl1orn Victoria, Australia 3122 Website: www.themepark.net.au

Printed in Australia by BPA Print Group 2 McIntyre Street, Burwood Victoria, Australia 3125

Editorial Services: The Writers Bureau Email: writers@inmyownwords.com.au

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Creator: Hunter, Marcella, author.

Title: A singular vision - the A.G. Coombs story: Celebrating 70 years / Marcella Hunter.

ISBN: 9780646930329 (hardback) Notes: Includes bibliographical references.

Subjects: Coombs, Allan George.

A. G. Coombs Group History.

Plumbers - Victoria - Biography.

Businessmen - Victoria - Biography.

Sheet metal work - Australia - History.

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Buildings - Environmental engineering - Australia - History.

information on A Singular Vision - The A. G. Coombs Story.

Manufacturing industries - Australia History.

Dewey Number: 721.0447

© 2015 A.G. Coombs Group Pty. Ltd. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.

While all reasonable efforts to check factual accuracy have been made, the publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors contained in this book. All reasonable efforts have also been made to check the source of images and to attribute visual content to owners where known.

The c over design features a collage of images highlighting some of A.G. Coombs' most memorable projects. The centre image is one of the earliest photographs of Allan Coombs and his team outside the company's new premises at Cochranes Road, Moorabbin, Christmas 1956.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Contents 2

Foreword

Chapter One (1945-1950)

A plumber, a pushbike and a singular vision

5

Chapter Two (1950-1960)

Cochranes Road, the Olympics and air conditioning

19

Chapter Three (1960-1970)

New company services and the Royal Children's Hospital

51

Chapter Four (1970-1981)

Air conditioning Collins Street

81

Chapter Five (1982-1989)

Looking ahead with the next generation

103

Chapter Six (1990-1995)

Adversity, rebuilding and revival

127

Chapter Seven (1995-2000)

Beginnings and endings - the milestone years

141

Chapter Eight (2000-2012)

Innovation, new visions and the 'thinking' company

159

Epilogue (2012-2015)

70 years and counting

188

Acknowledgements

192

A SINGUI AA VISION • HE A G COOMBS Sl ORY

Philip Coombs In 1945 my father, Allan Coombs, established a small plumbing business to capitalise on the plumbing needs of Melbourne's post-war housing boom. From modest beginnings he converted an Austin 12 sedan into a utility truck, built a workshop at his brother's Bentleigh home and established A. G. Coombs, a business that would grow into an industry leader in building services, not only in Victoria but also nationally. It is a remarkable story that deserves to be told.

Plumbing was generational in the Coombs family and resulted in my joining A.G. Coombs as an apprentice plumber in 1976, where I worked for the next thirty-six years. This journey included taking over the management and ownership in 1985. The company went through some very tough times; however, it was these tough times and the dedication of its people that helped build the company culture, in turn building one of the industry's best companies - one which prides itself on its customer focus, quality of work and, importantly. the calibre and loyalty of its employees.

I commend everyone who has worked on this anniversary publication, an ambitious project drawing extensively on material

Knowing the company couldn't remain a family concern forever, it was critical to me and the family to look after our loyal

from the A.G. Coombs archives, as well as external sources. One of the book's major themes is the A.G. Coombs culture, which

employees and ensure the perpetuity of the company's name

played a major role in defining the company's history and will also

and its legendary culture. This resulted in the implementation of

shape its future.

an employee share plan, which continued evolving until 2012 when I decided it was an opportune time to transfer ownership

Finally, I wish to thank all those loyal and dedicated employees who

into the capable hands of the company's senior executives under

played a major part in the history of A.G. Coombs. This publication

the direction of Russell Telford. This team now has responsibility

is about you and for you. I very much look forward to seeing how

for creating the next chapters in the continuing history of such

the next chapters unfold in this amazing journey. I extend my

a wonderful company. My father's lasting wish was that the

heartfelt congratulations to everyone as the company commences

company continue growing under the A.G. Coombs name. and

its seventieth year of operations.

this is a legacy of which I am extremely proud.

FOREWORD

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Russell Telford So often in business, when our focus is on the present and the future, there is rarely any time to reflect on the path we have travelled. For a company such as A.G. Coombs, which has been in business for seventy years, there are so many milestones to acknowledge that we felt it appropriate to record them in an official history. Importantly, we are not just telling our story but, in many ways. the story of our industry.

I have been fortunate to be part of the A.G. Coombs journey for twenty-seven years, having joined the company as a site foreman in 1988. I had heard so many positive things about A.G. Coombs' approach to business from its willingness to take on technical challenges to going that extra mile. I felt I wanted to be part of a company that took pride in its work and nurtured its staff. I was not disappointed.

Compiling this history has allowed us to appreciate and better understand our journey. It has also highlighted how we have evolved as a company and contributed to advancing the industry

I am proud to say that A.G. Coombs is still a passionate private

in which we operate. Our draftspeople used to produce hundreds

company, even though it is no longer family owned. This was not

of drawings by hand: now, A.G. Coombs is at the forefront of

a sudden development, but something planned, discussed and

organisations ·constructing' new facilities digitally through building

progressed for many years. Also central to our vision was the

information modelling (BIM). Our retired employees remember a time

desire to be more than just a single-service provider. We always

in the industry when there was no requirement for people to wear

relished a challenge and so It was only a matter of time before

hard hats and safety glasses at work sites. Today, in an era of greater

we progressed into broader advisory and technical roles wi1h a

health and safety consciousness. Personal Protective Equipment

whole-of-life capability.

(PPE) and integrated safety systems are mandatory.

I sincerely thank everyone who has been involved with this book,

The buildings also 'star' in this book and will be familiar to a wider

from the people we interviewed to our production team of designers,

audience. Some of you may have been cared for at the Royal

photographers and proof readers. I especially thank Philip Coombs.

Children's Hospital, or you may have recently attended a concert at

who guided the company during some of its most challenging years,

the Melbourne Recital Centre. Perhaps you meet regularly for coffee

and who generously shared his memories and photographs.

at Collins Place or work in the John Gorton Building in Canberra.

We would not have such a vibrant story to tell without the

You may even live in or be a visitor to one of the energy-efficient

contributions of our employees and specialist contractors. They have

buildings that we have helped to build. These facilities have their own history, and we are proud for having played a role in their construction. refurbishment or maintenance.

helped us innovate and deliver technically complex projects. and are the reason why we have garnered numerous employer and safety awards. Due to their efforts, A.G. Coombs is in the strong position it

Yes, we have been tested from time to time, for no business is

is today. I also thank our customers for being part of this journey, and

immune from market forces. Yet the real test of a company's longevity

trust they will see a little of their history within these pages.

is its ability to re-group and go forward strongly, which I believe we have accomplished over the long-term. I attribute this to our great culture and strong core values, which continue guiding our actions and business decisions.

This book marks a significant point in the A.G. Coombs story. It is such a privilege to share it with you, as we look forward to the next chapter of our journey.

FOREWORD

Allafl Coombs

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The war is over! Jubilaf lt crowds gather in Co llins Street, Melbourne on 15 Augus t 1945 to celebrate Vic tory ,n the Pac,fic (VP Day). Col!lns Street would feature sig nificantly in the future business dea lings of Allan Coombs.

Image source: Austraf,an Wa

r Memonal.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

A plumber, a pushbike and a singular vision Chapter One (1945-1950)

Looking back over history it is often those with a clear purpose in life who manage to attain their goals and realise their ambition. Allan George Coombs was one of those people: a resourceful and ambitious young man, who knew

..•• ..• • •

what he wanted and how he would go about achieving it.

He was so determined to do something with his life that he quit his plumbing job at the end of the Second World War, jumped on his pushbike and cycled away from work, ready to strike out on his own.

Allan was born in Melbourne on 14 October 1920, the youngest child of Frederick and Alberta Coombs. He was twenty-four years old when the war ended in August 1945, and was already an experienced plumber, having spent almost eight years at Hawkins and Wilcox, a Melbourne firm specialising in plumbing and pipe fabrication.

On the day he left, Allan would have been focusing on what needed to be done in the short term, while also looking ahead at the bigger picture. He knew that he wanted to use his skills as a plumber, but on his own terms, running the show and managing his own projects. There was no reason why he could not have a successful business and start employing his own apprentices.

CHAPTER ONE (1945 1950)A PLUMBER A PUSHBIKEANOA SINGULAR VISION

•

..• •• ...• ...• •• ...

• .•• .. .••• ..•• .. ..• .• .•• ..••• .• ...• ..•

August 1945 VP Day (15 August)- the Second World War ends after Japan unconditionally surrenders to the Allies .

August 1945 Allan Coombs leaves his plumbing Job

•

to set up his own business.

•

August 1947

•

Allan Coombs registers the business

•

name A.G. Coombs .

•

December 1947 Qantas launches regular air services to Britain

January 1948 The 40-hour week is introduced for all Australian workers .

November 1948 The Holden, 'Australia's own car', is launched 1n Melbourne, becoming the first all-Australian designed and manufactured car.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Plumbers wanted Plumbing was a trade in which other members of the

Eight years earlier, in 1889, a devastating typhoid epidemic

Coombs family were also involved. Allan's older brothers

had claimed around 400 lives, prompting a huge public

Les, Russell and Percy (the latter two affectionately known

outcry and a royal commission into Melbourne's unhealthy

as Russ and Perce) also worked for Hawkins and Wilcox,

living conditions. The commission concluded that a

while his father, Fred Coombs, was the firm's chief estimator

metropolitan-wide underground sewerage system was

and design engineer.

urgently needed and, despite a depressed economy, construction of the sewerage system moved ahead under

The importance of plumbing in Melbourne could not be underestimated during the first half of the twentieth century.

the supeNision of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW).

In 1945, the city's underground sewerage system was barely fifty years old, as it was only in 1897 t hat the first

Plumbers naturally reaped the benefits of the government's

house connect ions were made in the metropolitan area.

decision and there was plenty more to do as the MMBW

This was not before time as, previously, residents and

assumed responsibility for sewering more areas.

visitors alike had been overwhelmed by the stench of

The post-war years of the 1950s would create further

night-carts and open drains, while outbreaks of typhoid

opportunities for those in the trade, as nation-building

were all too frequent due to inadequate sanitation in the

projects commenced and the demand for housing escalated.

city's housing developments.

Allan's father, Frederick George Coombs, had also trained as a plumber and held senior positions with plumbing specialists Hawkins and Wilcox. where Allan would eventually do his apprenticeship.

Fred Coombs was Just a boy when

Comer of Collins and Spring Streets,

Melboume's sewerage system was

Melbourne, showing open drains running

being constructed in the late 1890s

along each side of the street c. 1865-1870.

and early 1900s.

Image source: State /..Jbrary of Victoria.

CHAPTER ONE (1945-1950) A PLUMBER. A PUSHBIKE AND A SINGUI.J\R VISION

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A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Learning the

trade

Vision and drive were two things that Allan George Coombs

Allan commenced his five-year apprenticeship in 1938,

possessed in equal measure, and he knew from experience

when he was seventeen years old, and was well into

that hard work and enterprise would be rewarded. As a

his second year when Australia entered the war against

child, Allan had grown up in the 1920s, during a time

Germany in September 1939. His training could so easily

of economic stability and general prosperity in most

have been disrupted, except that skilled workers were

industrialised countries. The 'Golden Age of the Twenties'

needed on the home front for industries essential to the war

lasted until 1929 when the Wall Street stock market crash

effort, and trades such as plumbing would be exempted

in October triggered the collapse of major financial markets

from military service. Due to these developments, Allan

worldwide. Allan's family struggled through the Great

finished his apprenticeship and then bided his time at

Depression that followed, when money was scarce, and

Hawkins and Wilcox until the end of the war.

he was now keen to improve his financial circumstances Allan was still living with his parents at 62 Martin Street,

and build a more secure future.

Gardenvale, when he branched out on his own, w ith Apart from his trade certificate, Allan had no formal

nothing but a pushbike and a kit of tools to his name. He

academic qualifications, having left school at around

had to start somewhere and decided to try his luck locally,

fourteen or fifteen years of age to become an apprentice

cycling around Gardenvale and over to nearby suburbs like

bricklayer to his Uncle Les. He persevered with the

Brighton, where he knocked on people's doors if he noticed

bricklaying for a while, learning as much as he could, but

their spouting falling to pieces and enquired if they wanted

eventually gave it up to join plumbing specialists Hawkins

their gutters replaced. But he needed to do more than this

and Wilcox, after his father helped him to secure an

if he was going to grow beyond a one-man operation.

apprenticeship in late 1937.

Allan received his Certificate of Proficiency in March 1943 after completing a five-year apprenticeship at Hawkins and Wilcox. He was registered several months later as a plumber and gasfitter but had yet to attain qualifications for heating and ventilation. Allan's birth date

was incorrectly recorded on his proficiency certificate; he was, in fact, born a year earlier in 1920.

CHAPTER ONE (1945-1950) A PLUMBER. A PUSHBIKE AND A SINGULAR VISION

From ap sh ike o·a

By late 1945, Australians were resuming their peacetime

Harley O vid

to lose by knocking on Sir Kenneth's. door and offering his

lives and looking beyond the austerity of wartime restrictions.

services as an independent contractor. His initiative paid

After six long years of hardship and sacrifice the general

off and, in addition to working for Sir Kenneth, he began

mOOd was cautious but hopeful, and it was in this growing

picking up jobs all over the district.

..

atmosphere of optimism that Allan ventured out to the countryside, even_tually ending up in Romsey, a small country town about sixty kHometres north of Melbourne.

"I worked around the Romsey. Lancefield. Woodend district for about six months," said Allan. "There was a shortage of manpower, and you had many jobs to do apart from the

In no t ime he managed to secure some work at Oeepfields,

plumbing." Allan was both practical and adaptable and

the rural property of Sir Kenneth Luke, a pro"minent industrialist

was often sent to gather up the wool in the shearing shed.

and then president of the Carlton Football Club. Allan was

He was soon earning a reasonable income and quickly

already familiar with the Luke property (having worked there

upgraded his mode of transport from a pushbike to a

under his former employer), and decided there was nothing

Harley Davidson.

!:l,

Sir Kenneth Luke s,r Kenneth Luke wa s as renowned for his business leadership as he wa s for his achiev ements in sports adminis tration.

Knighted In 1962, Sir Ken neth wa s Chairman and Ma naging Director of K.G. Luke Gro up Industries Ltd. He wa s also President of the Carlton Football Clu b from 193 8 to 1955. and President of the Victori an Football League (VFL) from 195 6 until his death in Jun e 1971 Described by Australian Prime Minister Sir Rober t Menzies as "an uncommonly goo d citizen", Sir Kenneth's contnbut1on to football culminated In the construction of VFL Park.

He had lon g campaigne d for a permanent hom e for V1ctonan football and lived to see his dream com e true wh en VFL Park wa s officially opened in Apnl 1970.

When off-duty, Sir Kennet h pursued his passion for farming and horse racing, and div ided his time between Me lbourne and his beloved country property, Deepfields. In Rom sey.

Image counosy carttoo Foo tbait Cluo.

-

....

Top and bac/<ground image co"rtesy Jennie Angliss nee Luke.

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I Allan Coombs worked on the plumbing at Sir Kenneth Luke's Deepfields property not long after striking out on his own. It was an association that would continue into the 1950s. The simplicity of this diagram depicts the 'old days' of drafting.

A.G. Coombs' drawing office would eventually begin generating more sophisticated drawings to meet the requirements of larger projects.

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A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Getting Started By mid 1946 Allan was back in Melbourne, working on

In 1947, two more plumbers, Greg Parkinson and Harry

contract for builders he knew and taking on more residential

Brett, joined the team, along with apprentice plumber, Jim

jobs. He was also thinking ahead and had already opened

Barr. As Allan's first apprentice, Jim used to accompany his

a business account, depositing £6 on 15 April 1946.

boss to various jobs around town, and was often collected

These were exciting times in Australia, with post-war

by Allan from his home in the morning before heading out

immigration already boosting population numbers and more

on their rounds. Working so closely with Allan was a real

houses being constructed in the semi-rural fringe around

eye-opener for the young apprentice, who would soon learn

Melbourne. Once again plumbers were in great demand

to drive the Austin 'ute'. "It was an education. I was only a

as the MMBW began preparing to water and sewer these

fifteen-year-old boy straight out of school but you had to

new areas.

learn things fast, you didn't question it, you just did it."

Allan initially ran his business from his parents' garage and

Allan was now taking on nearly everything that came his

was feeling even more confident after securing a £200

way, and often travelled out to the country, in particular to

loan - nearly a whole year's average wage in 1946 - to

Romsey, where he and Jim worked for three months on

assist with major purchases. The loan, which his father

the water service at Sir Kenneth Luke's property. This was

guaranteed, most probably came from Sir Kenneth Luke

a fairly big job, which they tackled in between fixing drain

(people generally believed that it was Sir Kenneth who

pipes and water services all over Melbourne. "You name it,

helped Allan get established in business).

we did everything for the first three or four years," said Jim,

Determined to put these funds to good use, Allan purchased

who started out on sixteen shillings a week.

a 1928 Austin 12 sedan, which he and his brothers promptly transformed into a utility truck. "We cut the back off it behind the front seat and we took the bit out of the middle and joined that up, and we built a tray back body on it and that was our transport for some considerable time," he said. Fliw ie, as the truck was affectionately known, was a necessary purchase, not only to transport all their tools and

The first apprentice

fittings, but because jobs were increasingly taking them

Jim Barr was only fifteen years

further away from home.

of age when he began working for Allan in 1947. He was the company's first apprentice.

Fred 'Pa' Coombs (right), Percy Coombs (centre), and Uncle Les Coombs with Allan's first truck 'Fliwie' at 62 Martin Street, Gardenvale (the home of Allan's parents).

Gardenvale was a former market-garden district about twelve kilometres from the centre of Melbourne. Allan started his plumbing business at Martin Street, but eventually began operating out of his brother's place in Bentleigh. His new business address

was clearly marked on the truck's door.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

The garage

on Mitchell Street In 1947, Allan took the first step towards building the

Realising that he could not be everywhere at once, Allan

company of his dreams by officially registering the business

employed Russ and Perce, and another brother, Les, to

name A.G. Coombs. But as the months went by he realised

assist with the increasing workload. He was lucky having

that he could not operate out of his parents' garage indefinitely,

brothers who were qualified in the trade, as it meant the

nor continue cluttering their yard with tools and equipment.

company could now handle larger projects simultaneously.

More storage space was urgently needed, not to mention a

Their first big contracts included some flats along Nepean

proper workshop.

Highway (for property developer Stanley Korman); the

As Allan considered his options, his brother, Russ, came to the rescue by offering him the use of his backyard at Mitchell Street, Bentleigh, where they began building a large

Centenary Woollen Mills in Bentleigh; and also Stanhill Flats at 34 Queens Road, Melbourne - an impressive nine-storey apartment block that was considered one of architect Frederick Romberg's finest buildings.

garage in 1949. This solved a multitude of storage problems for Allan, as he now had space to install pigeon holes for

If everything was running smoothly on the various job sites,

all his plumbing fittings and have a proper work bench on

it was a very different story behind the scenes. More business

which to make spouting. He also built a sleep-out alongside

meant more paperwork and Allan was now struggling to do

the garage and began using it as an office.

everything himself. Apart from working alongside his team, he was also responding to calls and quoting for jobs, not to mention collecting all tl1e time books and making up the

Allan acquired a larger truck after constructing a garage and a proper workshop at his brother's place in Bentleigh.

wages. Deciding that he could do with some extra help, he turned to his brother-in-law, Gerald Carter.

Gerald had married Allan's sister, Joyce, in December 1947, and by 1949 they were settled in New Zealand where Gerald was employed as a telegraphist in the Post and Telegraph Department. Taking a much needed break, Allan visited them over the Christmas holidays and, when the opportunity arose, asked Gerald if he would consider giving up his job to work for A.G. Coombs in Melbourne. The administrative tasks were becoming onerous, Allan explained, and it would be great to have some assistance around the office.

A SINGULAR VISION THE AG COOMBS STORY

"As a returned serviceman, I was able to take six months leave without pay to seek other employment," said Gerald, "so I decided to try the work." Having made this decision, the Carters relocated to Melbourne in March 1950, so that Gerald could see how things went for a while.

On a visit to New Zealand, Allan (pictured below) persuaded his

After arriving in Melbourne, Gerald settled into the small

brother-in-law Gerald Carter to come

office in Russ's backyard and immediately took over all

and work tor him in Melbourne.

the accounting and clerical duties from Allan. But it was not all desk work, he discovered, as people were required to pitch in wherever they could, and he was soon driving Fliwie, assisting with plumbing jobs and helping out with general labouring. "I was good on the pick and shovel," he remarked.

Gerald was eventually promoted to purchasing manager and, with the exception of major equipment , entrusted with purchasing all supplies for the company. Allan could be very rigid at times about how he wanted things done and later insisted that his brother-in-law type out his own purchasing

J.

A\

AUCKLAND

orders, instead of handing them over to the secretary.

Yet he was also happy to delegate and trust people w ith decisions. "I never went to Allan unless the expenditure was an extraordinarily large amount," said Gerald, whose six months turned into a thirty-two year career with A.G. Coombs.

For Allan, the idea of becoming a successful businessman was no pipe dream. "He knew what he wanted," said Jim Barr. In time, people would come to know Allan George Coombs as something of a crusader for the industry; someone who was just as committed to innovation and improving industry standards as he was to building the reputation of his own company.

Members of the Coombs family outside 62 Martin Street, Gardenvale.

The white 1948 International utility truck (pictured tar left) was the first new vehicle that Allan purchased.

CHAPTER ONE (1945-1950) A PLUMBER A PUSHBIKE ANDA SINGULAR VISION

.' ..

The installation of underground steam mains at the 1956 Olympic Village was the first high-profile project undertaken by A. G. Coombs. The complex, al Heidelberg in Melbourne, boasted over 800 dwellings. most of which would be handed over to the Housing Commission after the Games, although some were later auctioned.

Image source: National Ubrary of Australia.

The construction of the company's new offices at 26-28 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin, was the realisation of a dream for Allan Coombs, who built the complex in 1953 with the help of employees and family members.

It was one of the very first buildings in the area.

A SINGUJ\R VISION lliE A G COOMBS STORY

Cochranes Road, the Olympics and air conditioning Chapter Two (1950-1960)

Although A.G. Coombs was a small plumbing business, it was one with big aspirations, and it was only a matter of time before Allan started accruing the resources to tackle more complex projects. While his company was offering a greater variety of services in the early 1950s, these were limited to domestic plumbing, dust extraction, hot-water

•

heating and ventilation. Air conditioning had already been introduced to Australia. but was mainly installed in large commercial and industrial facilities, an area in which he had yet to specialise.

By 1953, Allan had built a proper office and factory on Cochranes Road in the rapidly expanding suburb of Moorabbin. He realised the benefits of having on-site manufacturing facilities and moved quickly to establish a sheet metal shop, while encouraging his employees to develop skills in this area. He was also gathering a loyal team of people around him, and they were now ready for more challenging work, including the contract for the 1956 Olympic Village in Melbourne.

As the years went by, Allan began noting the changing architectural trends in the city. One project in particular - the construction of !Cl House - offered a glimpse of the future for local plumbing companies should they wish to take up the challenge. The building's completion in 1958 signalled the start of a high-rise boom in Australia and, together with other similar developments, escalated the demand for full climate-control air conditioning. This trend would significantly alter the nature of Allan's business, moving him away from domestic plumbing into the world of commercial air conditioning.

CHAPTER TWO (1950 1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

•• • •

. ...• .•• ..••• ..••• ..•• .• • ..•• ..• •• ..• ..•• •

June 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.

October 1953 A.G. Coombs moves into new prem,ses at 26-28 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin.

April 1954 A.G. Coombs becomes a proprietary limited company (A.G. Coombs Pty. Ltd.).

November 1955 Post-war immigration to Australia peakS w,th the arrival of the millionth migrant November 1956 The Olympic Games commence

,n Melbourne.

A SINGULAR VISION fHE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Building for the future I

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This photograph of the 1949 Christmas break-up was taken outside the small office that Allan had built in the backyard of Russ Coombs' home. Back row from left: Ken Riddell, Keith Smith (second apprentice), Allan Coombs, Percy Coombs, Jim Barr (first apprentice) and Les Coombs. Front row, second from left: Eric Tomlin (third apprentice), Greg Parkinson and Russ Coombs.

The post-war era was a time of opportunity and full

Apprentices were expected to hit the ground running, so

employment, and if you were hired by AG. Coombs you

despite being somewhat 'green', Bill was sent out on a job

were swept up by a sense of pioneering and building

the day he started in 1950. "I remember the first day I went

something for the future. For young apprentices it was

to work, we had to go around to a house in Oakleigh and

like joining a second family, where people looked out for

Jim Barr gave me a dink on his bike and he carried his tools

you, while showing you the ropes. This was fortunate for

on his back. So that was my initiation to work."

newcomers as most apprentices, like Bill Moseley, were still teenagers when they joined the company.

Their tools of trade were fairly basic back then, which meant that even straightforward jobs took longer to

Thanks to Allan's clever networking, Bill's instructor at

complete. "When I first started, there were no power

Brighton Technical College had steered him towards

tools," said Bill. "There were no electric saws or drills.

A.G. Coombs for his plumbing apprenticeship. "He always

Eve1ything was done by hand." Drilling holes in bricks and

got the leading apprentices," said Gerald Carter, explaining

concrete, for example, was accomplished with a star drill

how Allan made a point of getting to know all the key people

and considerable physical effort.

at Brighton Tech so that his name was always at the forefront of their minds.

CHAPTER TWO (1950 1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

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W()rk/r19 1r1 the C()Ur7trY The first four apprentices Jim Barr, Keith Smith, Eric Tomlin and Bill Moseley installing tanks and stand at a prope,ty in Bonnie Doon. The lifting gear (top left) consisted of two pipes tied back to the house and some trees, with a block and tackle attached.

The work was hard, but rarely ever boring, as they were always travelling around town and, occasionally, out to the country. Some jobs took them away for weeks at a time to popular destinations such as Eildon Weir, where people holidayed in their houseboats. Other jobs were memorable for different reasons, like the work they did at the now demolished Federal Hotel on Collins Street. "People used to sit in the dining room eating their breakfast and there were rats running around their feet," said Jim Barr. The Federal Hotel was then one of the grandest buildings in Melbourne and working there would have been an eye opener for young tradespeople, in more ways than one so it seems.

CHAPTER TWO (1950·1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

•

Federal Hotel the city One of the company's e.irliest projects In t. was for the Federal Hotel at 555 Collins Stree Completed rn 1890, the Federal Hotel and one Coffee Palace (as ,t was firSt l<novvnJ was It J{}s. buildU of Melbourne's most impressive due was also an alcohol-free establishment to the original owners' affiliation with the nce to temperance movement henee the refere was note/ the ue. reven t boos To e' 'coffee palac Hotel. licensed in 1923 and renlJmed the Federal 1973. rn down It was sold rn 1972 and torn Image source: Srare L!t>rory of Victona.

ASINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Elaine Coombs A.G. Coombs installed the heating at

Beginning in 1950, Allan would make several trips to

Hobart Railway Station when it was

Tasmania where he was contracted, among other things,

modernised in 1950.

to install the heating at Hobart Railway Station. There

Image source: Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Off,ce

was a romantic interest too, as he was also pursuing Elaine Bill, a childhood friend from Melbourne, who happened to be nursing in Hobart.

It is hard to say whether Allan took on the railway contract because of Elaine, although given his well-known resistance

-·

to accepting interstate jobs, it is likely that this was a key reason. Elaine, it seems, knew nothing about Allan w inning the contract. "I booked on the plane [to Hobart] and who

On arriving at the store, Allan asked Elaine to wait outside

should be there but he and Moseley," she said, referring

on the footpath, promising her that he would return shortly.

to Allan's apprentice.

But no sooner had he gone inside, than some local boys started shouting at her from across the road. If that was not

Elaine and Allan married in 1954 and honeymooned in Tasmania, with Bill Moseley in tow, as Allan still needed to conduct a final test on the heating at the railway terminal.

enough, a policeman came along and told Elaine that if she did not move on she would be charged w ith loitering. "I lost a few points on my honeymoon!" Allan admitted.

''My performance as the most considerate and attentive husband didn't end there," recounted Allan wryly, as he

Allan and Elaine would go on to have two sons, Ian and

proceeded to take Elaine north to Launceston so that he

Philip, both of whom would later work in the business,

could inspect the mechanical installations at the city's new

w ith Philip eventually becoming head of the company.

Coles store.

Allan Coombs married Elaine Bill in July 1954.

CHAPTER TWO (1950 1960) COCHRANE$ ROAD. THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

By 1952, A.G. Coombs had grown to the point where

a little factory down the road and a house on the other

Russ's garage at Mitchell Street was becoming too small

corner, but other than that there was nothing, absolutely

for their needs. Allan realised that he needed to find larger

nothing, just cows in the backyard". Luckily, Allan had both

facilities or, better still, build something himself. He already

imagination and foresight, and it was not surprising that

owned a block of land in Bentleigh, which he was then

he settled on Moorabbin. Not only was he familiar with the

using for bulk deliveries of pipe and drainage fittings,

area, he could also see that it was moving ahead at an

and initially thought about building a factory there. But

astonishing pace after the war.

he decided against this after finding and purchasing two blocks of subdivided land at 26-28 Cochranes Road, in the neighbouring suburb of Moorabbin.

Moorabbin was mostly semi-rural when the war ended, with fruit and vegetables thriving in its sandy soil and market gardens dominating its flat, open terrain. But life

You needed a good imagination to have seen the area's

in the suburb began changing when returned soldiers

potential back then. Cochranes Road was little more than a

and immigrants from war-torn countries came looking

dirt track and the land surrounding it was mainly paddocks.

for land to construct their homes and rebuild their lives.

"It was pretty open at the time," said Jim Barr. "There was

New developments had started sprouting in the open

CHAPTER TWO (t 95O-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIRCONDITIONING

Originally known as Swampy Gully Road, Cochranes Road (initially spelt without an 's') is Just visible on the left at its Junction with Warrigal Road in 1950. It was still a dirt tJack in 1953 when Allan built his office and factory at the other end, closer to the intersection with Chesterville Road.

Image source: Cny of Kingston.

spaces beyond Melbourne's established boundaries and

Constructing the company's new premises was very

Moorabbin was where many people were settling. The area

much a family affair, with Uncle Les laying the factory

was also attractive to business and industry, not simply

floor, and Allan's father designing the roof trusses using

because ot available land, but because it straddled the

three-inch steam pipes. Allthough the area had been

Nepean Highway, which provided good access to the city.

designated an industrial estate, they were the only ones

Moorabbin, in fact, was one of Australia's fastest growing

building on the entire subdivision at that time.

municipalities during the 1950s.

A dozen people were now employed in the business and After purchasing the Cochranes Road site in 1952, Allan

everyone pitched in where they could, especially when the

did not have to look too far for someone to help him build

factory roof was going up. "We all had our sections to work

a factory with a proper 'street-front' office. His uncle, Les

on," said Bill Moseley. For many employees, this phase

Coombs, was still working as a builder and Allan had been

in the company's development created a further sense of

helping him out with some plumbing installations. Les was

attacl1ment to the business, as they were literally laying the

only too happy to return the favour and soon took charge

foundations for the A.G. Coombs of the future.

of the building works at Cochranes Road.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

This background image shows the

Moorabbin was mostly semi-ruFal aren

suburbs of Mentone, Cheltenham and Moorabbin, with Warrigal Road intersecting the photograph from top to bottom.

Image source: State Ubrary of Victoria.

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A SINGULAR VISION TilE A.G COOMBS STORY

Allan and his team officially occupied the new facilities at

Other businesses were also keen to build in the area and

Cochranes Road in October 1953. After Mitchell Street, the

the real estate agent who had sold Allan the land was quick

main office must have seemed like a mansion. with ample

to approach him about re-purchasing it. His intention,

space for a storeroom, an accounts area, an estimating

apparently, was to get rid of one of the roads on the

office and a separate office for Allan. "We celebrated this

industrial estate and join up two parcels of land, in order to

milestone with a square dance in the new factory," said

sell an even larger block to another client. But Allan, with

Bill Moseley. "It was our first social function!"

his eyes firmly fixed on the future, refused to negotiate and ended up acquiring additional blocks of land on the estate.

Allan also increased his landholding in 1953 by purchasing the block of land behind their new offices. This immediately provided a second point of access to the complex from Tabbita Street, a dirt track which ran down one side of the property from Cochranes Road to Levanswell Road.

Tabbita Street (the track on the right of the photograph) ran down one side of the property

South Road, late 1950s, near the intersection with Chesterville Road on the left. Cochranes Road could be accessed from Chesterville Road at one end and Warrigal Road at the other.

Image source: City of Kingston.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCH RANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIRCONDITIONING

A SINGULAR VISION TflE A.G. COOMBS STORY

A little

heat and ventilation

As the business grew, A.G. Coombs began expanding

other side of town. As it was quite a hike travelling there

its skills in mechanical services and promoting itself as

and back to collect all their ductwork, Allan asked Jack if he

"hot-water, heating and ventilating engineers". In these

would consider relocating to Moorabbin. It was clearly an

early days. ventilation was usually all that was required,

attractive proposal because, in July 1953, Jack packed up

although heating was sometimes included depending

all his gear and moved his machinery to Cochranes Road,

on the c lient's budget.

where he proceeded to set up a sheet metal shop in the factory, effectively becoming their first factory manager.

Tackling the ventilating jobs required a capacity to make air

A skilled sheet metal worker, Jack O'Hehir (right) helped establish A.G. Coombs' sheet metal factory at Cochranes Road in 1953. He was also an ex-POW and a survivor of the infamous Changi Prison Camp in Singapore, where he was interned during the Second World War. Coincidentally, another ex-POW, Bill Goodger, would also join the company a year later in 1954.

Jack and Bill knew one another from school and their paths had continued to cross over the years, first as apprentices. then

as POWs in Changi, and finally at A.G. Coombs, after Bill was employed as a site foreman.

Bill later became a site manager on projects such as Tullamarine Airport (now Melbourne Airport).

The sheet metal factory not only enabled A.G. Coombs to manufacture ductwork for its own projects, but also allowed it to apply its skills in other areas, such

as building cabins for its new neighbour, Cranes and Shovels.

ducts out of sheet metal, which Allan had been contracting

Jack O'Hehir was as tough as nails and a very shrewd

out to a qualified sheet metal worker by the name of Jack

operator. As factory manager he ran the place with an iron

O'Hehir. Jack had been discharged from the army in 1945

fist, blacking out all the lights in the toilet block to stop the

and was running a ductwork factory in Northcote on the

men lingering there to read the paper. As a sheet metal

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

A.G. Coombs' sheet metal factory was

worker he was "one ot the best", remembered drattsman Jock Fraser. The establishment ot the sheet metal shop was yet another step in the company's development and a number of apprentice plumbers would spend their first months in the factory learning how to make ductwork.

The heating and ventilating side of the business really took off when A.G. Coombs started working on the Renmark Hotel in South Australia, a landmark building on a sweeping bend of the Murray River near the Victorian border. "We redid the hot water right through t he hotel," said Jim Barr, explaining how they installed a steam generator and all the associated pipework. This project was effectively their first big mechanical services contract.

These were embryonic days in ductwork production and most companies were "bashing a bit of sheet metal together" according to Norm Davies, a qualified engineer from Wales in the United Kingdom, who arrived in Melbourne in 1953.

After establishing an engineering consultancy and contracting Allan and his team for various projects, Davies discovered that A.G. Coombs approached its work differently. "A lot of firms were just shoving things together. A.G. Coombs appeared to be the first ones that really put some engineering into the work," he said.

Renmark Hotel Established in 1897, the Renmark Hotel was the first community-owned hotel in the British Empire and, by 1957, boasted the Southern Hemisphere's longest bar. The bar was over sixty metres long, had twenty taps, and encircled the entire room. By the time A.G. Coombs began installing a steam generator in the 1950s - one of its first big contracts - the hotel was already famous, having been patronised by bush poet and soldier Harry 'Breaker' Morant (who apparently rode his horse into the bar), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and legendary aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

Image source: State Ubrary of South Australia.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-19601 COCHRANES ROAD. THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

a vital part of the company's operations.

A sheet metal roller can be seen in the foreground, with a corrugating machine located just behind.

Dust-extraction systems produced by A.G. Coombs.

As A.G. Coo mb s expanded, expertise and sheet metal

it began using its technica

l

skills to develop new lines

of business. Allan was ope

n to all possibilities and the company was kept bus y dur ing the 1950s manufacturing excavator cab ins for Jaq ues Brothers Engineering.

It also began building cab ins for Cra nes and ShOvels , a heavy-equipment com pan y whi ch had established offices next doo r on Cochra nes Road.

CHAPTER TWO 19

I Q60l COCr•!¼NE3 90AC TdE 01

YMPIC.C, AND /IIR CONDITIONING

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

An Olympic opportunity After becoming a proprietary limited company in 1954, the

Allan Coombs always liked meeting the families of prospective

company's letterhead changed to reflect its new name,

apprentices and interviewed both Alan Collard and his father

A.G. Coombs Pty. Ltd. The business was almost ten years

together. Not long after, Mr Collard received a letter saying

old and Allan was naturally eager to secure some high-profile

that A.G. Coombs was prepared to offer his son a five-year

contracts. He was excited, no doubt, by Melbourne's

apprenticeship with a three-month probationary period.

appointment as the host city for the 1956 Olympic Games,

(The letter opposite shows Alan Collard's first name mistakenly

a rare honour indeed, as it would become the first city in

spelt with a double 'L' - presumably by someone used to

the Southern Hemisphere to host the Games. New facilities

writing 'Allan' the way the boss did.)

would be required for the event and Allan was convinced that his team was capable of handling projects on this scale.

As the company's practice back then was to assign one apprentice to each job, Alan Collard went first to the

With high hopes, Allan tendered to install the services at

Preston Hotel (later renamed the Olympic Hotel), and then

the new Olympic Village in Heidelberg and was ecstatic to

to the Olympic Village. Between jobs he spent a week at

learn that A.G. Coombs was the successful contractor. The

the company's offices in Moorabbin, cycling there and

significance of w inning the Olympics contract was not lost on

back from his home in East Preston - a round trip of

employees. "It was a prestige job, a real feather-in-the-cap,"

approximately forty-five kilometres!

said Alan Collard, who was just fifteen when he joined the company as an apprentice in 1955. Alan had completed his Intermediate Technical Certificate at Preston Technical College and had been recommended for an apprenticeship by his teacher. In fact, it was his teacher's brother, Trevor Eastoe, a supervisor and estimator with A.G. Coombs, who

Allan Coombs was still helping out with various jobs in the lead up to the Olympics and assisted with the installation of hot water tanks at the Olympic Hotel. It would be the last project, though, where he had a hands-on role in the mechanical installations, as managing the business was increasingly occupying his time.

managed to secure him an interview.

The entrance to the Olympic Village in Heidelberg, Melbourne.

Image source: State Ubrary of Victoria.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G COOMBS STORY

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Alan Collard was .accepted as an apprentice in 1954. Note

Mr. Collard,

the envelope highlighting the

19, HighvieW Road ,

forthcoming Olympic Games

EAST PRESTON .

in November 1956.

Dear Sir , We have pleasure i n advising that illan may commence wi th us and will repor t t o Mr. Tobin, our Foreman, at the Preston Hotel job, corner of Albert Street and Bel l Street, on Monday, January 10th, at 8 a .m.

He will .first serve a 3 mont hs • pr obationary period, during which time he decides if he l ikes i t or not, and we decide whether, in our opinion, he will make a pl1llllber. These three months ar e included in his 5-year apprenticeship should he be suitable.

We t hank you f or your per sonal attention t o thi s matter and wish the lad every success in his new venture .

Your s faith.fully , A. G. COOMBS PTY. LTD.

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This hand-drawn plan was prepared for the organising committee of tile 1956 Olympic Games.

A G. Coombs tendered for and won t/1e contract to install all the underground steam mains at tile Olympic Village (see diagram bottom rig/it).

Image source: Public Record Office Victoria.

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VILLAG E

A SINGULAR VISION THE AG COOMBS STORY

After several strenuous weeks of trench digging and

Heating the Village

laying the copper steam mains, the builders finally poured Melbourne's Olympic Village in Heidelberg was

the concrete for the footpaths and gutters; however, no

conceptualised as a self-contained community, with

one was aware at the time that their copper piping had

accommodation for thousands of international athletes and

been punctured by the steel pegs holding the concrete

officials. However, unlike the dormitory-style accommodation

form work. "When we turned on the generators, there

at previous Olympic Games, the Heidelberg complex

were steam geysers all over the place, just like in New

boasted over 800 bungalow-style dwellings for smaller

Zealand," said Alan, recalling how everything had to be

groups of people.

dug up and repaired .

As one of the successful contractors for the Village,

Despite the arduous tasks they were expected to do.

A.G. Coombs was responsible for installing all the

it was up to each worker to take care of his individual

underground steam mains throughout the complex. This

requirements. Tradesmen, as well as apprentices, had to

involved digging all the trenches and then laying metres of

supply their own work gear, which basically comprised

expensive copper pipes to reticulate steam from several

overalls and boots - there was no such thing as hard

generator plant rooms to all the bathrooms and kitchens.

hats, safety glasses and gloves in those days. People also

"It was hard work, as it was all volcanic rock and very sticky

remembered conditions as being fairly primitive at most of

clay soil," said Alan Collard, who was now in the second

the job sites. Sometimes they worked out of corrugated

year of his apprenticeship.

galvanised iron sheds, which were freezing in winter and stifling hot in summer. The floor was dirt and the 'seats' were little more than planks between bricks. Tea and coffee dispensers were unheard of.

A.G. Coombs installed the heating services at the Olympic Village, which became home to almost 5000 athletes and officials during the 1956 Olympics. The group of athletes (left) took home forty gold medals between them Australia's gold-medal athletes in the front row included swimmer Dawn Fraser (third from right), who won two gold medals, and sprinter Betty Cuthbert (fourth from right), who won three. The Melbourne Olympics were known as the "Friendly Games" after a Chinese Australian teenager wrote anonymously to the Games Organising Committee suggesting that, instead of marching in teams, athletes should mingle freely during t he closing ceremony. This idea has since become an Olympic tradition, while the letter's author was later identified as apprentice carpenter John Ian Wing.

CHAPTER TWO 1950 1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

A SINGUlAR VISION TI-IE AG COOMBS STORY

Becoming an

apprentice

Allan Coombs first started employing apprentice plumbers

Most apprentices would have been around fifteen or

in the late 1940s and wasted no time in sending them out

sixteen years of age when they joined the company. Junior

on jobs with qualified tradesmen. This provided new recruits

Certificate holders then had to complete four years of trade

with not only practical experience, but also a little adventure,

school during their five-year apprenticeship, whereas those

as they were often assigned to country projects after they

holding an Intermediate Certificate only had to do three

completed their weekly classes.

years of trade school, as their first year was covered by the intermediate qualification. The Intermediate Certificate

Jim Barr, the company's first apprentice, started out with Allan as a fifteen-year-old back in January 1947. Along with Bill Moseley and Alan Collard (who joined as apprentices in the 1950s), he would end up staying with A.G. Coombs for

was of enormous benefit to the employer, as it meant the apprentice was available to work for two full years during a five-year apprenticeship, as opposed to only one year w ith the Junior Certificate.

many years and later progress into management roles.

Apprentices attended their local trade school one day a From the 1940s to the 1960s, plumbing apprenticeships were completed over a five-year period, although this would later be reduced to four years. To be eligible for an apprenticeship, applicants had to complete third form at a technical school and obtain their Junior Technical Certificate. Some applicants also managed to complete fourth form and attain their Intermediate Technical Certificate.

week, but travelled into the city to complete their final year at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. As they soon discovered, there was just as much emphasis on theory as there was on practical skills, with textbooks setting out in great detail everything apprentices needed to know about the trade, from the design and sizing of soil stacks and vents to the layout for sewer and stormwater drains.

Students also had to get their heads around cold water reticulation and gas-fitting systems, while learning about roofing materials and associated practices and processes.

A.G. Coombs' apprentices were often sent out on country Jobs, where they gained valuable experience alongside qualified tradespeople. Here, a couple of young lads pose with a water tank, prior to hoisting ii several metres above ground.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS ANO AIR CONDITIONING

GAS FITTING REGULATIONS Apprentices who had attained their Intermediate Technical Certificate before joining the company were available for an extra year of full-time

Practical work during the apprenticeship was carried out in

work, as they were only required

trade school classes and included constructing sheet lead

to do three years of trade school

flashings (for roof penetrations of pipes), fabricating spouting

instead of tour.

angles and joints, and making downpipe connections.

All students had to master these activities before sitting an annual examination.

INTERMEDIATE TECH NICAL CERTIFICATE • ortARl\1[NT

i EDUCATION •

•V tCl"Olil:IA·

Securing an apprenticeship with the right company was crucial, as it was important to have good mentors and a variety of work experience. Allan Coombs always took a keen interest in the apprenticeship program and often

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interviewed applicants and their parents himself.

In addition to their weekly wage, apprentices received a toolkit valued at £20 in 1955. "We also received a nominal weekly tool allowance to purchase and replace tools," said Alan Collard who, in 1955, was earning £4/10/3 per week (equivalant to $145 today). His working week was then forty hours and there was no such thing as a rostered day off.

During these years, protective clothing was not compulsory, nor supplied by the company. Apprentices recalled having

Undertaking an apprenticeship was

to purchase their own overalls and boots, and working on

not just about learning practical

building sites without any of the high-visibility clothing that

skills. As these booklets show, the

in time would become standard issue and a mandatory

theoretical side was also important.

industry requirement at all work sites.

All apprentices had to attend a day of trade school each week, where they learnt about basic building construction and MMBW testing procedures. They also studied the technical aspects of the plumbing trade such as cold-water reticulation. gas-fitting systems and the layout for stormwater drains.

0

VICTORIA

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Culture and company matters The AG. Coombs culture was by and large developed

After his brothers left the business, Allan had recruited

and defined during these years, when nearly everyone was

Trevor Eastoe from a competitor company, as he wanted

involved across all the company's activities be it production,

to focus on the company's future and needed someone to

procuring supplies or installing the services. The general

take over day-to-day contract management and supervision

workload also increased as more contracts started coming

duties. An experienced manager, Trevor also assisted with

their way in both the medical and industrial areas.

estimating projects, as the company had yet to establish a formal estimating department.

As the years went by, Allan had spent less time assisting at the various work sites. His tradespeople were becoming more

Although the business had grown to around thirty people

experienced and he felt that he would be better off devoting his

by the mid-1950s, it was still small enough to know one

energies to the office, where he could concentrate on securing

another's quirks and strengths. Most people had been

new contracts and growing the business. He also made

working together for a while and the atmosphere was very

some important decisions regarding the company's structure.

friendly. Ron Barns remembered feeling a "good vibe" when he joined in 1955 and was very aware of Allan Coombs'

While Allan appreciated his brothers' assistance, he always had a clear sense of proprietorship in the business and therefore declined their offer to buy into the company.

Realising that Allan was not about to change his mind, Russ, Perce and Les decided to leave and form their own

presence and influence. People looked up to Allan and knew that he was looking after their interests, but they also felt he was someone with whom they could speak candidly.

"He was just one of the guys and he used to make certain that he got the work for all the boys," said Ron.

company, settling, not surprisingly, on the name 'Coombs Brothers'. Their departure in 1954 was a sensitive matter for many years and there were times when Coombs Brothers won contracts that Allan would have liked. But business was business and everyone just got on with it.

These images show cyclone units for dust extraction being transported to a customer. The sign on the cyclone unit (far right) shows that Allan Coombs never lost an opportunity to promote the company's name.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

A.G. Coombs' staff outside the company's new offices on Cochranes Road, Christmas 1956.

(1) George Brown, (2) unknown, (3) Alan Stephenson, (4) Bill Moseley, (5) Les Taylor, (6) Noel Bridges, (7) Ron Donnison, (8) Frank Millhouse, (9) Joe Caldwell, (10) Jack Mayes, (11) Jack O'Hehir, (12) Trevor Eastoe, (13) Brian Moseley, (14) Jim Barr, (15) Bill Goodger, (16) Jack Shaw, (17) unknown, (18) Bill Stargett. (19) John Zylstra, (20) Phil Buxton, (21) Bert Ellingson, (22) Ron Barns.

(23) Max Dixon, (24) Ron Harvey, (25) Allan Coombs, (26) Sid Barrett. (27) Alan Collard, (28) John Hanby, (29) Albert Bell and (30) Colin Cartwright.

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A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

The company's projects were now scattered across Victoria,

Working on a hospital contract involved long spells away

and included the army training camp in Puckapunyal, the

from home in towns like Benalla and Myrtleford, which were

Mars factory in Ballarat and numerous Coles department

around two to three hours' drive north-east of Melbourne.

stores. The Victorian Government also kept them busy w ith

Some employees went further afield and worked their way

contracts to install the mechanical seNices at a large number

along the Murray River installing the seNices at hospitals in

of country hospitals. A.G. Coombs normally tendered for

Swan Hill, Echuca and Wodonga. As a rule, a group of four

these jobs through consulting engineers (who then nominated

to five people worked on each hospital, living away from

them to a particular builder), but in the case of the country

home for the duration of the project. Even apprentices, as

hospitals they went straight to the government.

young as they were, went away on country jobs.

Great friendships were forged during these trips, with people bonding together as a team during the day and then kicking back at the local pub afterwards. "It was that sort of blokey culture," said Bill Moseley. "We were good friends and loyal to the company."

Far left: A ductwork exhaust system is positioned over machinery to draw out hot air and fumes.

Left: The hot-water heating system at the Freemasons Hospital in East Melbourne.

This lobster bend was manually joined, soldered and riVeted together, and would have taken a week to complete. Today, with the aid of modern techniques, it takes a traction of the time to build.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDmONING

Truck driver Cornelius Cass (standing on the company's truck), and Alb ert Bell (standing immediately behind 1t}. hel p manoeuvre a plenum unit into place. The plenum , which hou sed the fans and coils for the air-con ditioning system, was manufactured at the com pany's sheet metal factory. The truck is picture d in the loading bay of the factory.

A SINGULAR VISION • l HE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Air conditioning - the science of

'making weather' Although Americans had been reaping the benefits of air

An air-conditioning system designed by Willis Carrier, purely

conditioning since 1902. Australians had to wait almost

for comfort, was experienced for the first time in 1904 when

thirty years for organisations to start installing climate-control

he installed conditioning machines (to control humidity and

systems, w ith clean, pure air that was "t horoughly washed

cleanliness) in a St Louis library and a Cincinnati school.

and scrubbed" according to the Brisbane Courier in 1929.

In time, more people would start enjoying the benefits of

Even when Allan Coombs began plumbing houses in the

comfort cooling as hotels, department stores and theatres

1940s, air conditioning could only be experienced in factories,

began installing air-conditioning systems using mechanical

such as woollen and hosiery mills, and a select number of

refrigeration. Indeed, a publication by Carrier boldly claimed

commercial buildings.

that a visit to an air-conditioned motion picture t heatre imparted "the same splendid physical exhilaration you would

The first modern air-conditioning system was designed in 1902 by American engineer Willis Carrier, whose invention helped control the humidity at a printing plant in Brooklyn,

feel after a two-hour vacation in the naturally pure air of the mountains." To Australians sweltering through a hot summer, this sounded grand.

New York. The printing, textile and chocolate industries were among the first to realise that they could produce better

There was no doubt that the Australian climate, with its

products in temperature-controlled environments. Industrial

hot summers and comparatively mild winters, provided

air conditioning, they all agreed, made good business sense.

a perfect market for air conditioning. Previously, various

But comfort air conditioning also had its place, creating more

installations (from radiant heating through to fans), had

pleasant environments for the general public.

been used to heat or cool a building. Air conditioning, however, combined a number of processes by allowing people to control, simultaneously, the temperature, humidity, c leanliness and distribution of air in a designated space.

After introducing air condiUoning

The air could be cooled and dehumidified in summer or

to Australia in the late 1920s,

heated and humidified in winter, while inbuilt systems

businessman Noel P. Hunt secured

absorbed or controlled odour, and c leaning processes

the rights in 1930 to distribute Carrier air conditioners throughout

removed dirt all year round. Filtered air could also be

the country. Hunt later merged his

circulated around a building and changed several t imes within t he hour.

interests with those of the Americanbased Carrier Corporation, which led to the establishment of Carrier

Air conditioning was introduced to Australia in 1928 by

Australasia Limited in 1932, with

businessman Noel P. Hunt, following a fact-finding trip

Hunt as managing director.

to America. It made news when installed at Brisbane's

Image source: National Ubrary of Australia.

Wintergarden Theatre in 1929, and continued gaining

NOEL P. HUNT ... air conditioning ;$. invaluable to indU$lry.

favourable press throughout the 1930s as other organisations began introducing similar systems. In 1937, a newspaper article reported how the directors of Farmer & Co in Sydney had "expressed the opinion that the outlay on air conditioning, both from the point of view of the comfort of customers and

Sunday Times, Perth, 20 June 1937.

the efficiency of employees, has already proved one of the best investments the company has ever made".

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

/\ SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

By 1940, Melburnians were also experiencing the effects

Interestingly, air conditioning influenced the way buildings

of climate-cont rolled environments. The eleven-sto rey

would be designed in the fut ure. While the 'skyscrapers'

MLC Building, on the corner of Collins and Elizabeth Streets,

of the 1930s still had windows that opened - a necessity

was completely rebuilt during 1937-38, and was one of the

in summer - the ability to manufacture weather and create

first buildings in Melbourne to install a modern air-conditioning

more comfortable indoor environments made it possible to

system. It was also one of the tallest structures allowed

construct buildings with sealed windows. As time progressed,

under the city's strict height limits. Other new developments

st ructures such as ICI House in Melbourne, with its nineteen

with air-conditioning systems included the Australia Hotel

storeys of panelled glass, would have a smoother, more

and the recently extended T&G building, which were both

st reamlined look. Designed by Sir Osborne Mccutcheon, of

completed in 1939. The idea that you could 'manufacture'

Bates Smart and Mccutcheon, ICI House was the first building

weather was catching on, and, by the late 1950s, air

in Melbourne to exceed the city's height limits (previously

conditioning would no longer be something new and

capped at eleven to twelve storeys) and on completion in

fabulous, but a feature of many modern buildings and an

1958 became Australia's tallest building. Air conditioning,

amenity which, in time, the average family household could

the easing of height limits and modern building techniques

also afford.

would see the skyscraper rise even higher out of the ground.

Skyscrapers from

different eras

Far left: The new MLC Building on the corner of Collins and Elizabeth Streets was completed in 1938, and was one of the first buildings in Melbourne to install air conditioning.

Note the open windows.

Image source: State Library of Victoria.

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Left: IC/ House (now Orica House) on the corner of Albert and Nicholson Streets, Melbourne,

was completed in 1958 and was one of Australia's first fully glazed commercial skyscrapers.

Air conditioning made it possible to design buildings without windows that opened.

Image source: State Library of Victoria.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, TI-IE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDmONING

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G COOMBS STORY

It is hard to imagine a world without air-conditioned offices

Harrison - who was as interested in science as he was

and hospitals, or what we would do if we could not store

in words - began trialling his machine on the banks of

our milk in a refrigerator. The work of Willis Carrier (father

the Barwon River in 1851 , using ether as a refrigerant

of modern air conditioning}, and James Harrison (a pioneer

(a compound that absorbs and discharges heat). While his

of refrigeration), has touched our lives in so many ways.

first machine had limited capacity, his second ice-making

Their cooling experiments have made our summers more

machine, which he launched in 1854, was capable of

bearable and cinema visits more enjoyable, while their

freezing over 3,000 kilograms of ice in twenty-four hours.

inventions have increased the shelf life of perishable food

Harrison received an Australian patent in 1855 for his ether

and c reated optimal conditions for producing life-saving

vapour-compression refrigeration system, and had the

medication. Today, the modern data centres supporting

foresight to apply for two more patents during his visit to

commerce and industry could not operate effectively

London the following year. He was subsequently granted

without climate-controlled environments.

Brit ish patent No. 747 in 1856 for his refrigeration process, with patent 2362 following in 1857 for the actual apparatus.

Advances in air conditioning were made possible by the development of refrigeration, which Australia helped

By now, Harrison had successfully frozen fish and would later

pioneer in the mid-nineteenth century. Trade opportunities

exhibit fresh meat "frozen as if for a voyage" at an exhibition

beckoned and if Australians were going to export meat to

in Melbourne during 1872-73. Despite counter-claims from

distant countries they needed to find a way of keeping it

other inventors, Harrison's patents were believed to be the

fresh during long sea voyages, which, back then, could

first ever granted for a commercial ice-maker. And although

take several months depending on the type of vessel.

other entrepreneurs would realise his long-held dream of

This challenge was taken up by newspaper editor James

transporting frozen meat to England, he is universally

Harrison, who began developing a mechanical ice-making

regarded as a world pioneer of refrigeration. In future years,

machine in Geelong, Victoria during the early 1850s.

refrigeration would enable the air conditioning of large venues for the comfort of the general public.

In 1837, Scottish-born printer and journalist James Harrison immigrated to Australia, where he would later carry out his pioneering work in refrigeration. Harrison, who edited and owned the Geelong Advertise~ was granted a patent in 1855 for his commercial ice-making machine, and also received patents in London for his process (1856) and his machine (1857).

The James Harrison medal presented by AIRAH (Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating) is the lnstitute's highest honour.

Image courtesy AIRAH.

CHAPTER TWO (1950· 1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS /\ND AIR CONDITIONING

A SINGULAR VISION - THE AG COOMBS STORY

PATENTS The quest to manufacture cooler environments gained

air conditioner. That same year, about a month after

momentum once American engineering graduate

Carrier delivered his paper on textile mills, the term

Willis Haviland Carrier began experimenting with

'air conditioning' was coined by textile mill owner

temperature and humidity control. Carrier was then

Stuart Cramer, whose device for adding water vapour

employed at the Buffalo Forge Company in New York and

to air (a process known as evaporative cooling) helped

had been singled out to help a Brooklyn printer resolve the

condition the yarn in his mill, so as to keep it pliable on

humidity issues causing his paper stock to expand and

dry days. The term perfectly summed up a number of key

contract, and, consequently, the coloured inks to misalign

processes and, after establishing his own company in

on the paper. Carrier responded in July 1902 with his now

1915, Willis Carrier began using it to promote his products.

famous drawings of a mechanical system to control the Carrier continued receiving patents for his inventions,

humidity within the plant.

including one for his centrifugal refrigeration machine, Using his knowledge of heating objects with steam (by

or 'chiller', which enabled large public spaces to be air

sending air over hot coils), Carrier ran the air over coils filled

conditioned safely and economically for the first time.

with cold water and then ducted the cooler air into the plant

While other machines had performed similar functions, they

after it lost moisture through condensation. To the printer's

tended to use piston-driven compressors to pump often

delight, Carrier's invention helped his printing business meet

toxic refrigerants such as ammonia throughout the system.

critical deadlines and enhanced the four-colour printing

Carrier's version, which he unveiled in 1922, not only used

process by creating a more stable environment.

a non-toxic and non-corrosive refrigerant, but was also much quieter in the public domain and incorporated bypass

Carrier's Apparatus for Treating Air (patented in 1906) was able to adjust temperature and humidity levels to a

circulation and down-draft distribution systems to provide better circulation of air.

desired setting and became the blueprint for the modern

In 1950, Willis Carrier inspected his

Air conditioning made life more comfortable for millions of people, while helping businesses around the world to grow and prosper

first centrifugal refrigeration 'chiller', which paved the way for large-scale comfort air conditioning when it was first launched back in 1922. Movie theatres welcomed the installation of chillers, as proprietors had previously used propeller-like fans to draw hot air from outside the venue into the theatre, or used their heating systems to pump out cold air from vents in the floor - the latter causing shivering patrons to cover their feet with cloaks.

The chiller's down-draft system improved air circulation, thus eliminating the problem of frozen feet!

Image courtesy Carrier Corporation.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD, THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDlTIONING

A SINGULAR VlSION JHE A.G COOMBS STORY

Chadstone Shopping Centre Originally owned by the Myer Emporium, Chadstone Shopping Centre was built on the former paddocks of the Convent of the Good Shepherd, and was one of the most ....

significant retail developments in Melbourne during the late 1950s. A.G. Coombs was contracted to install the air conditioning throughout the facility, which initially consisted of an open-air mall, similar to those found in America.

Chadstone became Australia's largest self-contained regional shopping centre when it opened in October 1960.

The mall would eventually be roofed over.

Image source: State Ubrary of Victoria.

The wonderful, restorative powers of air conditioning!

_ as:-:w-

Image source: Getty images.

';

A S!NGUI.AR VlSION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

This article in the Moorabbin News highlighted A.G. Coombs' prominent role in air conditioning buildings such

as Brighton Town Hall.

Having progressed from small plumbing jobs to

While commerce and industry were already enjoying the

ventilating larger buildings, Allan Coombs immediately

benefits of air conditioning, ordinary Australian families were

saw opportunities for his team to apply their expertise in

just starting to embrace the idea of controlling climate in

what was clearly a growth industry. The company first

their homes. In 1960, an article in the Moorabbin News

moved in this direction when it became involved with the

revealed that people who had installed air conditioning

air conditioning of Channel 7 studios in the mid-1950s,

would have to consult a tl1ermometer reading of the outdoor

followed by contracts to air condition Brighton Town Hall

temperature "to know whether the day calls for a topcoat or

and Chadstone Shopping Centre. Allan had also won the

a swim suit." The same article also singled out the work of

contract to air condition and install the mechanical services

A.G. Coombs, noting its progress in creating environments

at the Royal Children's Hospital - an ongoing project and

where the indoor 'weather' would be far more consistent

their biggest undertaking to date. On the strength of all

than the fluctuating temperature outdoors.

these projects, AG. Coombs was fast becoming one of the most experienced HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) companies in Australia.

No one could deny that air conditioning was changing the way people lived and worked, especially in offices where research showed that employees performed more efficiently

The move into air conditioning meant that the company's

in climate-controlled environments. More private dwellings

sheet metal workers had to acquire additional skills in order

were also installing modern air-conditioning systems, while

to manufacture component parts for the new systems that

new homes were being built without chimneys. Allan Coombs

filtered and circulated air at desired temperatures. This

predicted in 1960 that residential air conditioning would

"upskilling" also extended to plumbers, who were now

escalate over the next five years. But it was not the domestic

required to have a welding certificate for some areas of work.

environment where his attention was focused, as he was

These developments raised the profile of both trades and

carefully positioning his business to handle some of the

offered apprentices the opportunity for specialised training.

biggest jobs in town.

CHAPTER TWO (1950-1960) COCHRANES ROAD. THE OLYMPICS AND AIR CONDITIONING

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A SINGULAR VISION • THE AG COOMBS STORY

New company services and the

Royal Children's Hospital Chapter Three (1960-1970)

The 1960s were incredibly exciting years for the company as Allan Coombs began expanding its skill base and introducing more seNices, trailblazing in some areas, while laying crucial foundations for the future in others. Significantly, the words 'air conditioning' would appear on the company's signage for the first time, marking a clear change of direction for the business.

People were now becoming more aware of Allan 's long-range vision for the company, w ith the contract for the Royal Children's Hospital a prime example of his ability to identify projects that would help the business grow in a particular direction. A.G. Coombs had been working on the hospital project since 1955 and would complete its contract in early 1963. Although a huge test of the company's abilities, Allan was not in the least bit daunted that the mechanical installations at the new hospital were on a scale never before undertaken in Australia, let alone Victoria.

..• .••• ..••• ..•• .• ..• • •• • ••

..• •• ..•• .• •

February 1963 Queen Elizabeth opens new Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

June 1964 A.G. Coombs Servicing Ply. Ud. established.

June 1964 The Beatles take Australia by storm .

February 1966 Decimal currency Is introduced in Australia.

July 1967 Four-digit postcodes are Introduced for

. . ..

•• .. ..•• • • •• •• •

•

CHAPTER THREE (1960-1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES AND THE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

every locality in Australia .

July 1969 Neil Armstrong becomes first man to walk on the moon.

September 1969 Rod Laver wins Grand Slam of tennis for the second lime.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

The Royal Children's Hospital Out of all the mechanical services contracts awarded back

Plans to rebuild the hospital had commenced well before the

in the mid-1950s, the contract for the Royal Children's

Second World War, when the hospital's committee agreed

Hospital was arguably the most coveted. The hospital was

that the Carlton facilities were terribly overcrowded and

then situated in Carlton. on the outskirts of Melbourne's

inadequate. Although fundraising for the new building was

central business district, and its committee of management

postponed during the war, the committee had kept the

had been battling for almost two decades to acquire a larger

project on the agenda, with hopes of relocating to the

site on which to build a bigger and better-equipped facility.

leafy expanses of Parkville, to Carlton's west. The Royal

The construction of a major hospital created significant

Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne were

opportunities for service contractors and Allan Coombs had

also based there, and the idea of building on a brand new

watched with interest as the hospital moved ahead with stage

site, and creating a learning and research precinct in the

one of the project in 1955.

area, was appealing. However, the committee had to wait until April 1950 before the Victorian Government finally passed legislation granting the hospital a substantial parcel of land at the city end of Royal Park .

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Nurses visiting the emerging structure of their new quarters in early 1956.

Image source: Royal Children's Hospital.

'1'S-C ~

ASINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Accommodating the nurses

Final approval to build the nurses' home (now designated as the critical first stage of development) did not come

The Government's decision to grant the hospital around ten

through until mid 1952. But funding issues delayed the

acres of land in Parkville was a turning point in its quest for

project and many months passed before the hospital

new premises. By now, architects Stephenson and Turner

authorised its architects to put the nurses' home out to

had finalised the drawings for the new complex, which also

tender. Determined to speed things along, the hospital's

included a separate building for the nursing staff. The nurses

committee signed the building contract in February 1955,

desperately needed larger facilities, as a number of them were

and, approximately one year later, the framework of the new

living off-site in the homes of two committee members, one

multi-storey facility began emerging out of the ground.

of whom, Elisabeth Murdoch, would become the committee's future president. Both houses had been modified and lent to the hospital, specifically to resolve the accommodation problem in the short term.

ASINGUL.Afl VISION T'll A.G COOMBS STORY

Nursing staff enjoyed dining together in their new air-conditioned cafeteria.

The floor was laid with polished parquette, while grey vinyl tiles lined the pillar up to the acoustic tiled ceiling. All the pipes for heating and coollng were mstalled m the false ceiling space between each floor.

Image source: State Ubrary of Victona.

A sign bearing the name of prominent architectural firm Stephenson and Turner marks the location of the main build,ng, July 1957. The architects (who were also responsible for St Vincent's Hospital, the Freemasons Hospital and the Royal Melbourne Hospital) had been workmg on the hospital designs since the end of the war. The nurses' home, nearing completion. can be seen in the background. /ma,ge source: Royal ChJldren ·s Hosp,tai.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

An early artist's impression of lhe

Service contractors were also appointed and A.G. Coombs

main building and the nurses' home.

ended up tendering not only for the nurses' home, but also for an industrial project of similar value. While the two tenders were favourably received, it was the company's size that ultimately concerned the consulting engineers for both these facilities. A.G. Coombs, they felt, was too small to handle both jobs simultaneously, especially as the nurses' home alone would be a major undertaking. But they gave Allan a choice: if he could not do both jobs, which one did he want?

Eager to get his foot in the door with the Royal Children's Hospital, Allan chose the nurses' home, confident that his people had the skills to tackle their largest project to date, and mindful that working on the building would potentially put them in the running for the main hospital. Winning the contract in 1955 was something of a "shock" according to Bill Moseley as they were such a young company back then.

Although smaller than the main building, the nurses' home would take over three years to construct. As part of its contract, A.G. Coombs installed all the heating,

A.G. Coombs manufactured

ventilation and air conditioning throughout the facility, while

ductwork for the Royal Children's

another company (White's Plumbing) was contracted to

Hospital al its factory in Moorabbin.

install the general plumbing. When the building was finally completed and occupied in July 1958, A.G. Coombs was able to reflect proudly on its achievements, not only in delivering the mechanical services, but also in being part of a project aimed at providing the very best medical treatment for children and adolescents. For the nursing staff, this purpose-built facility - with heating and climatecontrol air conditioning - was far superior in every way to their cramped and often stuffy quarters in the old Carlton building. Being able to rest comfortably between shifts also enabled them to do their jobs more efficiently and provide better care for their patients.

By the time the nurses were settled in their new home, A.G. Coombs was looking ahead to stage two of the development, as building works had already commenced on the adjoining site where the main building would be located.

After a long wait, it was now the children's turn to have a new facility.

CHAPTER THREE (1960 1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES ANDTHE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Construction commences on the north wing of the main hospital block, April 1958.

Image source: Royal Cll,ldren 's Hospftal.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

By late 1958, the work site at the main complex was a

Installing the services

beehive of activity, with hundreds of tradespeople from There was a collective sigh of relief when the hospital gave

different companies coming and going each day. One of

the go-ahead for the main building in November 1957,

these young 'tradies' was Bill Lawry, an up-and-coming

especially as funding issues had once again threatened to

cricketer who was then working for White's Plumbing. Staff

delay construction. But few people had counted on the

recalled how Bill used to play baseball with Jim Barr, a former

determination of Elisabeth Murdoch, the hospital's new

apprentice plumber whom Allan Coombs had promoted to

president. who decided to take matters into her own hands.

site foreman. When draftsman Jock Fraser discovered that

Tired of waiting, Lady Murdoch (as she was then known) sought a meeting with the newly elected premier, Henry Bolte, and in her charming yet persuasive manner extracted a promise that his government would commit funds to the project. Lady Murdoch, it seems, was not someone easily refused, because funding was duly granted and A.G. Coombs, as Allan had hopefully anticipated,

Bill was interested in working for A.G. Coombs, he went straight to Allan and said, "I hear Bill Lawry wants a job".

Allan was not so sure, pointing out that "Bill will want to be playing cricket all the time". He was correct, as Bill Lawry would go on to open the batting for the Australian cricket team and captain Australia in twenty-five Test matches, becoming one of the legends of the sport.

was formally contracted to air condition and install the mechanical services throughout the main building.

This photo from 1959 shows the building crew pouring concrete over heating pipes installed by A.G. Coombs in the main hospital block. Concrete was mixed on-site - there was no pre-mixing back then - and moved to different locations in wheelbarrows.

Image source: Royal Children's Hospital.

CHAPTER THREE (1960 1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES AND THE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

A SINGULAR VISION THE AG. COOMBS STORY

At times, the sheer scale of the project seemed overwhelming.

Most contractors were mindful of what the builder was

The enormous quantity of mud, for example, presented

doing when construction was at its peak. "The builders

its own challenges, and getting around was difficult, unless

had their own concrete mixing plant on the site it was so

you had the right gear. Indeed, one of the most memorable

big," said Alan Collard, who eventually moved out of the

sights for apprentice Alan Collard (who began assisting

drafting area into a supervisory role. The concrete, he

the hospital crew with drafting in 1958) was of everyone

recalled, was pushed around in wheelbarrow contraptions

trudging through the mud in gum boots. "It was just a sea

that were more like "Chinese rickshaws", which meant

of mud spread over such a big area," he exclaimed.

Although the builder, J.R. & E. Seccull, was in charge of construction, A.G. Coombs' contract was overseen by

that he was constantly running around checking that their pipe sleeves were not getting knocked out of position during concreting.

Trevor Eastoe, who, as project supervisor, was responsible for coordinating everything from production requirements through to on-site installations.

-

_____________CONDENSATE RETURN cp Modern air-handling units (or plenum chambers) were prefabricated off-site and transported to the hospital for installation.

By October 1960, the main hospital building was finally taking shape.

Image source: Royal C/1//dren's Hospital.

~

The new hospit al was located on the edge of Roye/ Park. The main buildmg (st,n under construct/Ofl) 1s on the right of the photograph, with the comple ted nurses ' home on the left.

Image sou«;e: Rorifl Ch :Jren s Hospt, .

Left. New woode n cooling tOWefS Wert, f)OSll,o ned on top of the south elevation of the building. Right: The latest alf•COnd1t,oning systems were installed for the new OpP.rating theatres. lmnge soorce (/flit): Roy{I! CMdren 's Hospital

CHAPTER THREE

C1

ORI;

s

Al

A SINGULAR VISION THE A G. COOMBS STORY

Lady Elisabeth Murdoch and Sir Dallas Brooks Lady Elisabeth Murdoch (as she was then known) and General Sir Dallas Brooks walk through the partially completed hospital on their way to a Building Appeal launch in 1960. The wife of Australian newspaper publisher Sir Keith Murdoch, and mother of media magnate Rupert Murdoch, Elisabeth Murdoch served as president of the hospital's management committee from 1954- 1965. A dedicated philanthropist. she was instrumental in securing funds to construct the new hospital, and was recognised for her efforts in the 1963 New Year's Honours List when she was appointed Dame Commander of t he Order of the British Empire. Englishman Sir Dallas Brooks was Governor of Victoria from 1949- 1963. His links to Australia stretched back to his time as a Royal Marine in the First World War, when he was severely wounded during the Gallipoli landings in 1915.

Image source: Royal Children's Hospital,

CHAPTER THREE (' 960 1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES AND TH~ ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

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A SINGULAR VISION I HE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Queen Elizabeth II addresses guests at the opening of the new Royal Ch11dren 's Hospital on 25 February 1963.

Dame Elisabeth Murdoch is seated behind her. with the Duke of Edinburgh seated to the Queen's left. and the Victorian Premier, Henry Bolte. at the far left or the photo.

Image source: Royal Children's Hospital.

The engineering was highly complex for its day, with the The hospital was granted the

extensive network of pipes, fans and ductwork a testament

right to use the word 'Royal'

to the growing technical capabilities of the company.

in August 1953 after it made a strong case that "outstanding specialist hospitals" should be

Official OpeniDg of ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

entitled to the Royal prefix. Its coat of arms (as depicted on the

1965 by one featuring children and a pelican as a symbol of

Hospital was already being hailed as a leading paediatric

ti\'

HER MAJESTY THF. QUEEN

..

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program) would be replaced in

centre in the Southern Hemisphere. It also boasted what was then recognised as Australia's largest installation of

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With its 400 beds and modern facilities, the Royal Children's

Of" ll ftlt\ \a\

mechanical services - an undertaking which Allan and his

'- Jll )>.1)11 n \ , h )f'.\T\.'rH•1 1

team could not have foreseen in the early stages of the

devotion to the young.

contract. In fact, the completion of the main building in

Image source: Royal Children ·s Hospital.

1963 marked approximately eight years since A. G. Coombs started work on the entire project, beginning with the nurses' home back in 1955.

Both the nurses' home and the main building were flagship

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke

projects for A.G. Coombs involving hundreds of drawings,

of Edinburgh, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch and Premier Henry

which the newly established drawing office at Cochranes

Bolte, opened the new hospital on 25 February 1963. No one

Road was now providing. These drawings showed where

at A.G. Coombs - not even Allan Coombs - could have

all the pipes needed to be installed in the shafts and false

predicted in the early years of establishing the business that

ceiling space between each floor, and how the main plant

the Queen would one day be inspecting their work. It was a

room would then feed these pipes to heat and cool the

defining project for the entire team and one which sealed the

building, and provide medical gases such as oxygen.

company's reputation in the industry.

CHAPTER THREE (1960-1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES AND THE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

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TT1e Royal Children's Hospital offered its patients the latest paediatric facilities. Nurses and children are pictured (above) in Royal Park, looking south towards the hospital and walking towards the main entrance (right). A G. Coombs' role in air conditioning, heating and ventilating the building - then the largest contract of its kind in Australia - raised the company's profile in the industry.

Image source (both images): National Archives of Australia.

r

CHAPTER THREE (1960· 1970) NEW COMPANY SCRVICES AND TH~ ROYAL CHILDREN"S HOSPI AL

nm

I

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,l•\ l ,il.i

The drawing office had been established in 1958 to produce detailed plans for the main building of the Royal Children's Hospital. Head Draftsman Jock Fraser (far right) is pictured reviewing some drawings with Factory Manager Jack O'Hehir.

The drafting team at their drawing boards included Bill Clough (top), Noel Moylan (third from top) and Barry Allison (fourth from top).

The proliferation of new commercial developments in Australia

complex installations of mechanical services in Australia.

since the end of the war was staggering. In addition to the

It was this feeling of accomplishment that Ray Twite sensed

Royal Children's Hospital, people were now witnessing the

when Allan Coombs interviewed him for an apprenticeship

construction of large industrial complexes and massive

and showed him the drawings of the Royal Children's

shopping centres, not to mention a significant number of

Hospital. "He showed me his first plans, which were of the

medical and academic facilities. In Melbourne, city buildings

Children's Hospital -you could tell he was proud about

were also rising higher due to the government revoking the

that," said Ray, who joined the company in November 1966.

132-foot (40 metre) height limit, while building proprietors were now deciding that full climate-control air conditioning

Those plans were the product of the drawing office, which was initially a one-man set-up, but was now a proper office,

was highly desirable.

w ith a growing team of draftsmen. Jock Fraser, who was For Allan Coombs it was all about seizing opportunities.

in charge of drafting, recalled how the office came to be

Having started his business with little more than £200 and a

established in the late 1950s, more out of need than design,

bucket-load of determination, he was justifiably proud of the

but ultimately with a view to professionalising the services

way in which his people had just completed one of the most

offered by the company.

CHAPTER THREE (1960 1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICl:SAND THE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPIT/\L

A skilled drattsman, Jock's initial dealings with A.G. Coombs

to produce drawings well in advance of commencing the

took place when he was in charge of the excavator drawing

installations; so, given the importance of the project, a small

section of Jaques Brothers Engineering. As always, the

room had been designated for the task. "Are you looking for

entrepreneur in Allan had spotted an opportunity to

a job?" Jack O'Hehir had enquired, hopeful that Jock might

utilise their factory for other purposes, which at the

jump at the opportunity to work on a high-profile project.

time included manufacturing excavator cabins for the Richmond-based engineering firm. As it turned out, Jock was overseeing the contract and was due to meet with A.G. Coombs' Factory Manager Jack O'Hehir in Moorabbin.

Jock was definitely interested and returned the next day for a formal interview in the small 'drawing office' where all the plans for the main building were spread out. He was soon immersed in what was an incredible challenge for the whole

Jock recalled the "little factory" set-up at Cochranes Road

company and emerged eight hours later having practically

and how the company was getting its head around the new

drawn up the entire project with Allan Coombs and Jack

requirements for the Royal Children's Hospital, one of which

O'Hehir. Jock obviously fitted in because Allan made a quick

was to produce drawings for all the mechanical installations.

decision: "We'll get you here straight away," he declared.

It was the first time that A.G. Coombs was being asked

CHAPTER THREE (1960 1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES ANDTHE ROYAL CHILDREN"S HOSPITAL

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

It would be a few months before Jock could join them, but

Allan Coombs also saw the efficiencies being achieved

when he finally came on board in April 1958, he ended up

by having a dedicated drafting set-up and asked Jock to

sitting around with little to do, as construction had only just

expand the drawing office. "Allan had a vision, but he left

commenced on the main building of the Royal Children's

the detail to you," said Jock, explaining how Allan never

Hospital. No one, it seems, required his services and it was

interfered once he realised you knew your job. Interestingly,

especially hard, he remembered, trying to get people to

though, while Allan was unable to perform many of the

understand the value of drafting. At the time, site foremen

tasks he employed people to do, he uncannily knew the

generally did all their drawings and measuring on-site, and

procedures required to do them.

were particularly wary of someone sketching things back at the office. "The project managers on the plumbing side really thought I was going to take over their jobs," said Jock.

"They wouldn't let me draw anything or do anything!"

Jock Fraser was assigned one apprentice, then a couple more, and soon things really started taking off. They got the drawings done quickly, delivered them to the factory, and, from there, all the ductwork went out to the work sites

Fortunately, he discovered a good ally in Fred Coombs,

with fewer mistakes. Before long, other companies began

Allan's father, who was then working on some small design

establishing drawing offices as there was now a growing

contracts for his son. Fred, a former design engineer

requirement for contractors to submit drawings after

and great supporter of the drawing office, invited Jock to

winning a tender. In fact, most projects now required the

work on some of his sketches. This was timely, as people

submission of detailed plans prior to the commencement

soon came to realise that professional drawings enabled

of manufacturing and installation. "It was something the

ductwork to be precisely measured up and produced in the

industry took hold of," explained Jock. who ended up

factory, before being sent out ready to install. "They were

supervising a team of seventy people. In time, A.G. Coombs

measuring up thousands of pieces of ductwork out on the

would begin hiring engineers and would go on to introduce

sites and I think that word got back that this is not a bad

new drafting standards for the industry.

idea because we don't have to measure up and we're not going to get the mistakes," said Jock.

A welder In the company's factory.

Galvanised sheet metal is put through a seaming machine in the early 1960s.

CHAPTER THREE (1960 1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES AND THE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Ron,ngouta in the ea,ty ;

A SINGULAR VISION TI-IE AG. COOMBS STORY

Setting up the

Service Division

When it came to guaranteeing the company's work,

Initially operating out of a small cubicle in the factory, the

Allan Coombs always insisted on providing appropriate

Service team basically took over once the services were

follow-up once projects were completed. It was more than

installed and delivered. Not many contractors had the

simply assuring clients that faulty equipment would be fixed

resources to provide this level of ongoing service and

under the manufacturer's warranty. In his opinion, it was

A.G. Coombs was seen as something of a trailblazer in

important to provide ongoing maintenance for all the

its industry.

installations (not only their work but also items supplied by other companies) so that problems did not occur in the first place. This train of thought resulted in the creation of A.G. Coombs Servicing Pty. Ltd . - otherwise known as the

Previously, manufacturers such as Westinghouse and Carrier had taken full responsibility for all the machinery they supplied, which meant that property managers had to call on different companies to service or repair individual

Service Division.

items of equipment. When A.G. Coombs Servicing first The Service Division was a completely new area for the

started, it played a coordinating role and subcontracted the

company and its establishment in 1964 was entrusted to

manufacturers to service their equipment on a routine basis.

Alan Collard, a former apprentice who was in agreement

In time, the Service Division would take over a lot of this

w ith his boss when it came to servicing their projects. Like

work, especially once trained technicians started leaving

Allan Coombs, he believed there was no point in doing a

the manufacturers to join them.

good job and then walking away after it was completed, because your reputation depended on how well everything

The Service Division also went a step further and began maintaining properties where it was not responsible for

performed over t he long term.

the original mechanical installations. "A lot of companies did not have this service facility, so we used to do the maintenance on the jobs they'd finished," said Alan Collard.

"We were basically the first mechanical services contractor to do that in the industry, and that's how it built up from there." However, they did go through a learning curve when preparing quotes for comprehensive service contracts, as they now had to make allowance for insurance and afterhours calls, and often had to "take a punt" on the number of calls they might receive. While they under-quoted some jobs, it only took a few contracts to understand the level of work involved, and, before long, the Service Division began generating good business.

Former apprentice Alan Collard was appointed Service Manager when the company established A. G. Coombs Servicing in 1964.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Not only did A.G. Coombs have a division entirely

its costs more accurately reflected what was involved in

dedicated to servicing, its staff also drove around in

ongoing maintenance, such as being aware of all the fan

specially equipped and clearly marked vans (emblazoned

units in the ceiling and other hard-to-access services. While

with the A.G. Coombs name), and communicated

it was tough watching competitors win jobs on price alone,

with two-way radios when they were out on jobs. The

it was also gratifying to see many 'lost' opportunities come

Postmater-General's Department, which administered

their way again on the basis that they were better equipped

the 'two-way' system, had advised that transmissions

to do the job.

should be "as concise as possible" and all "superfluous conversations avoided". Limited airspace, however, meant they had to share radio frequencies w ith other companies, and so it often took a while to establish where their calls were coming from.

The service concept was a winner, and the Service Division rapidly expanded to accommodate the company's growing clientele. Service contracts also helped the company through difficult times, especially during downturns in the building industry.

Setting up the Service Division was a wonderful opportunity for employees to develop a new line of business while adding value to the company's core services. It also highlighted one of the great things about working for A.G. Coombs, in that Allan Coombs was happy to give his most capable lieutenants considerable scope to put their stamp on different areas of the company.

Alan Collard would go on to manage the Service Division for fourteen years. By the time he left to become Allan Coombs' assistant in 1977, the Division had forty-five vans and a staff of sixty people handling jobs all over Victoria. A little lateral thinking had taken not only A.G. Coombs, but also the entire industry, into a whole new area of service.

Business became more competitive when other companies saw just how lucrative this line of work could be and started their own service d ivisions. As a result, A.G. Coombs did not always get to service the jobs where its project teams had carried out the initial installations, partly because

A.G. Coombs' Se,vice Division communicated with two-way radios,

THE VICTOR Radio Telephone

which was seen as very progressive.

CHAPTER THREE (1960-1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES AND THE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

AG. Coombs Setvielng built up ,t·

own fleet of vans and relocated from its small cubicle ,n the factory co larger faci ,t,es at 16 CochraMs Road Ill 1968.

..

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Establishing the AMCA The Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors' Association (AMCA) first emerged in Victoria during the 1960s after a group of contractors from the Master Plumbers Association (MPA) decided to form a separate organisation. For plumbing firms that had transitioned into the area of heating and ventilation, there was now a growing realisation that the MPA did not fully represent their specific interests. The view at the time was that the MPA was focused on the needs of plumbers working on residential and domestic projects, whereas plumbers specialising in major mechanical work were dealing with large central plant buildings and therefore operating under contractual conditions t hat were markedly different from those in the residential sector. Allan

iTt

Coombs realised that the interests of these companies needed

FJUG.ERAT

to be addressed separately and, together with Alec Bell of

HEA'f tNG

AE Smith & Son, was instrumental in leading calls to develop

V£NTlLATION

the activities of companies operating in this area. A resolution to t his effect (passed in 1960) saw the creation of a breakaway group, the Society of Heating and Ventilating Contractors, which

in time became the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors' Association - or AMCA for short. The AMCA's establishment owed much to the efforts of Alec Bell and also to Allan Coombs, who became the organisation's founding president in 1961.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G COOMBS STOR'r

The Tasmanian projects Opportunities outside Victoria were always carefully assessed

The Tasmanian business, by contrast, was t urning into

and, occasionally, people would go away for short periods

a busy operation with around ten people on staff and a

of time to work on interstate projects. Discussions also took

growing list of projects. Bill Moseley had worked tirelessly

place about establishing interstate branches; however, these

for four years to get the branch off to a good start, but

never progressed any further due to the determination of

decided in 1964 that it was time to return to Melbourne.

Allan Coombs to focus their resources on Victoria. The one

Meanwhile, Trevor was keen to be more hands-on and

exception was Tasmania, where Allan had previously worked

in 1964 relocated to Launceston, where he took over the

on jobs in Hobart and Launceston, and was happy for

management of the Tasmanian office.

Trevor Eastoe, one of his senior managers, to oversee a number of projects from Melbourne.

Truth be known, Allan had never been entirely convinced about opening an office in Tasmania. Trevor, however,

On the strength of its ongoing work in the medical area,

seemed to be making a go of things and, for practical

A.G. Coombs had managed to win several major contracts

reasons, it made sense to run everything locally once they

to install the mechanical services at a large number of

started securing more work. "Allan didn't want to go there,

Tasmanian hospitals. "We did hospitals everywhere," said

but Trevor liked it and was doing little jobs from Melbourne,"

Bill Moseley, citing a long road map of names stretching

said Jock Fraser. "Then they won the Casino project. which

across the north of Tasmania. Scottsdale Hospital was their

meant they had to set up the factory in Tasmania."

first big project, followed by hospi'tals in Devonport, Burnie, Smithton, Ulverstone and also Launceston.

Wrest Point Casino (which they would work on in the early 1970s) was A.G. Coombs' most high-profile undertaking in

While Trevor initially managed these projects from Melbourne,

Tasmania. Destined to become a landmark building in

it became increasingly clear that the Tasmanian Government

Hobart, it was Australia's first legal casino and boasted a

preferred working w ith local contractors. Therefore, to

seventeen-storey hotel tower with a revolving restaurant.

improve their chances during the tender process, Allan

The Casino's production requirements were so extensive

established A.G. Coombs Tasmania Ply. Ltd. and agreed

that Allan went ahead and set up a ductwork factory in

to open a branch office in Launceston. "That was the main

Tasmania with the help of a government grant. The factory,

reason for opening a branch there, because of the bias

as it turned out, would be kept busy for quite some time

toward local contractors," explained Bill Moseley, who

producing ductwork for a variety of hospital and government

moved to Tasmania with his wife Coralie in 1960. Together

projects, including a contract for the Postmaster-General's

they set up the office (known locally as AGC Heating and

Department.

Ventilation), with Coralie also acting as Bill's secretary for two years.

The foray into Tasmania was an interesting exercise in Allan's eyes, but he was reluctant to take things further.

At one point, Ron Barns went up to Queensland to take on

Union issues and a project at a virtual standstill in Melbourne

a job in Brisbane, but any thoughts of establishing a branch

would start consuming his energies in the mid-1970s,

there never got off the ground. largely due to an economic

and he would later sell the business to Trevor who, by all

downturn. "We would never have moved from this place

accounts, enjoyed the Tasmanian lifestyle and was happy

[Melbourne]," said Jock. "Allan wasn't keen to. He just felt

to settle there.

that we were getting one per cent or two per cent of the work [in Queensland], so what's the point?"

CHAPTER THREE (1 g6Q-1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES ANO TI➔E ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

l

A.G. Coombs installed the air conditioning and mechanical services in Hobart's Wrest Point Casino, a I8/ldmark building designed by eminent architect, Sir Roy Grounds. Plans by the Federal Group to build Australia's first legal casino commenced in the 1960s as part of broader efforts to attract more tourism to Tasmania. After an approach was made to the Tasmanian Government, a state referendum was held and narrowly passed, paving the way for the casino licence. With its distinctive sixty-four-metre tower, Wrest Point Casino can be seen at right and in the foreground below during the final stages of construction. It officially opened in February 1913.

Image courtesy Federal Group.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

The

place to work

Even as the company grew, it never lost sight of where

"There was a sense of camaraderie and a sense of we're in

it began. People's efforts were always recognised and

it together." Being ''in it together" meant working whatever

Allan Coombs went out of his way to help his employees.

hours were needed to get the job done. There was no such

"He was a popular bloke and he looked after his staff well,"

thing as "checking the clock", Alan Collard remembered.

said Gerald Carter. A telling example of t his was during the economic downturn in 1961 when, instead of letting people go, Allan employed them to paint the inside of

Visitors were often struck by the general friendliness throughout the company, which in part was cultivated by bringing everyone together socially after work, especially

the factory.

on Friday nights. Allan Coombs was never one to stay While Allan expected a decent day's work from his

in the background and he regularly joined everyone for

team, everyone seemed to enjoy what they were doing.

a few beers as they placed their bets on the weekend's

"Although we worked hard, it was a fun place to work,"

football. "He would put up a board and act as bookmaker, "

said David Seedsman, who joined the company in 1966.

recounted Bill Moseley.

CHAPTER THREE (1960-1970) NEW COMPANY SERVICES AND THE ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

A SINC,ULAR VISION THE A.11 COOMBS STORY

Political discussions were also a highlight of their Friday night gatherings, with Allan enthusiastically leading one side of the debate and Jock Fraser presenting the opposing view.

For many organisations in Australia , the workplac e social scene was exceptionally vibrant during the Fifties and Sixties. Indeed, many workers discovere d a rich social life through regular company gatherings, where staff frequently came together for a social drink before heading home. "We worked hard and it wasn't uncomm on to have a slab at the end of the week," said Ray Twite. "It was just appreciation for what you've done; a couple of beers and you go home."

The introduction of new drink-driving legislation in 1966 changed everything, as even a few beers could put you

Social activities were only one aspect of A.G. Coombs ' strong workplac e culture, as it was the way in which employees were treated that contribut ed to the company 's success according to Gerald Carter and others. There was clearly a devotion to t he company and a devotion to Allan too. People in the factory were often amazed that the boss not only knew their names, but also their children's names.

On occasions. Allan also assisted them financially, like lending money or paying their hospital bills. Allan might have been domineering, even "overpowering" in some people's eyes, but he was loyal to his staff and they in turn to him.

"People wanted to be part of the organisation." said Allan's business colleague, Norm Davies. "They loved him and he used to look after them."

over the legal limit. The new laws curtailed after-hours social activities - with random breath testing having an even greater impact in the 1980s - and, consequently, the once lively social scene at work began diminishing.

By the 1960s, A.G. Coombs' workforce - pictured here at a Christmas break-up - had expanded to well over seventy people, with women now employed in Administration. The company's Christmas parties were particularly memorable, with no expense spared on the terrific spread of food and drink that Allan provided each year.

Longevity of service was also recognised, with Jim Barr (back row seventh from left) the first employee to be acknowledged with a gold watch for achieving twenty-one years of service in 1968.

The presentation started a trad1t1on that would see many more watches presented in the years ahead.

CHAPTER THREE (196(' Hl7O) NlW COMPANY SERVICf SAND THE ROYAL CHILOtlEN'~ f1QSPl1

A..

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Allan was also prepared to give his employees a fair degree

David Seedsman. He was a hands-on proprietor and, true

of autonomy, which was one of t he key reasons why people

to form. worked after hours with his team for around six

rarely left. "People stayed because they were running their

months to complete the task . Together, they revised t he

own show and were getting paid reasonably well," said Jim

company's labour costs for ductwork and pipework, with

Barr. "It was a very close-knit group," remarked Alan Collard.

the end product becoming the basis of A.G. Coombs'

"People would take pride in whatever t he company did and

computerised pricing system in the future.

that they were a part of A.G. Coombs."

As A.G. Coombs' engineering capacity increased. its Working for A.G. Coombs was more than just a job;

innovative spirit came to the fore, with Allan sensing further

employees. it seems, derived enormous satisfaction

opportunities to work with building consultants to design and

from tackling major projects in and around Melbourne.

engineer truly sophisticated internal climate systems. There

The company's success with the Royal Children's Hospital

was a belief that if air conditioning was taken into account

had also transformed the way in which the business

when designing a building, the architects and structural

was perceived. No longer just a plumbing company,

engineers could produce a more integrated design.

A.G. Coombs was now one of Melbourne's major HVAC contractors, w ith both the skills and experience to handle projects of increasing complexity.

"Allan saw t he company as being the leading provider of air conditioning and mechanical services in Victoria," said David Seedsman. "His attitude was that he was

During this time Allan Coombs began updating the

going to be the best." The next decade, w ith its trials

company's pricing methods in consultation w ith his project

and tribulations, would see this dream realised.

managers Jim Barr, Bill Moseley, Ray Underwood and

coo • as STORY ASINGU:.ARVlSION rn AG

The words 'a,r cond1t,on1ng. app ear ed for the very first

time

in on the company's signage the mid 1960s.

O I T I D N O C R I ETAL A

Comns Place was promoted as a "city within

a city• when ,1 opene<J in May 1981. Constructi on had commenced in the early 1970s, but was delayed by prolonged periods of inactivity due to union unrest and the original builders going into receiv ership.

A.G. Coombs installed the mechanical services throughout the complex, with the Great Space atnum regarded as an "air-condllioned showpiece·.

Collins Street looking east from below Exhib ition Street towards the Treasury Building on Spnng Street c. 1970-71.

Image source: State Library of V,ctona.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Air conditioning

Collins Street Chapter Four (1970-1981)

Melbourne's skyline changed dramatically during the 1970s as banking institutions and property developers began commissioning new multi-storey complexes. One thing was plain to see as these buildings were constructed:

..•• .••

standing tall was as much a symbol of progress as it was an effective way of accommodating hundreds of office workers. More specifically, these facilities needed to be cooled, warmed and ventilated, and A.G. Coombs would progress through the decade w ith contracts to air condition several major developments along Collins Street.

Out of all these developments, one project stood out in terms of scale, complexity and on-site challenges. This was Collins Place, an exciting, multi-purpose complex that would dominate the 'Paris end' of Collins Street when completed, and encompass within its perimeter the ANZ Bank Headquarters, a luxurious multi-storey hotel and an open-space atrium of shops and cafes.

If the race to win the contract was like a 100-metre sprint. completing it would be like running several marathons, uphill and over hurdles. These were turbulent years in the building industry, with the unions flexing their muscles with alarming militancy. Add to this a builder in receivership and the finishing line for the project was barely visible at times.

..• .• .•• ..•• .• ..•• .•• ..••• • •• ..•• • .•• .••

January 1973 Pans Peace Accord marks the end of the Vietnam War.

February 1973 Wrest Point Casino (Australia's first legal casino) opens m Hobart.

April 1973 The first hand-held mobile cell phone Is demMstrated by Motorola.

October 1973 Opening ot Sydney Opera House.

June 1974 A packet of chewing gum becomes the first Item scanned by a Universal Product Code (a spec1f1c type of bar code).

December 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Oarwm on Christmas Day.

March 1975 Australians are able to watch television rn colour for the first time.

November 1975 Australian Prime Minister Gough Wtutlam Is dismissed from office

CHAPTER FOUR '910-1981) AIR CONDITIONING COLLINS STREET

..••• ....

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A G. COOMBS STORY

Collins Place By 1970, the ANZ Bank was moving ahead witl1 plans

For any company w ishing to enhance its credentials as a

to construct its new global headquarters on Collins Street.

major service contractor, there was no better opportunity

To be known as Collins Place, the $90 million development

than Collins Place. The development boasted not one, but

would consume nearly a whole city block and was being

two skyscraper towers, each soaring 185 metres into the air,

commissioned in partnership w ith the AMP Society. An

w ith one tower having its top fifteen levels transformed into

ambitious project, Collins Place promised Melburnians a

a luxurious hotel. Like the Royal Children's Hospital before

unique office, retail and entertainment complex that would

it, Collins Place was a plum project that could potentially

"boost the city, not strangle it" according to one newspaper

redefine a contractor's place in the industry and set its

article. This vision of a place where people could work, shop

course for the future.

and relax was being carefully shaped by renowned American architect I.M. Pei and his New York-based team, with the support of Melbourne architects, Bates, Smart and McCutcheon.

The Collins Place construction site, corner of Collins and Exhibition Streets c.1973 Image source: Stale Ubrary of Victoria.

CHAPTER FOUR (1970-1981) AIR CONDITIONING COLLINS STREET

A SINGULAR VISION THE AG COOMBS STORY

Winning the contract A.G. Coombs' contracting (or projects) business now comprised several departments covering engineering, drafting, materials handling and administration. There was also a department devoted solely to estimating, which was crucial to the tendering process. Staffed by several estimators, all with prior experience as site foremen, the department estimated the quantity of material needed and Allan Coombs outside the company's

the number of people required to complete a job, and priced

Service Division in Moorabbin c. 1972.

it accordingly. It was to the estimating department, under the direction of Bill Gribble, that all eyes turned when it came time to tender for Collins Place in 1972.

Hours went into preparing a detailed submission highlighting the company's experience and technical skill. With his eye

Frank witnessed a business that was expanding and moving

on the bigger picture, Allan Coombs also insisted that their

forward. "The technical people were there, the engineers

estimates be fine-tuned to the point where he felt they

were there and Allan Coombs, with the support of his team,

had a realistic chance of getting over the line. The tender

had the whole business poised for growth," he recalled.

was successful and A.G. Coombs proceeded to sign a $10 million contract with Mainline Corporation (the project builders) to air condition Collins Place. "We won it by Allan's decision making, by him saying we need to be there," said Brian Tregenza, who was second-in-charge of the project.

"It was the biggest job we had ever had by far." So big, in fact, that Allan instructed his secretary, Edna Tregonning, to invite employees to a dinner dance to celebrate the win.

Excavation was now underway at Collins Place, with buildings such as the Ress Oriental Hotel and the twindomed Masonic Lodge demolished to make way for the new complex. An extraordinary amount of ductwork was needed for the job and, for weeks on end, the company's manufacturing facility operated at peak production to meet the additional requirements. Such was the demand for sheet metal that Keith Marsh, the company's truck driver, carted

AG. Coombs now had 406 employees, with over 300 in

six truckloads of ductwork from the factory to the city in

Melbourne and the remainder employed in its Tasmanian

just one day.

operations. As additional resources would be required for a project of this magnitude, Allan leased and then modified a building at 16 Cochranes Road specifically to accommodate the drafting team, which would soon expand from thirty to sixty draftsmen. The large drafting team was necessary according to head draftsman Jock Fraser, as Collins Place

One of the best memories during this time was when A.G. Coombs received its first progress payment.

"We became the first [contracting] company to have ever received a cheque for a million dollars for one month's work on a project," said Brian Tregenza, remembering those magic six zeroes.

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was then scheduled to take four years to complete and they were looking at tackling well over a thousand drawings

The senior project manager for Collins Place was

during the life of the project "If I hadn't had sixty draftsmen

Ray Underwood, a plumber by trade who had been

it would have taken a hundred years to do!" he emphasised

with A.G. Coombs since 1964. Like his colleagues, Ray

many years later to highlight the scale of the undertaking.

expected the building to be completed in around four years.

'

Neither he nor anyone else involved with the project could

'. '

The energy and focus of the company impressed Frank Schooneveldt, who started out as an accounts

have predicted what was about to follow.

payable clerk with A.G. Coombs in June 1972. Working closely with John Zylstra (the company's first accountant),

CHAPTER FOUR (1970-1981) AIR CONDI IIONING COWNS STREET

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Previously considere d one o t establishm Melbourn e's 1in e s t ents, th e O nental, a s became a it w a s originally popular h 1<nown, a u n t o f th e \anded openi09 ilS gentry att <Joo<S in 1 er first 878. p e a ,s o n T"""'50 regular pa 0C/· o n e 01 trons. w a s s o ta1<en •s with th e p rnsou\e w lace that. ,h m a n a S atter a '" '" 'n t. h e t,ou9ht tn a n d gave e hotet in th e mana 1910 ger n is m archinQ o rders.

Tewt<Sb"C/· wno w a s at «>ad'i weatt out ol th e (> l>/ 1rom d« <eOS ,s;ve adgi"9 go <, extended td th e n o tet a d d it io n • a n spa<>l be d pu@ase hind t h e d 1imousine ~ la< th s w h ie h n e cnau e hired o u f l" " '· \ to notet guests (h e woutd 'Paris end

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W it h it s rn neteen tab \eS a.nd b \h8 ea«> w rightly co loure d um a s an \nS tant succe brel\a.s. ss, t<ansp " " " " 5 o l Fte orting d\ne< SS' erenc S, in the h·tJO"' w\le , to "\h8 cn in Paris". arnPS e ,s t, M<S fteSS t,ad t, e e n es w3S n o t lo soea""' to th n g betore e rne<Jla a th e 'Paris nd it used t o . end' wa.s coined a.r . - - to u id later ri S "' to M elt,oume. w a s , th e />S popu\a< ea•• ctosed in a s it 1 9 60 lollowi" 9 im p e d e d pO pedestria liC <l claiffiS tn n t<att\Ci h at • O W "' °' · th end' labe e .. ,o c a t" l h a s endu " •P a ri s red to the present da .y.

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The eastern section of CoJ/ins Street (photographed c. 1971) was known as the 'Paris end' of Melbourne. The Reserve Bank can be seen on the left, while on the opposite side of Collins Street, nearly an entire city block, including the Ress Oriental Hotel, would be demolished to make way for Collins Place. Accepting the winds of change - there was no time for sentimentality in the Seventies - the Oriental auctioned off most of its furnishings and fixtures in 1971, before the wreckers moved in.

Other historic buildings were also demolished during the 1970s, prompting a huge public outcry at the destruction of Melbourne's architectural heritage. Many deplored the fact that some stately buildings were being replaced by car parks or fairly ordinary looking structures. The plans for Collins Place, however, were far from mundane, as the proposed development included a twin-towered complex offering magnificent views of the city from the upper levels, as well as a massive light-filled atrium that would provide

a sheltered off-street meeting place, while st/11 connecting to the external streetscape.

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A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Industrial issues

"There was a period applying throughout the industry where the unions flexed their muscles and they just kept getting

Collins Place was arguably the most high-profile building

more militant and it came to a head," said Bill Moseley.

project in the city during the early 1970s. Yet it was also

It was bewildering, he recalled, for site foremen to be

a hotbed of union activity, with work stoppages and strikes

dealing with a large crew of people who might be working

causing never-ending problems for the project's builders.

one minute and then sitting down the next over some minor

In over two decades of operations, Mainline Corporation

issue. "People used to go on strike for nothing. We had

had made its mark in the construction of high-rise office

a hundred men sitting in the shed one day because t hey

buildings and hotels, and counted a number of insurance

wanted a particular type of safety hat and they wanted

companies among its clients. But it would soon buckle

a particular type of pie warmer."

under the strain of union confrontation.

In those days, union members were paid even when they Industrial action throughout the Seventies disrupted

went on strike. This encouraged an environment where

production in many industries, to the point where people

people looked for reasons to walk out, knowing that their

sometimes felt as though the unions were running the job

wages would not be docked. The hot days were the worst,

if not the country. From the unions' perspective, wage

as you only needed to hear a forecast for high temperatures

increases were long overdue, while working conditions,

to know that your men would be watching the thermometer

as they saw it, were unsatisfactory. However, the growing

the next day, just waiting to walk off the job.

militancy within some union ranks did not augur well for negotiation.

David Seedsman, who was then General Manager, recalled daily meetings, over many months, with Bill Moseley and

The situation was particularly heated at Collins Place

Jim Barr, just to discuss strategies for minimising the overall

where the Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) held sway.

impact of on-site union activities. The unions, it should

"You'd be halfway through a concrete pour and they'd find

be said, had raised some valid safety issues and naturally

some little thing and they'd stop the job and all walk out,"

wanted their concerns addressed. Realising the importance

recounted Brian Tregenza. These actions meant that all the

of these issues, A.G. Coombs would later pour its heart

concrete had to be chopped out and redone at enormous

and soul into ensuring that all its work environments met

cost to the builder.

rigorous safety guidelines. Yet these things took time, and extreme union tactics not only made negotiations difficult, they also deflected people's attention from tackling these issues in a more considered way. With on-site productivity as low as an estimated thirty-five per cent, work at Collins Place moved ahead in fits and starts, while the construction timeline dragged out even further.

The architects and consultant town planner, Vincent Ponte, visualised Collins Place as a "great public space first and a grouping of towers second". True to this vision, the Great Space (visible at the centre of the diagram) offered a large, light-filled area where people could eat and shop in comfort.

Image source: Collins Place News.

Collins Place was designed by New York firm I.M. Pei and Partners, with the support of its Australian associates Bates, Smart and Mccutcheon. Construction commenced following site excavations during 1972. By the end of 1973, the two towers of the complex were visible to passers-by.

Image source: State Ubrary of Victoria.

A SINGULAR VISION THc A.G COOMBS STORY

At a standstill

Mainline collapsing was a "massive thing" said

In August 1974. work at Collins Place ground to a halt

Brian Tregenza. "We couldn't get our gear off the site.

following the announcement that Mainline Corporation

We had a lot of people there; it was obviously the major contract that we had running." With the project at a

was in receivership. Already affected by heavy losses from

standstill, Ray Sherry remembered going to Collins Place in

its American operations, Mainline attributed its existing troubles to the economy and fickle investors, but also cited the militant BLF as a major source of its woes. BLF State Secretary Norm Gallagher was unrepentant. saying that

the company's truck with instructions to bring back as much equipment as possible. •All our drills. all our leads, anything that's worth value, just throw it on the truck and get them back out of there."

Mainline only had itself to blame for its demise and claimed to continue operating, but it was finally liquidated when

Cash flow was now a serious issue, and the prospect of not being able to pay people's wages weighed heavily on Allan's

clients, including the AMP Society, withdrew their support.

shoulders. "He was very worried about the whole thing,"

it as a victory for the working class. At first. Mainline hoped

said friend and colleague Rob Dunn. The whole situation It was a black day for everyone in the building industry as

looked quite bleak and was compound ed by project losses

people tried to come to terms with this dramatic turn of

in Tasmania and the company's unsuccessful foray into

events. Frank Schooneveldt, who was now working in a

modular flat-pack housing. A severe credit squeeze also

senior financial role, recalled Allan Coombs gathering all the key players together and breaking the news to them.

made it difficult to raise funds. In another development, the BLF was deregistered in 1974 but re-registered two years

"He was a great communicator. We had a big meeting in

later. It would be permanently deregistered by an Act of

the drawing office and we talked through the issues."

Parliament in 1986.

Their immediate concern was the company's large project team for Collins Place - a workforce of approximately

As Allan sorted out the finances. tough measures were taken to keep the business afloat. People were relocated to

250 tradesmen, technicians and draftsmen - with many

other jobs where possible, but staff cuts were inevitable and

people hired specifically for the project. There was also

the guys on the tools were the first to be laid off, followed by

the question of AG. Coombs' now-voide d contract with

the drafting team. Although the Service Division had enough

Mainline. Would they be given a chance to re-tender and,

contracts in place to plug some short-term gaps, it was not

if so, would they be able to secure more favourable terms?

enough to carry the entire company.

It seemed as if the whole future of the company was at stake.

Frank Schooneveldt joined

A.G. Coombs' accounts payable office in June 1972. Although the turbulent Seventies and future recessions would put enormous pressure on the company's accounting area. systems were put in place to ensure that

A.G. Coombs continued meeting its financial obligations. Frank - pictured

c. 1972 (right) and several years later (far right)

would eventually be

promoted to Company Secretary and Group Rnancial Controller.

CHAPTER FOUR (1970 1981) AIR CONrnTIONINGCOLLINS STREE-T

The Collins Place work site in 1973 under the management of original project builders, Mainline Corporation.

Image source: State Library of Victoria.

The Mainline collapse affected not only A.G. Coombs'

Employees realised that A.G. Coombs was struggling,

employees, but also its key suppliers. Bill Moseley

but few were aware of the lengths Allan went to in order

remembered how accountants John Zylstra and

to get the company out of trouble. "It was a realisation for

Frank Schooneveldt spent long hours at Cochranes Road

Allan that he was going to lose the business, it got that

- even working at night - just to sort out the cash flow, and

close," Frank recounted. In the end, Allan put his house

how Frank set up a system to manage the creditors and

on the line and borrowed money on it. He also fronted the

pay people in stages. Most suppliers went along with this

banks for a heavy round of talks. "He went there by himself

proposal and, in the end, everyone got paid. "The company

and refused to leave until he got the money to pay the

always met its commitment to its suppliers, even when

wages," said Frank, recalling these difficult events.

times were tough," said Frank.

CHAPTER FOUR (1970 1981) AIR CONDITION NG COLL'NS srnm

,;

Following the collapse of original builder Mainline Corporation, construction eventually resumed al Collins Place under new builder E.A. Watts.

Image source: State Ubrary of Victoria.

Back on track

the crisis started streaming back through the doors, and work eventually resumed under new builder, E.A. Watts,

After the shock subsided, everyone regrouped to determine the best way forward. Allan was now of the view that the company would survive if they implemented a plan of

whose experienced construction managers, Alan Pizzey and Graeme Noble, kept everything rolling along in the face of ongoing union activity.

action to bring in more work. "If you go out and sell small contracts and everybody does their job, we'll be okay," he

While Collins Place took its toll on the health of many people,

urged. "We're not going to fold up, we're going to sit down

those in charge resolved to keep going, with Ray Underwood

and work things out." Everyone rallied by trying to pull in as

successfully steering their part of the project through to

much work as possible and gradually, between the Service

conclusion. By the close of construction, A.G. Coombs'

Division and the smaller contracts, the company's financial

tradesmen had installed some eighty kilometres of ducting

position improved.

throughout the complex, while its engineers had risen to the challenge of air conditioning the Great Space atrium, with its

Renegotiating Collins Place was the next challenge and people were called back from holidays to assist with repricing the job. The best piece of news was learning that they could negotiate the contract direct with the principals of the AMP

open access to the street. Using a unique design technique, their clever feat of engineering provided comfortable temperatures within the atrium, no matter what the weather conditions were externally.

Society instead of having to work things out with the builder Allan was also determined to secure more favourable terms

The revised terms would also see the contract triple in price

and managed to win a revised contract based on an hourly

from $10 million to over $30 million by the time the building

rate. People who had left the company in the aftermath of

was completed in 1981 . It was a good outcome, to say the least, not to mention a satisfactory financial boost after the turmoil and heartache of the last decade.

CHAPTER FOUR 11970· 1981) AIR CONDITIONING COLLINS STREET

Built with 16 ,00 0 tonnes of steel, 9,0 00 me tre s of pre-cast concrete, 56 kilometres of plumbing pipes and 80 kilometres of ducting

Collins Place News "C IT Y W IT HIN THE CITY" New We PUBLISHED TODAY BY A M.P. PROPERTY (MANAGEMENT) PTY.

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The debu1 of 'Collin s Place', the mos1 ambitious construc1ion projec1 in the Southe rn Hemisphere, 100k place in the sparkli ng new, spaciou s Wentworth H01el Ballroom tonight. The culmina1ion of decade of planning, building and constru ction andamarketing, has culminated in o remarkable, in fact,on e of the most unique building complexes in Australia, T"o ,...,1n CO-.trs. ~ -tt.,..

MAY 1981

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air cond1t,oning, this publie area 1s cool 1n summer and comfortably wam, In winter; despite ,ts open access to the street.

Image source: The Collector's Milrvelfo<IS Melboo

me.

Da y' Ma y1 9th !

TIit time - 8.30 I.Ill The priority - be rndyt The ocwlan -

COLUNS PLACE OPENS FORTRADING! The Wentworth Hotel with its magn,f,cent views, originally occupied tile top fifteen levels of the Collins Tower. The Regent Hotel would later take over this space, followed by the Sof1tel Melbourne on Colltns.

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on a re btJiJr s lace we P s in l1 th e c it y o ngle •o a ers O: C e w re ro g o de rw er.

-tlve tow a forty led one p la n a : OCCU{) k re n a a u •ne to p B q s Z cr.,pied he A N c T o . fy d o ri ft ed G 'l ft s 'em H o te l lf Hoddle -seven tworrh y n •e .'

A W . r. e omplex e r :owe w h e th o ' /he c o th e o th ' h g o u rs ro floo d by ;,ons 'h ttlleen - cooJe destina / c e !l a r 0 /heir ,a 1 c e le p p s to peo ment. a as u s e d e base "C - w th IO n t n e whil nsta to a co oombs AG C S. l8 ,um w1T

m s:ore pre

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Commissioning With projects becoming larger and more complex, the

jobs where its work was formally checked and verified as

important task of switching on the various services and

a matter of course. It was this sort of knowledge that Allan

bringing them on-line was increasingly being handled by

wanted to bring into the company.

a group of specialist technicians. This task was known as commissioning, or, as Ray Sherry explained, "Once a project finishes, someone has to make it go." He was referring, of course, to the crucial finishing stage of a project, which involved ensuring that everything was in working order and operating in accordance with the consulting engineers' parameters.

After the department was established, Ray Sherry (who had joined A.G. Coombs as an apprentice in 1968) spent around twelve months learning how to commission jobs.

Making something "go", he discovered, required a high level of technical skill to ensure t hat all systems were functioning correctly. The new department brought together the more technically minded staff members and trained them to

In the early days, start-up or commissioning checks were

document every single installation, so as to reassure the

handled by the Service team, and generally involved people

project engineers that everything was operating as it should,

walking around and checking that hot or cold air was coming

and that all the procedures were clearly recorded and not

out of all the ducts. But on multi-level projects like Collins

locked away in someone's head. "It was important to put

Place, it was not enough to say, "Yes, something's coming

something in front of them, so those engineers could be

out of that" without a formal sign-off process. With several

comfortable that the buildings were running in the way

large jobs already on their books, there was a realisation that

they were supposed to," explained Ray.

the company's services did not finish once everything was installed and that commissioning was, indeed, a separate and specialised process.

Commissioning also required a certain mathematical aptitude (especially when working out water quantities and air quantities) and technicians were required to take courses

The importance of commissioning was recognised in

at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

1970 when it evolved into a formal department under

and t he Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors'

the direction of Phil McMahon. Previously employed by

Association (AMCA). Other organisations were also

WE. Bassett & Partners (consulting engineers), Phil had

establishing their commissioning departments and Allan

been recruited by Allan Coombs to set up the company's

went to great lengths to ensure that adequate resources

Commissioning Department. It was a clever move, as

were devoted within his own company to commissioning

A.G. Coombs had already been involved in government

everything in a professional and structured manner.

CHAPTER FOUR (19/0-1981) AIR CONDITIONING COLLINS STREET

Comm,ss,on,ng wa s a specsaJ,sed area req u nn g 6)(tenS1Ve :es tin g an d pre cis e do cu me nta t,o n 0: al ins:ala:.ons :tro ug ho ut the building Here.

Pfw "Acl'1ahon fr,g ht) an d Evett Gunn s Check ihe air flow during the final commissioning of se,v,ces.

□

A SINGULAR VISION - 7iE A.G. COOMBS STORY

The next

generation

As the events of the decade unfolded, Allan Coombs found

It was never a foregone conclusion that Philip would follow

himself contemplating something much closer to home

Allan into the business, especially given his early interest in

when both his sons joined the company. Although Ian and

studying marine biology. But after finishing his schooling,

Philip Coombs had been exposed to the business from an

Philip put his academic interests on hold to do a short stint

early age, it was Allan's younger son, Philip, who would

as a factory process worker, before taking a computer

ultimately see a career path in the industry in which his

job at the Local Authorities Superannuation Board. In the

father had played such an influential role.

end, the thought of creating things in the Cochranes Road factory proved too strong and, after approaching his father

During their school years, Ian and Philip had been frequent visitors to the factory, spending at least one week during

about joining the company, Philip commenced his plumbing apprenticeship at A.G. Coombs in February 1976.

term holidays travelling around in the company truck w ith Cornelius (Corn) Cass, one of A.G. Coombs' truck drivers.

The arrival of the boss's son was an interesting challenge

He was a "legend" said Philip, recalling how Corn would

for a company that had evolved under the direction of one

take them to job sites and then down to the beach to have

strong leader, and people were naturally a little uncertain

fish and chips.

as to how they should treat Philip. While delighted to have his son in the business, Allan insisted that he be treated

Ian was two years older than Philip and had left technical school at an early age to join the trade. He worked at A.G. Coombs for a short period in the early 1970s, but left

no differently from everyone else. "That was the way it was going to be," explained Ray Stephenson. "You had to do the hard yards."

before completing his apprenticeship to take up a suburban plumbing job. Realising that plumbing was not his calling,

Philip joined A.G. Coombs at a time when apprentices were

he decided to open a hardware store and was assisted in

coming into the company at an older age (he was then

this new venture by his mother, Elaine.

nineteen years old), whereas in the early days they were usually fourteen or fifteen when they joined. Starting out on

Ian eventually returned to A.G. Coombs in 1980 to run the stores and dispatch department, and took over as purchasing officer from Gerald Carter in 1983 when Gerald retired from the company. Ian later progressed through various positions in information technology, before leaving to pursue an IT career elsewhere.

the tools, Philip would find himself working on some of the company's most high-profile projects, including Collins Place and the Commonwealth Bank. He did what was expected of him, including a stint with Ron Barns and Ray Twite on a project at Werribee. Ray was apprehensive about this, believing that he would be called to account for either being

By the time his elder brother left the company, Philip Coombs

too hard or too easy on the boss's son. "Just treat him like

was already working in the business. A practical person

everyone else," Ron advised; so Ray treated Philip like one

by nature, Philip was in his element when helping to build

of the boys and everything worked out fine.

things in the factory with his father. "I was always a doer and the factory and business was a doing environment.

We created stuff and built stuff and that's what I enjoyed,"

Supervised by some of the company's most experienced operators, Philip went on to complete his plumbing apprenticeship in 1980, along with several years of night

he reminisced.

CHAPTER FOUR 1970 1981) AIRCONDITIONING COLLINS STREET

Baine Coombs with her sons Philip (left) and Ian (right) in July 1977.

school, where he studied advanced air-conditioning design,

"My father probably accelerated me, pulling me from pillar

business management and marketing. He also enrolled

to post t hrough different parts of the business," said Philip.

in a computer science course at Swinburne Technical

"So I developed a pretty wide knowledge in a very short

College and later set up a program for managing tools and

space of time." He was also aware of the management

equipment, which helped save A.G. Coombs thousands of

culture during his father's era. "My father ran a tight ship;

dollars in the program's first year of operation.

everybody did what they were told."

The real test, though, was when he began working

Philip settled easily into the business and, in doing the hard

alongside his father who, in typical fashion, threw him in

yards, earned the respect of staff. When it came time for

the deep end and expected him to grasp things quickly.

him to step into his father's shoes, he would do so with a good grounding in the operations of the company and an understanding of what he could bring to the leadership role.

ASINGULAR VISION - THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Restructuring

Factory Manager Jack O'Hehir was stunned to discover that Allan had spent three weeks using a forklift and crane to

At the start of the decade, A.G. Coombs had consisted

relocate all the factory's equipment, pipe racks and materials.

of a holding company and four subsidiaries, namely A.G. Coombs Pty. Ltd. (Contracting); A.G Coombs

Allan was both 'boss' and founder, but in time had assumed

Equipment Pty. Ltd.; A.G. Coombs Manufacturing Pty. Ltd.

the more corporate title of managing director. Yet he was

and also A.G. Coombs Servicing Pty. Ltd. (otherwise known

now thinking of handing over executive responsibilities and,

as the Service Division).

in December 1980, promoted Jock Fraser to Executive Director, with David Seedsman and Frank Schooneveldt

However, in 1976, Allan Coombs restructured the business

appointed General Manager and Company Secretary

into the A.G. Coombs Group Pty. Ltd. and, over a period of

respectively. Allan, as Chairman of Directors, was effectively

time, began transferring his property investments into family

still in charge, but with the high-level management duties

trust structures. These decisions were largely a response to

entrusted to his senior personnel.

the events of 1974, when Mainline Corporation (the original builders of Collins Place) went into liquidation.

All the former departments were also restructured into divisions, while Allan - who now recognised the importance

Of the many difficult episodes in the company's history,

of consistency across all their operations - set about writing

the collapse of Mainline in 1974 had the biggest impact

procedures for each and every function throughout the

on Allan Coombs personally. Forced to take drastic action

company. "There was even a procedure on how to write

to save the business, he was determined that this must

and update procedures," said Bill Moseley, citing a 500-page

never happen again. "Allan became a changed man,"

document that would be well-thumbed through in the

observed Frank Schooneveldt. "He restructured his affairs

years ahead.

and didn't have all his eggs in one basket." The company's presence in Moorabbin was also consolidated during the

Around this time, Allan used the company's newsletter

1970s through the acquisition of more land and properties,

to make a heartfelt statement to employees, saying, "It is

most significantly in Cochranes Road. Properties were also

with tremendous pride in what has been achieved through

purchased in Centre Dandenong Road, Cheltenham, and in

the efforts, ability and team spirit of so many loyal and

the regional Victorian city of Wodonga.

capable people not to feel confident of the continued success of the company". Having secured more lucrative

From the outset, Allan had been very hands-on in running

contracts - including significant proJects along Collins Street

the company. For example, after visiting and noting the

and a major contract with the CSIRO - it was now possible,

factory layouts in America, he single-handedly revamped

in his mind, to look at expanding the Cochranes Road

the Cochranes Road factory during one of the Christmas

complex, which he would start to tackle in the years ahead.

breaks. Needless to say that, on returning to work,

A SINGULAR VISION TI-IE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Allan Coombs AM Allan Coombs' contribution to the industry he so vigorously championed was recognised in the 1979 New Year's Honours list when he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). A relatively new award, the Order of Australia (which had replaced the British Honours systems in 1975) recognised Australians who had demonstrated "outstanding merit" in any field of endeavour in Australian life.

A member of the Master Plumbers Association since 1957, Allan had been a key force in establishing the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors' Association (AMCA), a separate organisation that promoted the role of mechanical contractors, as distinct from plumbers and gasfitters. On becoming the Association's founding president in 1961, he campaigned tirelessly to have the air-conditioning industry recognised in its own right. He a lso convinced the American-based Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) of which he was the first international member - to open an overseas chapter in 1968 and base it in Victoria.

Allan professionalised the industry by bringing SMACNA standards to Australia and encouraging architects and engineers to recognise them. He also worked with technical colleges to improve education and training opportunities for young apprentices (even sponsoring prizes for outstanding students), and was equally passionate about facilitating post-trade training. Many colleges applauded Allan's "untiring efforts" to ensure that apprenticeship training kept pace with the industry. He would be inducted posthumously into the ARBS Hall of Fame in 2012.

CHAPTER FOUR (1970-1981) AIR CONDITIONING COlllNS STREET

s House Completed m 1978, Coll,ns Wale of a one was et Stre at 360 Colllns a,r ":bs number of buildmgs that A.G. Coo the g dunn cond1t1oned along Collins Street ,...,.,, .a at the ,.,..,.. the ws Sho e imag 19lOs. This rear of the building.

~~-

ography.

Ima ge~ ·=· Manntx Phot

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

The Collins Street projects There were times during the 1970s when Collins Street felt

It was also a testament to the dedication and perseverance

like the company's second headquarters. Apart from Collins

of the entire site team, in particular Project Manager

Place, A.G. Coombs had contracts for several other high-rise

Ray Underwood, Site Manager Ray Smith and Site Foreman

developments in the city's financial heartland, including 360

Brian Tregenza, all of whom remained totally focused

Collins Street (Collins Wales House), 350 Collins Street (the

throughout the project against overwhelming odds.

Australian Taxation Office), and 367 Collins Street. A.G. Coombs also installed the mechanical services in the new headquarters of what was then the National Bank of Australasia (now National Bank of Australia), just a short walk around the corner at 500 Bourke Street.

The fact that all these buildings were even completed was remarkable, given the stop-start schedule of construction.

The transformation along Collins Street was also remarkable, prompting a range of responses from the community: some regretted the loss of a bygone era: others applauded bold,

Once again, banking groups were the main occupants of

new design. Reflecting on the end result, people could never

nearly all these multi-storey buildings. The Commonwealth

have imagined the hurdles faced, almost daily, by the

Bank took up residence at 367 Collins Street, while Collins

hundreds of contractors who built these facilities, delivered

Wales House would become the corporate headquarters

the services and prepared them for handover. But gradually,

of the Westpac Banking Corporation. With hundreds

through sheer energy and collective persistence, modern

of employees and subcontractors employed on these

structures had emerged, their interiors beautifully regulated

projects, people could be forgiven for thinking that

and temperature controlled, in stark contrast, some would

A.G. Coombs had been contracted to air condition

say, to the unpredictability and emotion that accompanied

the entire street!

their construction.

Union issues were still consuming a considerable amount of company time and Collins Wales House, like Collins Place, was a difficult job to supervise, with 150 plumbers spread over thirty-six levels. Union members took advantage of this, often putting down tools well before finishing time in order to make their way to ground level. Although union issues flared up irrespective of where people worked, it was an incredible time to be in the industry. "It was a massive job getting those fortified buildings up," said Ray Sherry.

A.G. Coombs' biggest achievement by far was the opening of Collins Place in May 1981 , nearly a decade after the company first tendered for the project. What so easily could have been a contractual disaster was now a major triumph - the 'jewel' in the company's crown. "There was a lot of heartache in getting Collins Place completed," said Ray Stephenson, "but in the end the job proved to be a winner."

This winning outcome was a result of the original contract tripling in price after being renegotiated by Allan Coombs.

Image source: Tile Collector's Marvellous Melbourne.

CHAPTER FOUR 11970 1981) AIRCONDITIONING COLLINS STREET

lti-level elopment comprised a mu The Melbourne Central dev ed by hor pping complex, origin8/Jy anc office tower and diverse sho Construction oldest department stores.

Daimaru, one of the world's ly made glass 80s and included a special commenced ,n the mrd-19 a focal paint of shot tower; which became cone to encase the historic in 1991. the complex after it opened

A SINGULAR VISION - THE AG. COOMBS STORY

Looking ahead with the

next generation Chapter Five (1982-1989)

A.G. Coombs' reputation as a large mechanical services contractor had been cemented with the completion of Collins Place in 1981 and its involvement in several high-profile developments along Collins Street in the late 1970s. But the euphoria associated with commissioning these iconic buildings was short lived, as a major downturn in the economy thwarted the company's plans to move forward.

•• • •• • • •

.. ..

• ••

August 1981

There was now a realisation that the Federal Government's

The personal computer (PC)

talk of a resources boom had been greatly overstated. In fact ongoing government speculation since the late 1970s had raised people's expectations, with businesses becoming over-confident and the unions demanding further wage hikes.

But the predicted resources boom never eventuated and business confidence crumbled in the face of stringent fiscal policies, high interest rates and tight credit. The building industry plunged into recession and, by October 1982,

is introduced.

..•• .•• ...•• .•

September 1982 Commonwealth Games commence in Brisbane.

February 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires in Victoria and South Australia.

repeated job cuts across different industries saw half a September 1983

million Australians out of work.

In stark contrast to the early Eighties, the latter half of

•

Australia 11 wins America's Cup.

April 1984

the decade would be exceptionally buoyant with a major

Advance Australia Fair becomes

building boom creating a buzz of activity around the

Australia's national anthem.

company's offices, which Allan Coombs completely rebuilt January 1988

during 1983-85. There was also a change of leadership

Australia celebrates its Bicentenary.

in 1985 when Philip Coombs became Managing Director, after being carefully groomed to take over the top job.

May 1988 New Parliament House opens in

.•

Canberra .

November 1989 British computer scientist Tim Berne,s-Lee ,nvents the World Wide Web.

November 1989 Fall of the Berhn Wall.

CHAPTER FIVE (1982-1989) LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE NEXT GENERATION

..• ..•• .•

IC

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Parkville is renowned for its research into cancer, immune disorders and infectious diseases. Dvring the mid-1980s, A.G. Coombs created special temperature-controlled environments in the lnstitute's research laboratories.

"

Jl(fJI.IZA HALi. Ml'ICALRIIWCH

A SINGULAR VISION fHE AG COOMBS STORY

■

Surviving the reCeSSIOn Allan Coombs had seen the signs of a recession as early

and, like many other businesses in Australia, A.G. Coombs

as 1980 and was already emphasising the importance of

rationalised its workforce and implemented a range of

securing smaller projects. However, everyone's energies at

cost-cutting measures.

the time were almost entirely devoted to major projects like Collins Place (which was then nearing completion) and it was hard to shift focus.

A number of people left during this time, w hile those who stayed accepted a more austere work environment. As for sourcing new business, it was a case of picking up the

As the economy deteriorated, the company took stock of its

phone and working through your contact list. "We spent a

position. After a very full schedule, t he prospect of dw indling

lot of time chasing work and ringing consulting engineers,"

work was a tough jolt to the system, raising the possibility

recalled Bill Moseley, explaining how t he consultants were

of widespread job cuts . On a company barometer of tough

still the ones making most of t he decisions when it came

times the recession of the early 1980s was not as severe

to hiring contractors. In time, t he builders would take

as it could have been - and definitely not as severe as what

over the selection o f all major subcontractors from

they would experience in the 1990s. But work was scarce

mechanical service providers through to plumbers and electricians. This saw t he demise of the previous system (where consulting engineers and architects nominated their preferred contractors) and heralded the rise of 'all-in-contracts' which enabled the builder to have full control over the selection process.

David Seedsman In 1963, after completing his plumbing apprenticeship at OH Armstrong, David Seedsman won a Victorian Overseas Scholarship, and was soon packing his bags for Belgium and England, where he would continue his training with several heating and ventilating companies. After gaining valuable work experience, David joined A.G. Coombs' estimating department in December 1966 and was involved in pricing some of the company's major contracts, before moving into project supervision and management. David was appointed General Manager in 1980 and began working closely with Allan Coombs, and later with Philip Coombs, whom he mentored for several years. David's leadership skills and experience were invaluable during difficult times in the industry (especially during the years of recession) when raising morale was crucial. He also played a pivotal role in securing prestigious contracts, including the contract for the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

While A.G. Coombs managed to get by without too many

for the new facility. The contract, if they were hired,

layoffs, major const ruction was now on hold and everyone

would help lift everyone's spirits at a particularly difficult

had to be "on their toes to pull in a job," according to

time. It would also challenge their engineers (who were

General Manager David Seedsman. One of the jobs "pulled

already experienced in the medical area) to create special

in" around this time was the contract for the Walter and Eliza

temperature-controlled environments for the lnstitute's

Hall Institute, a leading facility for medical research, which

research laboratories.

was in the process of commissioning a new building to expand its research capabilities. "In those days, that project was worth in the vicinity of seven to eight million dollars," said David "It was an extremely important project for us to have at that stage, for morale and also to get the

The hard work paid off and it was a memorable day when David returned to Moorabbin with the news that A.G. Coombs had won the contract. "I remember walking back into the office and saying, 'We've won the job,' and the morale just lifted, and from then on we started to win more work."

guys active."

Recognising the significance of the lnstitute's work - and believing that they could meet the technical brief - David spent long hours with the company's estimating team, as well as with the project's consultants and architects, in order to m aximise A.G. Coombs' chances of winning the contract.

He also consulted with the lnstitute's director, leading immunologist Sir Gustav Nossa!, over his requirements

Fortunately, it was not a prolonged recession and staff cutbacks were not as severe as they would be a decade later. When it became clear that the company would pull through relatively unscathed, Allan Coombs took advantage of lower building costs during the downturn to expand the Moorabbin complex. The extensions were eventually completed in 1984 with the new administration wing opening in June 1985.

Eliza Hall (pictured right c .1867) clearly wanted to do something meaningful with the vast funds sl,e inherited from her husband, Walter Hall, a wealthy mining and livestock pioneer. With a litt le guidance she set up a t rust and a portion of the funds were later used to establish the now internationally famous Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) of Medical Research. Founded in 1915, WEHI is Australia's oldest medical research institute, and its vision to be "the birthplace of discoveries" for the prevention and removal of diseases, holds true today.

One of the lnstitute's past directors, Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, rose to prominence for his research in virology and immunology, and, along with Sir Peter Medawar, was jointly awarded the 1960 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for discovery of acquired immunological tolerance. From 1965-1996, Burnet's successor, Sir Gustav Nossal, set about expanding the Institute, and it was during his tenure that scientists, led by Professor Donald Metcalf, identified the colony stimulating factors (CSFs) that boost infection-fighting white blood cells, particularly in people with cancer. More than twenty million

Image source: State Library of Victoria.

cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy have benefited from the discovery of CSFs, which replenish the immune system after treatment.

••

CHAPTER RVE (1982 I 989) LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE NEXT GENERATION

ASINGULAR VISION - TIIE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Expanding Cochranes Road Allan Coombs in the company's

A.G. Coombs'

former administration wing.

original facilities were demolished in 1983 to make way for a new and more modern complex.

■-------,,

'

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..

. .,..

•

~

·"

;

A SINGULAR VISION • TI ICA. G COOMBS SrORY

New head office facilities In the mid-1980s, Allan Coombs decided to demolish and rebuild the company 's offices on Cochranes Road. The aerial view (left) shows the company 's new premises in the foreground, with other commercial operations and light

Since acquiring the original Cochranes Road site in 1952, Allan had continue d to purchase other buildings on either side of the main property. These included 18-22 Cochranes Road, which he acquired for the SeNice Division In 1972, and the neighbouring Cranes and Shovels building in 1977, which he promptly leased back to them.

industry spread over what were formerly open paddock s.

In 1978, he also acquired and remodelled the Epicure building at 36-40 Cochranes Road - once again to accomm odate the growing SeNice Division - and bought another parcel of land in Cheltenham with the intention of developing it for commercial purposes. He was eventually forced to sell the Cheltenham land due to rezoning issues, but used the funds from the sale to rebuild the administration wing.

A.G. Coombs' new administration building opened in June 1985.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE. A.G COOMBS STORY

Small but

Special

Although major contract work had dried up, smaller projects

and the requirements less complex. With this in mind,

seemed to be less affected by the economic downturn. In

Allan structured everything differently from the rest of the

fact, the newly created Special Contracts Division (SCD)

organisation, as SCD would now be going head-to-head

was already justifying its existence.

w ith smaller companies and needed to treat and price its

In the weeks after Collins Place came to a standstill in 1974,

jobs accordingly.

Allan Coombs had made a strategic decision to return to

The importance of smaller projects was again highlighted

the company's roots of small suburban jobs and building

during the recession of the 1980s. "All through the recession,

refurbishments. The decision proved so successful that it

we always had the small jobs," explained senior foreman

highlighted opportunities to grow the business in different

Ray Twite, pointing out how they dropped to about fifty

ways, leading to the creation in 1976 of a department purely

plumbers in 1983, yet still managed to find work for

devoted to smaller projects, w ith Bob Tardif as manager.

everyone by picking up a couple of small local projects.

Nevertheless, some of these jobs could be quite substantial

Allan realised that SCD would need a different cost structure in order to be competitive. He was also mindful that the budgets for small suburban offices would be substantially less than those for Collins Street skyscrapers,

- not to mention something to brag about at home - like the installations they did at Moonee Valley Racecourse, one of Australia's premier venues for Group One thoroughbred racing. Projects like these were the reason why SCD contracts were classified as 'special' rather than 'small'.

Each year In October, keen punters flock to Moonee Valley Racecourse, where some of the world's finest thoroughbreds contest the WS. Cox Plate, Australasia's richest weight-tor-age horse race, and one of the world's classic thoroughbred events.

Rrst run in 1922, the Cox Plate was narned after William Samuel Cox, who established the racecourse in 1882 on leased farmland.

Moonee Valley also hosted harness racing from the 1970s to 2010. A.G. Coombs' Special Contracts Division upgraded Moonee Valley's services during refurbishments in the 1980s.

CHAPTER FIVE (1982 1989) LOOKING AHEAD WlTH THE NEXT GENERATION

Ray Twite commenced his apprenticeship at A. G. Coombs in 1967 on a weekly wage of thirteen dollars. In 1971 he moved to the company's Tasmanian office, where he worked on the installations at the Royal Hobart Hospital, eventually becoming site foreman for the project.

After returning to Melbourne he was assigned to Collins Wales House in 7976 and would later find his niche in the Special Contracts Division.

While many people in the company were still drawn to

Setting up SCD also broadened the company's capacity

the big construction sites, no one doubted the value of

to seek new business in areas they might not even have

the smaller contracts, as you only needed a few small

considered. Moreover, installation projects of any size could

refurbishments on your books, plus a couple of projects

often lead to an ongoing maintenance contract. Essentially

like Moonee Valley, to help sustain the business when

this meant that A.G. Coombs was fast becoming a "one-

things were slow in major construction. "During all the

stop-shop", as staff pointed out, with the ability to handle

recessions there were no big jobs, so everybody who

both big and small projects.

wanted to work on a big job had to come and work for me," said Ray, who helped supervise a number of small yet fairly complex projects.

CHAPTER AVE ;1982 1989) LOOKING AHEAD WITH 1HE NEXT GENERATION

ASINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Boom times The late 1980s were hectic years for A.G. Coombs, as the

Melbourne Central was an interesting project for

company's engineers, draftspeople and commissioning

A.G. Coombs, and one which could easily have gone to

technicians began focusing on several large developments

another contractor had employees not been conditioned

in and around the c ity. "Melbourne was on fire," said

to think pro-actively about job opportunities. Having pulled

David Seedsman.

through the bleak days of the recession, the general feeling was that rather than waiting for project consultants to call

From every angle, Melbourne's skyline was dotted with cranes, as new buildings began shooting up everywhere in

for tenders, they had nothing to lose by getting out there and knocking on people's doors.

the city. The city's building boom, which effectively started around 1985, would go on to generate millions of square

David Seedsman remembered approaching the consulting

metres of office space by the end of the decade. And with

engineers for Melbourne Central, before going straight to

more buildings being commissioned, the Service Division

Lewis Constructions and floating the idea of awarding the

was enjoying the increased opportunities to procure new

job via an 'open-book' policy, rather than putting it out to

maintenance contracts.

tender. It was a bold move in hindsight, especially as the builders had pointed out that they had "worked with Smiths"

After its success with Collins Place, A.G. Coombs began working on several memorable projects. These included the World Trade Centre on the Yarra River; the upscale Como Centre in Chapel Street, South Yarra; and the Melbourne Central retail and office development, commissioned by Japanese firm Kumigai Gumi.

A plumber by training.

David Seedsman became General Manager of

AG. Coombs in 7980. David was responsible for negotiating and overseeing some of the company's most significant projects.

(AE Smith & Son was A.G. Coombs' biggest competitor) but "not with A.G. Coombs". "Well I've got a surprise for you," David confidently informed them. "You don't know what you've been missing!" It took a fair amount of negotiating on his part but, after several meetings, the project team warmed to the idea of an open-book policy.

"I remember going to a meeting and there was a cast of thousands there," said David, who went on his own to hear the decision that the builders were prepared to negotiate w ith A.G. Coombs over the office tower, but would be talking to AE Smith & Son about the retail facilities. This, he felt, was a fair outcome, given that the entire contract for the retail and commercial space could have been awarded to just one company. Moreover, A.G. Coombs had won its slice of the contract before the rest of the industry had a chance to bid.

David remembered Barry Smith (grandson of AE Smith & Son's founder, Albert Edward Smith) ringing and saying, "What are you doing in there, that's my job". To which David replied, "No it's not!" And so, with contracts in place, work at Melbourne Central got underway, becoming one of several developments where teams from A.G. Coombs and AE Smith & Son would find themselves working side by side on prestigious projects.

CHAPTER FIVE (1982-1989) LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE NEXT GENERATION

The Coop's Shot Tower, Melbourne Central The historic Coop's Shot Tower sits at the heart of Melbourne Central's retail facilities as a well-preserved reminder of the city's history. Surrounded by the daily bustle of shoppers, it is hard to imagine that around six tonnes of molten lead used to fall weekly from the top of the tower.

Shot balls were made by dropping molten lead from a great height into a water basin below. As demand for lead shot dwindled, the tower (which was built around 1888) was slated for demolition, but saved and incorporated into the Melbourne Central retail development.

After completing the installation in the office tower during the 1980s, A.G. Coombs would later work on Melbourne Central's retail facilities during future upgrades and refurbishments (see left), including a major development and expansion of the facilities following the departure of the Daimaru department store in 2002.

Image source (above): The Collector's Marvellous Melbourne.

Melbourne Central's office building towered around 210 metres above Bizabeth Street. With the tower's two distinctive communication masts, the building rose even higher to approximately 245 metres.

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One of the most impressive projects of the late 1980s

Having had a long relationship with the company,

was 120 Collins Street - an imposing city skyscraper

Norm remained confident that he was working w ith

designed in the post-modern style by architects Hassell

people who appreciated and understood the finer points

in collaboration with Daryl Jackson. At 265 metres, it was

of engineering. "It was nice for consultants to deal with a

then (and still is) one of Australia's tallest buildings. As with

firm that had people who could speak the same language,"

Collins Place and other similar high-rise developments,

he said . "As well as the technical side, A.G. Coombs had

A.G. Coombs was charged with installing the air conditioning

good on-site management. They were a good stable firm

and ventilation throughout multiple levels of prime office

and were really reliable."

space in a landmark development. On completion, the building became home to BHP Petroleum (its anchor tenant) and would go on to provide office suites for major corporations such as Standard & Poor·s, Merrill Lynch, Mitsubishi and the Rio Tinto Group.

While the building boom kept everyone busy in Melbourne, there was a successful foray into Canberra in 1989 with a contract for the Department of Defence. As with all interstate jobs, providing accommodation for project teams was a major consideration, and contracts needed to be

The decade was not without its union troubles according to

of a certain size before management would commit to

Norm Davies of Lobley Treidel, a consulting engineering firm

submitting a tender. The $20 million Defence job ticked all

that frequently utilised the services of A.G. Coombs. Norm

the critical boxes and was so successful that it whetted the

remembered working closely with Contracts Manager Bill

appetite for similar interstate projects.

Moseley and Project Supervisor Russell Bray on the restoration of Melbourne's Princess Theatre, a project which moved along in fits and starts in the late 1980s due to ongoing union activity.

Although a relatively small project for A.G. Coombs, it was nonetheless a challenging one, given the limited space in the theatre's ceiling for a modern air-conditioning system.

Princess Theatre The heritage-listed Princess Theatre on Spring Street dates back to 1854 when Astley's amphitheatre for equestrian events and dramatic performances first opened on the site.

After being renovated and renamed the Princess Theatre in 1857, it began staging all the popular musicals of the day.

There would be further renovations over the years, with a major overhaul (including a new air-conditioning system) in the mid-to-late 1980s. The theatre re-opened in 1989 with Les Miserables, followed by The Phantom of the Opera.

The Princess Theatre also lays claim to a 'friendly' ghost - the former baritone Frederick Federici, who died from a heart attack in March 1888 at the end of his performance in Faust. Although Federici never returned to the stage, cast members were certain that he took a bow with them during curtain calls. Since then, numerous people have sighted t he ghostly 'Federici' in evening attire, while a dress-circle seat was often kept empty for him on opening nights. [Note: the 'Princess Theatre' is now more commonly written without the apostrophe.]

Image source: The Co//ector·s Marvellous Melbourne.

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A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Regional opportunities in Wodonga In addition to rts Melbourne facilities, A.G. Coombs had

In time, the Wodonga office achieved a certain celebrity

a small branch office in Wodonga about a four-hour drive

w ithin the company for the startling blue exterior of its

north-east of Melbourne. Straddling the Murray River,

production facility, which employees began referring to as

the twin towns of Albury-Wodonga became a focus of

the "blue biscuit tin" - because, as someone remarked,

the Federal Government's push in the 1970s to stimulate

"It looked like a blue biscuit tin from a distance".

regional development. Allan had always sourced a lot of his work in country areas and Wodonga (being on the Victorian side of the river) aligned with his vision of keeping the

The facility was built in the late 1970s after Allan Coombs suggested to Jock Fraser (who was then overseeing the company's regional operations) that they build a factory in

business "close to home".

Wodonga to speed up delivery of ductwork and reduce The branch office was established back in 1971, in rented

transportation costs. Jock's immediate thought was that

premises at 76 High Street. By 1973, Albury-Wodonga had

they could construct the factory using the prefabricated

been designated a national growth centre, w ith housing and

sheet metal panels which he had helped to develop after

commercial developments predicted to escalate in the years

seeing a similar idea in America, and which A.G. Coombs

ahead. Sensing the potential of future work for all the company's

was now clipping together for use on various air-conditioning

divisions, Allan structured the Wodonga branch to offer the

jobs. After discussing this idea, Allan gave Jock the go-ahead

full range of services available at head office in Melbourne.

in 1978, authorising him to purchase a block of land on Michael Drive where they could locate the factory. For some

A.G. Coombs established the Wodonga branch in 1971.

A.G. COOMBS WODONGA SERVICING DIVISION

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(060) 24 4333 ALLIIOUM

CHAPTER FIVE 11982-1989) LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE NEXT GENERATION

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

reason, they decided not to engage an architect. Instead,

As the years went by, it became increasingly clear that there

Jock organised all the drawings himself and hired a

was not enough regional work to sustain the business.

contractor to do the steelwork.

Finally, a decision was made to pull out of Wodonga altogether, with Philip Coombs assigned the task of closing

On the last day of construction, as Jock was helping to finish off the welding in teeming rain, an architect he knew dropped by to look at the building. When it came time to leave, Jock got in his car and noticed something that made his heart sink. "I looked in the rear vision mirror and saw

down the branch office in 1985. Alan Collard was not surprised, as service contracts had dwindled and they were losing projects to contractors who hailed from the local area.

"We were considered outsiders," he said, explaining that this would have always counted against them when bidding for jobs.

that the material had buckled," he said. They had originally planned to leave the galvanised iron fittings completely exposed; but now, with the light falling on the factory at a certain angle, it "looked shocking" as Jock recalled. While he was thinking of an explanation for Allan, the architect suggested a way of disguising the imperfections: why not spray paint the whole building using a special paint with sand in it? That paint happened to be blue.

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where Allan would not be able to see it) and, after everyone was satisfied with the result, proceeded to paint the entire building. "We sprayed this paint on it and we watched the sun rise and we watched the sun go down," said Jock, who later told Allan that an architect thought it would be

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"a good idea" if they painted the building. Allan accepted the decision and the factory survived to become part of company folklore.

AG. Coombs' factory in Wodonga reminded staff of a blue biscuit tin.

The modular-style building was constructed from metal panels, which were made at Cochranes Road and transported to Wodonga, where they were welded together.

Sheet metal products om bs saw g the business, Allan Co In the early days of buildin and ow n manufacturing facility, advantages in having his

to pro duc e up a sheet metal factory wasted little tim e setting afte r Road. In the late 197 0s, duc two rk at Co chr ane s teg ic y nee ded to be mo re stra deciding tha t the com pan managers operations, Allan and his abo ut its manufacturin g y, with plans and oval duc t ma chiner began investing in spiral goal tion market. The ultimate to capture the duc t fabrica opposition. the industry, including the wo uld be to sell duc t to Products creation of A.G.C. Metal All these ideas led to the ma rke d the beginning of Pty. Ltd. in August 1980, and for sale uring pro duc ts specifieally A.G. Co om bs manufact not round and oval duc ts d id to the industry. Although lly hoped, tangular duc ts, as origina replace the standard rec y ckly developed into a bus A.G.C. Metal Products qui ly to loc al ler loads of pro duc ts dai operation, dispatching trai

pro duc ts . It also introdu ced new and intersta te customers t heating, s, fire dam per s and radian suc h as volume damper spiral y in Melbourne to ma ke and wa s the first com pan duc ts te lucrative until similar pro ducting, wh ich proved qui entered the market. ch and uired a strategic approa Selling to the industry req om bs' Gribble had been A.G. Co W.R. Gribble & Co. (Bill s duly nching out on his own) wa chi ef estimator before bra t line distribute the entire pro duc eng age d to market and an beg ts A.G.C. Metal Produc on commission. In 1988, tas k t line, before handing the marketing its ow n pro duc ss that a new marketing busine to Celmec International, all 1989. However, when A.G. Co om bs created in were transferred bac k to manufacturing operations Products April 1991, AG .C. Metal A.G. Co om bs Pty. Ltd. in lmec, rketing activities wit h Ce me rge d its sales and ma . Ltd. Celmec International Pty and changed its nam e to

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A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

A change of leadership In 1985, Philip Coombs stepped into the managing

After his father's sudden departure, Philip became leader

director's role after an all-round 'apprenticeship' of almost

practically overnight, something he found particularly tough,

ten years. Prior to this, he had been assigned roles of

especially as there was no official handover to smooth the

increasing responsibility, and had been given the task of

transition. Although Philip understood how the business

closing down A.G. Coombs' Wodonga operations after it

operated, he admitted that it was daunting to be just

became clear that the regional branch was struggling to

twenty-eight years of age and managing a company where

secure new business.

senior employees were fifteen to thirty years older.

Most people were aware that Philip was being groomed to

It was now over forty years since Allan had established

take over the company, but no one really knew when the

his company, starting out on his own with small plumbing

handover would take place. One day, at a company meeting,

jobs and progressing from there into the big league of

someone asked, "When is Philip going to take over?" Allan

mechanical services. The business world had also changed

Coombs thought about this before responding decisively:

dramatically, with a shorter working week and more time off,

"When the bank manager rings up and asks for him and

including a rostered day off a fortnight, which Allan could

not me!"

never fathom. He was not the only one to feel this way.

"I felt guilty having a day off during a working week," said

With or without calls from the bank manager, Philip was as ready as he could be for the job. A self-motivated person, he had spent several years at night school and, with his plumbing qualifications, was more than capable of

Alan Collard. Both men had worked in a vastly different era and found it hard to adapt to the thirty-eight-hour week, which became a national standard after it was first achieved by the metal industry in 1981 .

picking up the tools and working alongside any one of the company's tradesmen if required.

Once Philip took over as Managing Director, Allan (who was still Chairman) became far less active in the business. He had

Despite Philip's extensive preparation for the top job. the eventual transition between father and son came as something of a surprise due to Allan leaving the company somewhat unexpectedly with no formal announcement to staff. Reflecting on these events, Philip remembered his father as being terribly unwell, the stresses and strain of the last decade having taken their toll on his general health and wellbeing. Allan, in fact, would be hospitalised for several weeks.

already vacated his office in 1985 following the completion of the new administration wing and, although he watched from a distance, it was Philip who was now in charge of the company's future. "I took over that role with his blessing," said Philip, realising the huge responsibility on his shoulders, but knowing that there were experienced people he could call on, including General Manager David Seedsman, who mentored and supported him in his new role.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

It had been Allan's wish that David play a key role in

Philip was a great believer in personal development and

mentoring his son, and the two of them had often

continuous improvement, and staff would become very

discussed Philip's career in the company. "I said to Allan

aware of his philosophies during the 1980s, and again in

that I'd be more than happy to support Phil, and so he

the 1990s following the introduction of 'Project 5', with

worked alongside me for quite a few years, and we got

its emphasis on continuous improvement techniques to

on very well," recounted David.

help grow the business. He was also clear about making

Allan Coombs occasionally returned to work on matters not directly related to the company's core projects, but chose to operate out of a small office at the back of the

decisions based on the current economic situation and that to do so was not being disrespectful to the company's origins. "What might have been successful in the past will not make us successful in the future," he emphasised.

building. He eventually moved out completely, thus giving Philip a free hand to change the management structure

In the years ahead, there would be a consensus within

and, ultimately, to set up a new board and committee of

the company that Philip had remained true to his father's

management in the future.

overall vision, while also making the necessary changes to

A new approach

rebuild the business. Part of this long-range vision would be a commitment to perpetuating the company through

In the months after Philip took over from his father,

facilitating employee ownership in the business - a process

A.G. Coombs began experiencing greater automation in its

that would gather momentum in the years ahead. This

administration area. The company's first fax machine, which

impressed a lot of staff, including those who had been with

appeared in September 1986, signalled the start of more

the company since the early days. "What I liked was that he

rapid communication with customers and suppliers, while in

was prepared to change things. He had the courage to do

October people began receiving their wages electronically,

that," said Jock Fraser.

instead of being paid in cash.

As A.G. Coombs moved into the 1990s, courage and

While each new development required significant

determination would be required in equal measure to survive

adjustments, the biggest adjustment after all these years

a recession even deeper than that of the early 1980s.

was the change in leadership . Philip, as people discovered, was a very different leader from his fat her. While Allan had given people considerable scope to do their jobs, they were in serious trouble if they did not deliver. Philip, on the other hand, was more inclined to pic k you up, dust you off and give you another chance. "Allan, in lots of ways, was an autocrat, tough, single minded," said David Seedsman.

"Philip had a totally different way of managing; he could see two sides of the story."

Philip Coombs {far right) with

his father. Allan, c.1985.

the mechanical G. Coombs up gra oo d Doong the 1990s, A. Immigration Museum. stoms House, no w the me inS tal a!J On S" Ol d Cu y buiJd:ng was on e of hts!onc ; 9th centur Fo r ma ny years tms Jes dut s to collecting custom lbourne. In ad d lio n o bu sie st places ,n Me als .-e customs officers we. g or leaving Victoria, tem en s od go an ip. m fro ,grat,on an d cenSOtsh Kl charge of ,mm

A SINGULAR VISION THE A G. COOMBS STORY

Adversity,

rebuilding and revival Chapter Six (1990-1995)

A general uneasiness could be felt throughout the business community during the first months of 1990. By now, another recession seemed imminent, with soaring interest rates, rising debt and headlines of corporate failures highlighting an economy under considerable pressure. Aware of this growing apprehension, Philip Coombs warned employees of tough times ahead, as the early years of the decade, he cautioned, would be "full of trials and tribulations".

The downturn was already being felt in the building industry, particularly in Melbourne, which for some years had been riding the wave of a massive boom. The problem was not so much what would happen to existing projects under construction, but the fact that there were no major developments in the pipeline once these projects were completed.

In response to the deteriorating economic situation, decisions were taken to become more diversified and not totally reliant on one segment of the market This was highlighted by the acquisition of Thos. Walker & Sons (including its fire protection division), which brought a new line of service into the Group, thus growing A.G. Coombs' profile in areas that complemented its core business of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

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CHAPTER SIX (1990 1995) ADVERSITY REBUILDING AND REVIVAL

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January 1990 Victorian Football League (VFL) becomes the Australian Football League (AFL) .

November 1990 Following the release of economic data, Australian Pnme Minister Paul Keating refers to the ·recession we had to have".

December 1991 Dissolution of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) effectively ends the Cold War.

March 1992 The first women are ordained In the Anglican Church of Australia,

June 1992 The High Court of Australia announces Its landmark Mabo decision granting native title to Aboriginal People.

May 1994 Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa

A SINGUIJ\R VISION THE A. G. COOMBS STORY

Diversification Despite all the murmurings of a downturn, there was still

The building's other tenants included the Drawing Office and

a measure of confidence at AG. Coombs, not to mention

Celmec International, a marketing company that had been

sufficient momentum in terms of ongoing projects as the

established to promote and sell goods made by A.G.C.

company transitioned into the new decade. Indeed, it was

Metal Products (the two companies would eventually merge

business as usual, with everyone knuckling down to work

in 1991 ). Celmec not only professionalised the marketing of

on several large developments, including Western General

these products in Australia, it also planned to sell a range

Hospital, the former Footscray Institute of Technology

of items internationally. And just like AG.C. Metal Products

and Chadstone Shopping Centre (which was undergoing

in the 1980s, it only sold to people in the trade, including to

refurbishment). Project teams were also spread around the

some of A.G. Coombs' biggest competitors.

CBD, installing or commissioning services at several major building sites, with developments like Melbourne Central and 120 Collins Street nearing completion.

Selling to a competitor was always a sensitive issue and one of the main reasons for creating a marketing company that was completely unrelated in name to A.G. Coombs. Staff

Back at company headquarters, the old Epicure Building

noted that customers seemed more comfortable writing

at 36-40 Cochranes Road had been demolished in 1989

out cheques to Celmec than they had to A.G.C. Metal

to make way for brand new facilities, which were due

Products, most probably because the latter highlighted

to be completed in August 1990. The Epicure Building

that they were paying a competitor - which no one liked to

was originally purchased in 1978 to accommodate the

do - whereas the name Celrnec, at least on paper, had no

expanding Service Division. However. more space was

connection to A.G. Coombs.

eventually needed and so the Division was temporarily relocated to the pipeshop while the new premises were constructed. "It was our first smoke-free building," said Alan Collard, who returned in 1990 to head up the Division after thirteen years in the contracting and administration areas.

Looking ahead. diversification was believed to be the best buffer against an uncertain economy. It was a view that guided the decision to acquire Thos. Walker & Sons in April 1990 and, almost two years later, to diversify into dehydrated snack food. While the food business took A.G. Coombs in a new direction, the acquisition of Thos. Walker was seen

lrrr

as an opportunity to build the company's industrial profile by

A. G. COOMBS GROUP Pty Ltd

adding fire protection to the mechanical services package.

CORPORATE ADMI NISTRATION A. G. COOMBS Ply Ltd ,._ ~

_J

r A. G. c. METAL

PRODUCTS L_ Ply Ltd

L

~

l THOS. WALKER & SONS Ply Ltd J

MANUFACTURING CONTRACTING f;RVICIN~ lc:\.s ~ ~ISIOH

l"<lMEC FIRE PROTECTlo~I MECHANICAL J

A. G. COOMBS CORPORATE ORGANISATIONAL CHART

The A.G. Coombs Group 1990.

CHAPTER SIX (1990 1995) ADVERSITY REtlUII.IllNG AND REVIVAL

ASINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

After a ten-year 'apprenticeship' in the company (including a four-year plumbing apprenticeship), Philip Coombs became Managing Director in 1985. The loyalty and expertise within the business, along with its teamwork culture, meant that Philip could count on having experienced hands 'on deck'

as he led A.G. Coombs through another recession and a major rebuilding program in the mid-1990s. Like his father, Pililip was committed to perpetuating the company for employees - a vision that would see employee share plans introduced in 1999.

Philip Coombs

Russell Telford Growing up in the family plumbing business, Russell Telford had an early taste of life in the trades, and was encouraged by his parents to_pursue a technical path in his career After graduating with good marks from Box Hill Technical College, he decided to seek an apprenticeship in mechanical plumbing, with plans that one day he might return to work full-time for his father's business, S. Tetford Pty Ltd, He was particularly keen to hone his skills at Thos. Walker & Sons due to its strong history in process pipework and because it was known for producing highly skilled tradespeople.

Russell joined Walkers as a first-year apprentice in 1982 and spent his first months in the company's pipeshop, He eventually moved off the tools into roles w ith more responsibility, but realised that he would need to look elsewhere for more challenging work, especially when it became clear that Walkers had become focused on the short term and unwilling to offer its employees opportunities for career advancement.

Like most people in the industry, Russell was aware of AG. Coombs' reputation for being progressive and innovative, By the late 1980s, Melbourne's building boom was in full swing and the word was out that AG. Coombs was looking to hire tradespeople w ith skills and experience.

Russell's background ticked all the right boxes and, in 1988, he began working for AG. Coombs as a foreman at 505 Little Collins Street. He would eventually be promoted to management in 1993, and succeed Philip Coombs as managing director eight years later,

With a history that included installing pipework In warships, Thos. Walker & Sons developed an industrial expertise that would later incorporate large-scale pipe installations and fire protection services. A G. Coombs' acquisition of Thos. Walker's fire protection ann enabled it to expand its pronte in the industrial area, and marked the start of the company's transition into a full building serviees company.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Acquiring Thos. Walker & Sons By the late 1980s, pipe and fire protection specialist

of its young tradespeople, including those of Russell Telford,

Thos. Walker & Sons (Walkers) was struggling with a range

who, after six years with Walkers, had left in 1988 to seek

of operational and marketing issues. At this stage, most of its

new opportunities w ith A.G. Coombs.

ductwork was coming from A.G. Coombs, and discussions had progressed in recent months between Philip Coombs and Dennis Walker over A.G. Coombs potentially acquiring

"A.G. Coombs was regarded as a progressive, modern company," said Russell, remembering how impressed he was the first time he saw the Moorabbin complex. In his

the business.

opinion, everything about A.G. Coombs seemed stamped Dennis's grandfather, Thomas Walker, had started out in

with the word 'professional' from the paperwork that

1894 as a plumber and gasfitter in the popular beachside

accompanied all the company's ductwork to the way in

suburb of Albert Park. His plumbing business had a varied

which products were delivered to customers.

client base, but would eventually build its reputation on big pipe installations and fit-outs (particularly for the maritime industry) with fire protect ion services introduced in 1968. Allan Coombs, on the other hand, had gone down the HVAC route and grown his business in the area of commercial heating and ventilation.

Russell was already on staff when the decision was made in 1990 to acquire his former employer. "It was disappointing to see a long-established company lose its way," he reflected with mixed emotion, remembering the days when Walkers was usually top of the list for anyone seeking a job in process pipework.

In nearly a century of operations, Walkers had tackled some massive pipe installations for local and interstate clients. Its customer base was now primarily industrial and its pipework could be found in some o f the country's major power stations and paper mills, not to mention the Shell oil

The plan was that the acquisition of Thos. Walker & Sons would provide a strong fire protection capability, as well as a good industrial client base. But then, as Philip Coombs recalled, "the whole market collapsed", not just one sector.

refinery in Geelong.

Despite its past successes, Walkers appeared to have

The original premises of

lost direction and focus, and was in serious need of an

Thos. Walker & Sons,

overhaul by the time Philip and his management team

Albert Park, Melbourne, 1894.

began weighing up the prospects of acquiring the business, in particular its fire protection services. As talks continued, it was the company's industrial profile that was most appealing, especially at a time when new commercial projects in Melbourne were fairly thin on the ground.

In other areas, both companies had excellent track records for training and providing career paths for young apprentices although, lately, Walkers had let this tradition slip. Yet in its heyday, the pipe specialist had carefully developed the skills

CHAPTER SIX 11990 !995/ ADVERSITY. REBUILDING AND REVIVAL

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

The

'inevitable' recession

Australia officially plunged into recession in the September

the job came to a close everybody really had to pull their

quarter of 1990. Al though people could feel the market

heads in because we were starting to go t hrough

slowing, no one expected it to collapse. 'The whole industry

this recession."

stopped; it just literally stopped," said General Manager Russell Telford remembered the shock he felt on returning

David Seedsman.

to Melbourne in 1992, after spending a year in Canberra as Then Federal Treasurer Paul Keating explained the downturn

senior site foreman on a major government contract. He and

as inevitable - even necessary - summing it up in six

others - in fact the entire project team from Melbourne - had

infamous words as "the recession we had to have". It was

been based in the nation's capital where they were leading

a bitter pill to swallow and did little to alleviate the symptoms

the installation of around nineteen million dollars worth of

of a heavily stressed economy, w ith many businesses now

mechanical services in the Defence Signals Directorate facility.

consumed by debt. Companies everywhere began shedding

"This was a large, challenging project and I remember not so

staff, and the consequences of this would be revealed two

much feeling like we were in a recession," he said. "I came

years later with job figures for December 1992 showing

back to Melbourne and thought I'd gone to another country.

unemployment levels at 11.5 per cent - the highest in

Work in general had totally started to dry up."

sixty years.

The market in Melbourne seemed to have disappeared You did not need statistics to tell you that things were grim.

almost overnight, leaving Philip Coombs with one of t he

Signs of the recession were visible everywhere, particularly

most difficult and important decisions he would have to

in Melbourne's CBD where no one was pegging out new

make regarding the business. After becoming Managing

building sites along the city's major streets. "There were

Director in 1985, Philip had come to an arrangement w ith

lots and lots of cranes on the skyline for t hings that were

his fat her, which saw him acquire all Allan's shares in the

designed [and nearly completed]," said Norm Davies, whose

A.G. Coombs Group by January 1989. But with the sole

consulting firm had worked w ith A.G. Coombs on a number

shareholding came sole responsibility for t he future of

of occasions. "But t here were no new jobs in the pipeline; it

the business.

just dried up." Basic arithmetic showed that something had to give, especially if developers were building ten times the

The economic distress was severe, more so in Victoria where the downturn was deeper due to a higher rate of

annual absorption rate of office space.

corporate failures. "The company was facing devastation At A.G. Coombs t he recession began wrapping its tentacles

given where the market was going," said Philip, describing

around all areas of the business. Ron Barns, who was

the recession as a "giant wrecking ball" about to swing

working on the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne

remorselessly through a business which, until that point,

Cricket Ground in 1990, recalled how everything changed

had grown dramatically.

quite dramatically in the months that followed. "By the time

CHAPTER SIX (1990 1995) ADVERSITY REBUILDING AND REVIVAL

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Despite the gloomy outlook, life continued at Cochranes

In the boom-bust cycles of the economy, there was no

Road, albeit at a slower pace, with efforts now focused on

doubt the market would recover. The question was when?

creating new avenues of business through the creation of

Philip remembered flying out of Melbourne to think things

Orytech (a company specialising in dehydrating fresh food)

over for a couple of weeks, and then mapping out a new

and Elvin's Snack Products. A decision was also made

strategy for the business on the flight home. Back at

in 1993 to restructure Thos. Walker & Sons into a division

Cochranes Road he called a meeting and laid out the bare

of A.G. Coombs under the name of Walker Fire Protection.

bones of what was still a pretty bleak picture. In his opinion, there was no future where they were currently heading, and so he proposed a new direction and asked for everyone's trust. "I set about restructuring the business w ith a clear strategy in mind," he said. "It was either going to work or it was going to fail."

~

A. G. Coombs installed the mechanical services in Canberra's

Defence Signals Directorate facility in the early 1990s.

Image source: Australian Government Department of Defence.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Restructuring the business Technically, the recession lasted roughly a year, until the

Retrenching good people was ''traumatic" remembered

September quarter of 1991 . The economy, however, was

David Seedsman, as they watched this vast pool of

slow to recover and unemployment figures continued rising

experience flow out the door. "We built this expertise and

through 1992. "In times of crisis, democracy will only take

then suddenly had to start shedding people because there

you so far," said Philip, as he reluctantly, but decisively, made

was just no work, and that was extremely tough in those

the hard decision to downsize and rebuild the business.

days." Everyone from the top down also took a ten per cent pay cut, while perks, such as company cars, were

By now, a lot of site staff had departed, as there was simply

scaled back.

nothing for them to do and no way of remunerating them.

Although site workers were not permanent employees

Although the outlook was still grim, the new business

(being contracted as t hey were on weekly wages), it was

strategy placed the Special Contracts Division (SCD) at the

hard letting go of so many people w ith no promise of work

forefront of their contracting operations. ''The remainder

in the foreseeable future. It was even harder saying goodbye

of the 1990s will be a stark contrast to the unrealistic

to many long-serving employees in drafting, engineering

conditions and expectations of the 1980s," said Philip,

and commissioning. As a result , the number of staff and

as he and senior managers pressed on with rebuilding

contracted workers employed by A.G. Coombs fell from

the business. They also stepped up internal and external

around 500 people in 1990 to approximately 200 by the

communications, put the focus on customers and, in early

time the recession really started to bite.

1993, commissioned a new logo as part of an upgraded corporate image. The end result was not so much a brand new logo but a more contemporary version of the original pipes, which, at Philip's insistence, still retained the green and orange colour palette that people in the industry

As part of the company's

immediately associated with the A.G. Coombs name. It was

rebuilding process, Philip Coombs

a name that conjured up visions of large projects along the

and senior managers refocused the business on smaller projects and implemented a major communications and rebranding C<impaign that saw the launch of a new company logo in 1993.

lines of Collins Place or the Royal Children's Hospital. But all this was about to change.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE AG. COOMBS STORY

SCD takes the lead

The focus on SCD also moved A.G. Coombs away from the 'wet concrete' environment of big building developments

The decision in 1993 to rebuild the company around the

(where they were contracted by the builder) and distanced

smaller projects of the Special Contracts Division (SCD)

t hem from the industrial relations issues hist orically

meant rethinking the whole marketing strategy for the

embedded in this environment. The aim now would be to

business. Was A.G. Coombs a big job company, as defined

source smaller projects from property owners and property

by the Major Contracts Division, or a small job company,

managers. "After the recession we got out of wet concrete

as defined by SCD? In Philip 's eyes it was not a case of

and focused purely on the client base and then dealt with

being exclusively one thing or the other. "We're a small job

wet concrete as an opportunity with the right customers,''

company that can do big jobs," he said, adding that they

said Russell Telford. Being able to operate in both markets

would now be focusing on customers rather than projects.

was a "huge strength" he said.

At this point, Philip tapped Russell Telford on the shoulder

While it was an enormous responsibility for Russell to be

and invited him to run SCD with a completely new structure.

charged with rebuilding an entire division, he was backed

Russell's appointment was effectively t he start of a new

up at a senior level by Philip, and also by General Manager

generation of management at A.G. Coombs, although

David Seedsman and Finance Director and Company

the idea that they would now be driven by the smaller

Secretary Frank Schooneveldt. Between them, David and

projects of SCD turned the company "upside down" as

Frank had c locked up almost fifty years w ith the company,

Philip recalled.

and their combined knowledge and experience would help

The emphasis on SCD (which handled jobs up to a million dollars) recognised its similar role almost a decade earlier when Allan Coombs and his team had started sourcing smaller projects to lead the company out of a recession in

facilitate the changes. "We went a lot harder to try and restructure and change in a different direction," said Russell.

"Profitability ret urned very quickly and we came out the other side fairly well."

the early 1980s. It was also clear that SCD had the capacity not only to sustain the company during downturns, but also to deliver new customers, generate work in its own right and provide a valuable training ground. for apprentices and junior foremen.

SCD would now have its own management, drafting, estimating and installation teams. It would also offer a complete design and construction service to clients, tackling everything from small tenancies and refurbishments to upgrades of larger buildings. The restructure took advantage of the fact that a number of companies had decided to refurbish existing buildings, instead of commissioning new facilities.

The Special Contracts Division installed the air conditioning and ventilation in the Toyota plant.

A SiNGUIAR VISIOM • fHE A.G COOMBS STORY

China calling At the request of the Commonwealth of Australia, three of A.G. Coombs' most experienced operators packed their bags at short notice and flew to Beijing in September 1990 to supervise the mechanical work at the Australian Embassy, which was t hen under construction. The call for help had been "urgent" as winter was approaching and work would come to a standstill unless the heating could be installed before temperatures plummeted to below minus 20°c.

Peter Morphet, Greg Spencer and Ray Stephenson (Ray is pictured left with two Chinese workers) spent several weeks in China working alongside a local crew at the Embassy, where they earned the right to call themselves "international plumbers". It was an eye-opening experience for all t hree men, who quickly adjusted to their new work environment: the scaffolds, they discovered, were built to Chinese height and were lower than what they were used to.

They also joined the daily bicycle commute to work and, during what little spare time they had, managed to sample local delicacies such as stir-fried frog, grasshopper and jellyfish skins.

Drytech and Elvin's Snack Products

unusual line of business for A.G. Coombs, the process used was simply a case of air conditioning in reverse.

As part of its diversification plans in the early 1990s,

For example, instead of pumping heat from an interior

A.G. Coombs established a number ot different ventures,

space into the external environment (a basic principle of

among them Drytech and Elvin's Snack Products. Launched

refrigeration) the heat was put into fruit and vegetables,

in 1991, Drytech specialised in dehydrating and preserving

and the water content removed.

fresh food products. Although this might have seemed an Drytech used its technology to turn fruit such as apricots and cherries into a type of fruit 'leather' or dried fruit snack. It then changed its name to Elvin's Snack Products in 1993 and began producing fruit and muesli bars on-site at Cochranes Road - a development that fascinated staff. While there was a sense of adventure in trialling new technology, the financial impact of the recession ultimately led A.G. Coombs to pull out of the snack business altogether in 1995.

CHAPTER SIX 199fl 1 l J< AfiVERS TV H BLI D NC AM) f<EvtVAl

A SINGULAR VISION 1HEA.G. COOMBS STORY

Evolution of the logo These images show the evolution of the A.G. Coombs logo, from the drawing of the original Cochranes Road building in the 1950s to the current 'pipes' logo, which was updated from an earlier version and introduced in 1993.

1950s

"'

WAT!II

HEATi,..,.,

& VEN TllJ.l COCHR AN

PLUMBING .

SHEET METAL

I

N I", ENGl"l[lRS

ROt.t.

MOO!<AB0I N

Pt ON£ Xll

SlO

'4

WORK,

OUST EXTRACTION, OXY & ELEC TR IC WELDING , COPPER & STAINLESS HEH WORK

1960s

1970s

A. G. Coombs Servicing Pty. Ltd. service engineers

, t OQJ\.U S

1I '

Although several designs

1993 - current

were considered when new ideas were being developed in 1993 (see above),

A. G. Coombs decided to slick with the familiar pipe design, as well as the original colour scheme (left).

A.G.Coombs CHAPTER SIX (1990-1995! ADVERSITY REBUII DING AND REVIVAL

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

It was now clear that the companies most likely to prosper

Customers for life

would be those that operated professionally in line with the As the restructuring continued, A.G. Coombs began

quality assurance and safety processes that were becoming

building closer relationships with its customers, especially

an integral part of business life. In keeping w ith these

on smaller jobs where there was potential for ongoing work

developments, A.G. Coombs began emphasising "quality

and providing a whole-of-life service. This 'whole-of-life'

management systems" and rolling out programs to improve

philosophy was shaped in the years after the recession, with

work practices and develop greater safety awareness.

managers demonstrating how A.G. Coombs could design,

Managers, in particular, needed to be flexible , open-minded

manufacture, install and then maintain all the mechanical

and ready to learn new skills. All this additional training was

services in a building. It involved changing the way they

a far cry from the days when everyone just got on and did

went about securing projects and looking at clients as

the job, but was necessary to keep one step ahead of their

potentially 'customers tor life'.

competitors.

The move to promote A.G. Coombs as a complete building

Recognising the need for change, Philip Coombs secured a

services group had also gathered pace after the acquisition

government grant and, in April 1993, engaged management

of Thos. Walker & Sons. Indeed, the idea had been brewing

consultant Chris Mason to train staff in decision making

since the completion of the Como project in the 1980s,

and teamwork. He then launched 'Project 5' in 1994 and

when management decided to bundle up a range of services

introduced staff to the idea of continuous improvement,

(including electrical and general plumbing) under the broader

setting an example by looking for ways in which to improve

banner of building services. Thos. Walker & Sons extended

his own performance.

this multi-service focus by offering fire-protection services as part of the package.

The Wilke printing plant

CHAPTER SIX (1990-1995) ADVERSITY. REBUILDINGAND REVIVAL

A SINGULAR VISION • THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Chris was also invited to join the AG. Coombs Advisory

Although staff completed all the ISO paperwork (compiling

Board, which included Frank Schooneveldt, David Seedsman,

some twenty quality assurance manuals in all), A.G. Coombs

Tim O'Brien and Allan and Philip Coombs. As Chris saw it,

never made its final submission for certification due to another

having sound values and being smart about the business

downturn in the building industry. ''We had to put this on hold

gave them the upper hand. "Good players in the market

as certification was an expensive business," said Alan Collard,

weather [recessions] much better than most," he said.

The Australian workplace faced a raft of challenges during the

who com pleted two university short courses just to help the company through the process.

1990s, as everyone grappled with new business concepts

Despite this setback, all the knowledge they had gained

and changing legislation in industrial relations. Enterprise

would not be wasted. Instead, it would go on to form the

bargaining, multi-skilling and quality accreditation were the

basis of the company's successful application for SafetyMAP

buzz words of the era, with one of the biggest changes being

accreditation (the quality assurance of health and safety) in

the increasing level of documentation that was now required

2000. It would also be transformed into an enduring quality

for company procedures and practices.

management system for the entire organisation.

At AG. Coombs, the paperwork for the quality assurance system Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 9001 placed considerable demands on everyone's time, but was an essential requirement for getting on government tender lists.

Draftsman Eddie Wooldridge (left) and Engineer Denis Jaffe in the company's drawing office.

CHAPTER SIX (1990-19951 ADVERSITY REBUILDING AND REVIVAL

The ductwork factory

formed the The Crown Enterta,nment Complex trans ed 111 1997.

Southbank area of Melbourne when ,t open led the instal ers partn re A.G Coom bs and its Joint-ventu ghout throu es air conditioning and the mechanical servic lex. comp the new the gaming and entertainment areas of r Dean ProwdJ.

/mag., courresy Crown R8SO/tS (phocographo

A G. Coombs worked on the refvroishme

nt of the Federal

Canborra as part of a Government's AdminJStratrve Bwlding ,n . This faci/J/y hous ed 1990s late joint venture during the would later be ts a numb er of government departmen and n Bwlding.

Gorto renamed the John Image S-Ource: MannV< Photography

A SINGULAR VISION • THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Beginnings and endings

- the milestone years Chapter Seven (1995-2000)

By 1995, A.G. Coombs had recovered sufficiently from the economic gloom of the recession to celebrate fifty years in business. It was also a time for rebuilding, with management now focusing on growth opportunities for the company while making strategic decisions about its core businesses.

•• ••

..• .. .••

No one doubted that change was necessary; however, after fifty eventful years, it was t ime for a nostalgic trip back through the decades to where it all began.

A.G. Coombs' fiftieth anniversary celebration was a proud moment for both Allan and Philip Coombs - particularly so for Allan, who was able to w itness the result of his early endeavours while mingling with people he had worked with for almost fifty years. This, in itself, was a testament to the depth of experience within the company and highlighted the importance of perpetuating the business by giving employees the opportunity to share in a long-term vision.

..•• ..••• ...•• .• •• ..• • ...• ..• ..• •

•• •• •• • •• • •

. .. . .•• .•• CHAPTER SEVEN (1995-2000) BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS THE MILESTON~ YEARS

• •• •

August 1995 50th anniversary of VP Day, marking fifty years since the end of the Second World War.

August 1995 A.G. Coombs celebrates fifty years ,n business .

July 1996 Dolly the cloned sheep Is born ,n Scotland, becoming the first mammal cloned from an adult cell .

December 1996 Australian veterinary surgeon and medical researcher Professor Peter Doherty is awarded the Nobel Prize In Physiology or Medicine together with Professor Rolf Zinkernagel. {A.G Coombs would later Install the services at the Peter Doherty Institute in Melbourne.)

September 1997 Google.corn Is registered as a domain.

A SlNGUWl VISION

Celebrating a Although 19 95 he its fiftieth annivers

ralded a ne w ch ap

ary also provided

te r for A.G. Co om

a rare op po rtu nit

as a chance to th

Milestone wh o ha d ke pt the

bs .

y for an k pe op le fo r the ir loyalty. By chance , Alan Collard's 40 -year anniversary dinner wa s du e to take pla ce th at year. an d so it wa s de cid ed th at th is wo uld be the perfect occasio n to ma rk bo th a co mp an y as well as a personal mi lestone. Ho ldi ng th e floor at a celebra tion dinner, Allan Co om bs highligh ted th e generational chan ge in leadersh ip an d the efforts of tho se reflection, as well

A.G COO IBS ST

business going. He

then ca st his mi nd s driving around in his Austin 'ut e' an d mulling over ide as fo r growing his on e- ma n plumbing bu sines s. "N ob od y ha d an awful lot of mone y, we were all trying to make ou r wa y an d therefore we wo rk ed tog eth er as a tea m of pe op le, " he reminisced. "I wo uld say every individual wa s the be st in the field in his ow n rig ht.

Together we we re a tremendous te am an d we de pe nd ed so mu ch on on e another for succes s." ba ck to the ·o ld

da ys · wh en he wa

Allan and Baine Co ombS

Gerald and Joyce Garte

r Shirley an d Jo ck Fra ser

CHAPTER SEVEN

BE3!NM Nb-> AND E:NOIN GS

TH l

tST,J'

tARS

,,.,,1,p coo rnb

S alsO spo

ke, reca11 1ng

at the sta \he mulbp rt o, 1he o le ct,alle0 ecad•· o u t c 9es v,ilh a P P good _ , s "" o « ms reflection . ·n ,e _ s pan, a «aJ"''° g o \" 9 1nro " and is t,ae u 9 l< " 10 i" " '' '" '; · ne nurn""' o assured e ne i n " " rn piO;ees, was 1Q0¼ a d d " g 1na1 \he 1ng ·verv """" opt1mist1c and ongn t. " 1n the s P '" '' oi fiVe deeades " " '" " " d ,A S ongioal plOrnt,ng .G. coornbS had g speeialiSl ,oats 10 b e C in rneeh,. fl l" ' a 1ec ;cal se,v1 M c iC e 31 s . wilh a re atlfacled ,,utaliol' 1 not onl'/ u n a l had a d0SP""" enginee<S " ' 10 rt,e c and desi9 O fT IP 3"'1· bU1 a "°'s. A.G ,n \he wid lso - eoornbS e< ioduslf was also "/ u"ough a c tN e \AA c;ond «s rn,01v \li0""9 & ,,,,.,n1 v,i ll " , \h " " and f# < C e r,>J(CA N A 1snee i c a l con1,ae101s' ,ssocia1 ' Metal • , i""l . . c;ondil N a \' ° " " ' i0ffi"9 c;o As50"'ali n 1 1 a clf>IS' 0ffl- o e 1 "" "' n e d 10 infJUSl"I a prolessiO ndi ""\ise '" " had """" led < N " _ hiS - tJUSineSS, s , partic COo"' ula"' 10 ,, had ,e5e _ ;. e a , " bS ,.ched " " " " '" ne " fle"e\0P and otne rne fS had als O spent u n1s, '" " " " PhiiP e o rne atiroa d i1westig ornbS rnact11nerv a\\ng " " " metnods ' and desig n ideas. />S an e rn de\ined t, P '° '" '' A.G. eoo ,; a genu bS' W fl<plaC ine carnrn E' c aia(le(ieOa seemed 10 b nd carinugttu«> was (ing out 1 artitud• 1 1,e nest in na1 «s ernPlo the comp ;ees- s;gn al"/ was g ifi e 3 0 11'/, ,ow \Of _ , , g e , s 10 b e hm ing aga•n and ii was " " " " n " 9 peOPi" " " '1 ""' ,ecess""'· lhe'/ had Ale\ g o d " m i _ , s1 ""9 a1efl(8f'I a lSO sel \o rth a

'°""

~

~

bOid eou< S<> lo< I I " " " " " t // 10 t, e an rn,11,rnng "'(jUSIC/ le 1ne cornp a(le< and al"/'s goa seo,lceS· specialls l l pff,,;de< u"""""'""" of t » > i ' thiS were c o " ,,.1ues n 1ghli9hli" \0 cQ<'\\ n,,OUS i 9a and ~I , cuslorn _pan, e ' " '" " " ' •we stood lo< -" said AU wanted 10 a ff i" " w SS~1,~10 n a 1 1ne F" " '" S C <d wno, 1 h " ° " '" " '° ogeth<" w ' a n "h d Kirn 1< ..,,_,.., , @ es"""· " " '' " " '9 m e d ,; g ""'9 h t co<• ~ pnr,cip incorp0ra l0S, 1h31 lh ted into a e'/ formal va lue statem ent.

Amid all tn ese new oeve\Opm _ ,, g e fl ( ents, a cn 8 f' I saw ange in to '" " '" SC p 1995 aod h O"""'eldl o"""' seed 1 a \f \n 9 a S "'3" dePartin UP a sen•O ,n g in " " " f poSitiOn w 1996 10 ta ,l h k e N e - p < e l• grnilh • S _,;ng on SUi • o l l\ 0 $ \0 ( was " " ' a O " " " '· as he would on p n t ,e0 la\ef !incl 1uies wit ne<P,ne in m h his ., .m e t co11ea o<" w"fS eues, ,nan one future coll \0 abOration \he succe s betwee ss ol n bOtn co Fo\lOwin9 mpanies . oa""''S d e p a r t" " · PtiiliP ask " " ' c;onu ed euss• acling l)N ' \0 \,ead UP is iO f' , a n ol g e n •" "' d 1nen 10 tal<e o n \h rnan"9"' in e bf03de< 1997 , 1h a s Russe " '" ' e<• was li ' ,ecat\ed « le !U SS Of \an , 11 was m · genii'/ u \a f• o • < " a caSB· snered" th ne said, o fOU9h \he l t, e ln e gene<~ rn real>! con an,ige<'S f<denl at, dOO'-·1 \ell oul A.G. c oombS I ;npul 10 1 ~ w " is <e rnp10"" \h ll we nad \f'9S Of cn an9e thin open app 95- n,ere roacl"I ab was a _ ()Ul wnat , we could do."

comm""""'

q""'" peri"'"' ""'"·

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images le ft to ngnt: Jim and s 1eptianre earr, Alan and Joy cotJa rd , Frank and MafY SCJi O Orleveldt. and Gail a nd oavid seedsma n.

A SINGULAR VISION • THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

to feed their factories. Believing there was a better way to

A new direction

handle production, A.G. Coombs and its competitors teamed After toasting fifty years in business, the next challenge for

up in 1997 to establish Ductmakers, a joint venture company

management would be to ensure the growth of A.G. Coombs

that began manufacturing products for all venture partners.

over the next half century. The diversification plans of the early 1990s had been a strategic response to a slowing economy,

Decisions were also made regarding A.G. Coombs Servicing

especially in major construction. But was it the right strategy

and A.G. Coombs Contracting, the latter comprising Major Contracts and the Special Contracts Division. Although staff

for the future?

from these two areas often worked on the same projects An eagerness to explore new opportunities was inherent in

(albeit at different stages) those in the Service Division were

the company's approach to business Although not all ideas

often overshadowed by their cousins on the contracting side

would stand the test of time, the company's foray into cabin

of the business. The Service Division, however, was one of

construction and flat-pack housing were early examples

the biggest operations of its kind, w ith large maintenance

of this innovative spirit. Even during the difficult years

contracts and around forty service vehicles operating

of recession there was a w illingness to experiment,

throughout Melbourne. It deserved a bigger profile.

as evidenced by the dried fruit venture, which many remembered as one of the more interesting ideas that

A change of postcode was deemed the best solution

A.G. Coombs attempted.

and in November 1997 the Service team moved to Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, where it was hoped

The severity of the recession, however, meant that focusing

they could forge their own identity. There were also practical

on the company's core strengths in design and engineering

reasons for the move, as Port Melbourne was closer to the

was now considered vital to the rebuilding process. It was a

CBD where most of the Division's work was located. Walker

strategy supported by Jack Melbourne, who was appointed

Fire Protection also relocated to Port Melbourne, while

Non-Executive Chairman of the A.G. Coombs Group Board

A.G. Coombs Contracting (which eventually evolved into

in 1995. Having held senior roles in the construction industry,

the Projects business) remained at Cochranes Road.

he was familiar with the issues confronting A.G. Coombs, and mindful that the recession and start-up requirements of

It was now c lear to employees that the company needed

new ventures had placed undue pressure on its finances.

to restructure its operations to remain viable. Businesses

The Board moved quickly, winding up Elvin's Snack Products

everywhere were starting to outsource a range of services

in 1995 and selling the products marketing business Celmec

and A.G. Coombs did not escape this trend. In the

(which was now more focused on retail and export) to its

mid-1990s, a decision was made to close the company

then manager Tom Schilbach.

store and transfer equipment such as leads, ladders, scaffolds and drills to the Ductmakers' site. At the same

As a Board member, Philip Coombs was conscious of

time, the supply of materials was outsourced to Tradelink,

implementing a clear and manageable strategy for growth.

a major plumbing supplies company.

"The initiatives during that time were an ongoing example of the company striving to break new ground," he reflected.

"This changed the culture of the place," said Alan Collard.

"However, the economic times - which were extremely

"Instead of people from the building sites contacting the

severe - forced us to take a tough approach in the interests

Moorabbin store, they began requisitioning site equipment

of business stability."

direct from Ouctmakers and ordering their materials from Tradelink." The outsourcing trend also extended into other

There were also concerns that the company's sheet metal

areas, with truck driver Keith Marsh given the opportunity to

factory was not being fully utilised due to the economic

purchase the company truck and become an A.G. Coombs

downturn. A.G. Coombs was not alone; if the industry

subcontractor.

grapevine was correct, other companies were also struggling

CHAPTER SEVEN (1995 2000) BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS - THE MILESTONE YEARS

A SINGULAR VISION THE AG COOMBS STORY

Putting Safety on the Map

Although embedding these changes took time, the decision to apply for SafetyMAP accreditation provided a clear

There was no denying that A.G. Coombs was pouring its

goal for the entire organisation. As the determination to

heart and soul into creating a safe work environment for

document procedures grew, the company's earlier work for

all its employees. By the late 1990s, at Russell Telford's

the ISO quality assurance system was used to guide the

instigation, a safety committee had commenced an internal

application process.

safety audit using the rigorous criteria of SafetyMAP - a quality assurance system initiated by the Victorian

By 2000, A.G. Coombs had thoroughly recorded all its

Government's WorkSafe organisation.

occupational health and safety practices, while everyone was now on the same page when it came to following

"The impact was almost immediate," said Ray Twite, who attended dozens of meetings to reinforce the importance of wearing safety glasses and ear muffs. However, it did take a while, he admitted, for people to appreciate that a strong

procedures. Finally, in October that year, AG Coombs received its SafetyMAP accreditation, significantly becoming the first mechanical services contractor in Victoria to be accredited.

safety culture depended on observing even the most basic safety practices, with no exceptions.

As clients were now looking to engage contractors w ith excellent safety credentials, SafetyMAP would become a much-envied feather in the A.G. Coombs cap, giving the company not just a slight edge when tendering for projects, but also a safe one. "We started winning jobs because of SafetyMAP," said Ray Stephenson.

Essendon Aelds, 2008.

Although high-visibility clothing was introduced in the late

1990s, there was a transitionary phase when employees still wore some of their own clothes. Today, work attire incorporating high-visibility components is provided

by A.G. Coombs.

ANZ Centre, Docklands, 2007.

dlcs

CHAPTER SEVEN (1995 2000l BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS Tl-iE MILESTONE YEARS

Establishing Ductmakers By the mid-1990s, A.G. Coombs and its competitors could no longer ignore the bleak situation confronting their respective manufacturing facilities. As they discovered, it was great when all the machines were running full time; not so great when they were sitting idle due to an economic slowdown.

With this in mind, Philip Coombs and Ray Wilson, founder of Rayson Industries, began discussing the benefits of having just one facility manufacturing ductwork ior several companies - an idea that also appealed to Managing Director of AE Smith & Son, Barry Smith. "A.G. Coombs had all this sophisticated machinery and Barry also had it, and he had the same problem, and it just made economic sense to form a separate company," explained David Seedsman, who was now working at AE Smith & Son. Other companies were also approached, including Allstaff and Doug Langford and Ernie Wills of D&E Air Conditioning. In the end, after Rayson withdrew from the project, A.G. Coombs, AE Smith & Son and D&E Air Conditioning teamed up in 1997 to form a joint venture manufacturing company, which they aptly named Ductmakers.

While joining forces with the opposition might seem risky, there was no reason why it could not work. After all, both A.G. Coombs and AE Smith & Son had previously demonstrated that they could enter a joint venture, with its different ground rules, and treat the project separately to their other operations. The new company was located in Dandenong with an independent ownership structure and clearly defined supply agreements. It also began operating around-the-clock, processing huge volumes of sheet metal. not only for the venture partners, but also for sale to the industry.

"It was a good strategy coming out of the recession, and one of the most successful things we've done," said Frank Schooneveldt, who returned from his sabbatical to help establish the business.

Producing

sheet metal products

II

1ne joint venture partnership of A G. Coombs, AE Smith & Son and Al/staff installed the mechan,cat services ,n the pod1Um area (l,,s ble botto m left

•1 1Mt'lboume's r.rown Entertamment Complex, while Bar/in Scott tackled the hotef tower. Construct,on was well underway by 1995.

Imago source National /.JbJary of Australia

.

'

t

A SINGULAR VISION • THE A.G COOMBS STORY

New Projects With business confidence gradually returning, it was only

services in the podium section of the complex (which

a matter of time before construction began moving ahead

included the gaming areas, ballrooms, restaurants and

on major commercial developments around Melbourne.

cinemas) as well as supporting infrastructure and gas

Building owners were also upgrading their facilities and

features.

A.G. Coombs soon had its project teams back in the CBD with refurbishment contracts for Treasury Place, 140 William Street and the Commonwealth Bank Building

After some preliminary sorting out of roles, project tasks were divided equally. In the drafting area, for example, five people from each company (plus an additional two from

at 385 Bourke Street.

AG. Coombs) worked full time in rented offices near the One of the most talked about projects in the mid-1990s

construction site. Each company also assigned an equal

was Melbourne's Crown Entertainment Complex. Crown's

number of engineers, tradespeople and receptionists to the

casino had already opened its doors to the public in 1994 at

job, with an independent management structure resolving

a temporary location in the World Trade Centre on the north

the lines of reporting. The venture, with its equal resourcing,

bank, or city side, of the Yarra River. Meanwhile, a much

worked well, and laid the foundations for future partnerships.

larger complex (including shops and entertainment areas) was now being built across the river at Southbank.

For A.G. Coombs, the Crown Entertainment Complex was a morale-boosting project at a time when numerous

Grocon, the builder, believed that the development was

other companies were still struggling to re-establish their

too large for one mechanical services contractor to handle,

businesses. Nevertheless, as staff recalled, it was still an

and made it known that separate contracts would be

incredibly tough environment in which to be operating, with

awarded for different sections of the complex. Even so, the

building companies grinding contractors down to the last

divided sections were still considered major projects in their

cent. if they could, and, in some cases, expecting financial

own right and, after the bleak years of recession, people

hardships to be borne by all service providers.

were soon chasing the same jobs. Keen to enhance their chances, Philip Coombs and Barry Smith, then Managing Director of AE Smith & Son, decided to bid for one of the larger sections of the complex as part of a joint venture.

Philip Coombs remembered stepping out of a staff function to take a call from a builder, who then proceeded to inform him that a large sum of money owing to A.G. Coombs would not be paid, because if the builder was hurting

The proposal made sense, not just in terms of securing

financially, then all contractors should be sharing "some

work for everyone, but also because both companies had

of the pain". Despite these bruising exchanges - not to

a similar culture. "We were fierce competitors," said David

mention the constant financial worry - the services were

Seedsman, "but there was a mutual respect, which made it

always delivered and massive complexes like Crown were

work." Allstaff also came on board and together, as the

constructed, commissioned and completed.

AAA Joint Venture, they won the contract to install the

CHAPTER SEVEN (1995-2000) BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS - THE MILESTONE YEARS

urne s Crown er mplex are/Olnecf ov Entertainment Co 1995. e on 17 November King Street Bridg lbo The two sides of Me

stralia. &onaf Library ofAu Image SOI.Jrre: Na

The Crownre Joint Ventu

gan nment Complex be the Crown &ltertai 7.

9 19 m ing d en an op Al te r es, restaurants s designer boutiqu rou me nu rts to rs own TowetS attracting visito s the luxurious Cr ken in 2008) show food an d bars. This image (ta dium area with its e the extensrve po ov ab ng eri rra River. tow Ya hotel uth bank of the hing along the so etc str ts tle ou I @ ret e.

Collector's Image source: The

um MarveJJous Melbo

A G. Coombs upgraded the mechanical semces at 140 w ,a,,· Street I, meny BHP House) dunng tt,, • 1990. CA· jgned by 'rtmcken Freeman, the buildtng was completed ,n 1972 and iS, today, considered oro of Melboume's heritage sJ<,;scropers.

Imago scuce: ,WJnnv< Phot.>graPhy

One of A.G. Coombs' most memorable projects in the 1990s was its role in the extensive refurbishment of Canberra's Administrative Building (now the John Gorton Building).

Image source: PJ Warren.

History of the John Gorton Building The John Gorton Building - originally known as the

Sited according to Walter Burley Griffin's design for the

Administrative Building - holds the record for the longest

layout of Canberra, the Administrative Building was finally

period of t ime (some twenty-nine years) to construct a

completed and occupied in 1956. This marked the start

public building in Canberra. The building's history dates

of government departments relocating to Canberra from

back to 1924 when the Federal Government held a design

Melbourne, the original seat of government.

competition for a facility large enough to accommodate several government departments in Australia's new capital city.

Over the years, the building has housed a number of key tenants including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (its new title from 1987), the Department of Finance

Following selection of the winning design by Sydney

and Administration (October 1997 to December 2007) and

architect George Jones, construction moved ahead in 1927,

the Department of Finance and Deregulation (December

but ceased in 1929 due to the Great Depression. Although

2007 to September 2013). A fine example of the inter-war

the Second World War delayed construction yet again, work

stripped classical style, the building features symmetrical

recommenced in 1947 with a new and larger design by

fa9ades, a classical column form with distinctive portico,

Commonwealth architects.

simple surface treatments and an overall design emphasising verticality. It was renamed the John Gorton Building after Australia's nineteenth prime minister.

VISION

The OCW joint venture

A.G COO SSS

As people began negotiating with potential joint venture partners, three companies- O'Donnell Griffin, A.G. Coombs

Partnerships seemed to be in vogue where large projects were concerned, with the contract to refurbish Canberra's Administrative Building in the late 1990s bringing together not only different companies, but also different service providers.

and Wormald - joined forces as OCW (the name derived from the initials of each organisation). The three-way union made sense, as key personnel from all three parties had previously worked as independent contractors on the Defence Signals

The Administrative Building - later the John Gorton Building

Directorate. Now. as a team, they would be tendering to

- was then home to the Department of Finance and

DOFA for the design, construction and commissioning of all

Administratio n (DOFA). Other departments had also

the building services, which they would then subcontract and

worked behind the building's imposing classical fa9ade,

project-manage.

among them the former Department of Foreign Affairs, which in 1976 installed an underground communicati ons bunker, where it handled all official cables between the Australian Government and addresses outside the country.

The communications bunker - described as "a secure but windowless office·· - was used until 1996 when Foreign Affairs moved to new premises. By then, the entire building desperately needed modernising, if only to bring in more

The joint vent ure bid was successful and OCW proceeded to upgrade and integrate the services in one of Canberra's most historic buildings, installing new systems to reduce energy costs and minimise the building's environmental impact. Having one contractor responsible for everything proved advantageous, as it ensured that all the building services came together seamlessly and that the building functioned correctly once commissioned.

natural light and improve the circulation of fresh air.

Following the multi-million-dollar refurbishment in 1999.

Normally, as part of the tender process, A.G. Coombs would have quoted only the mechanical services component of the project. DOFA, however. wanted a single point of contact for all the building services, and advised the interested parties that it wished to bundle everything together - with 'everything' meaning mechanical, electrical, fire protection, lifts and hydraulics. So, instead of having to appoint several subcontractors, DOFA would be awarding just the one all-encompassing contract when the building closed for refurbishment.

the OCW joint venture secured a five-year maintenance contract for the building. The entire project also set in train ideas for future service delivery and, several years later, prompted A.G. Coombs to establish Integrated Technical Management, a company that would focus specifically on managing and maintaining all the technical services within a building, in much the same way that OCW had operated.

This enhanced A.G. Coombs' emerging profile as a full building services company - a transformation that had been gathering momentum since the acquisition of Thos. Walker & Sons in the early 1990s.

Canberra's famous Parliamentary Triangle.

New Parliament House can be seen top centre of the photograph with the John Gorton Building circled.

Image source: PJ Warren.

CHAPTER SEVEN •995 200 BEGINNINGS AND END NGS THE MILESTON YEARS

~ot all of A. G. Coombs' work was hidden from v,ew within false ceiling spaces and basement plant rooms. The airlifting of chillers provided some impressive and very public aerial theatre.

Here comes

120 SPENCER STREET, MELBOURNE 111 DECEMBER 4 , 1999

HELICOPTER UFT OF 4 SECTIONS OF A MULTI-STACK CHILLER ColldltloU that we had to comply with for pertnh to pick ApprOaCII dowll Ille dodilUda llldustrial up point at the comer o f ~ Street ud Fruclt

+

Street

+

Clllller a,odulet had alreadY bMt1 craned t o the lop of

+

a4at~llu lNI• Upon a,mal of llelk:opler a 100 feet ateel callle IS lowered for attachment to the chlller MC)tlona

+

+

Units llfled to lfl.el 23 (roof) 120 SpenCB street On - • l o l l of Ille four 1111a Ille 1,e11copter .....,.. the tloC:ldUlde· \ill a •esterfy l,eadlq -

eoapanlel .........,

A 6 CoomlM Pty Lid SertJI eranes 11e11-,,P1Y lld

the chiller

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ASINGULAR VISION - l'HEAG COOMBS STORY

Allan Coombs - end of an era

Allan's commitment to advancing the industry he loved had been rewarded w ith an Order of Australia in 1979. Yet, for

14 October 1920 - 17 April 1997 From the moment he started hiring tradesmen and apprentices, Allan George Coombs had expected nothing but the best from his employees. In return, he had

many people, it was the workplace culture that truly defined his legacy, and was something highlighted at his memorial service at Commonwealth Golf Club, a course he used to play, almost religiously, once a week.

demonstrated a rare commitment to the personal and

As people reminisced, it was easy to appreciate the things

professional wellbeing of his staff, and only the bravest of

that made the A.G. Coombs workplace so exceptional.

bank managers would have dared refuse him the money

There was the celebration of good times and the pulling

to keep his company going in times of crisis. On one

together during the tough years, when Allan himself had put

memorable occasion, when company funds were running

everything on the line. There was also genuine recognition of

low, Allan had fronted up to the head office of the former

people's abilities and a w illingness to help them do better, as

Commercial Bank of Australia (now Westpac) and refused

well as a shared sense of pride in what had been achieved.

to leave until the Bank agreed to pay all the wages.

"People were steeped in the [culture of the] company," said Allan's achievement in turning his small domestic plumbing

Norm Davies, noting how Allan's employees would have

business into an industry leader was imprinted on every

done anything for him. To have cultivated such loyalty, while

building sign, brochure and service van that bore his name.

growing his company into a major contractor, capable of air

Industry associations like the AMCA would not have been

conditioning the largest commercial buildings in town, was

created w ithout him, while SMACNA could thank him for

a remarkable accomplishment by any measure.

his tireless efforts to establish an industry standard for the manufacturing of ductwork in Australia.

Allan reminiscing with Jim Barr; his first apprentice.

Allan, late 1940s.

L-R: Philip Coombs, Alan Collard and Allan Coombs, 1995.

A SINGUlAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Going forward As the years went by there was a growing realisation that

"Allan Coombs always prided himself on professionalism, so

the business could not stay a family concern forever.

he would have seen corporatisation as a good thing," said

Indeed , a chapter closed in the history of A.G. Coombs

Russell Telford. The transition to a corporate structure, with

when company founder Allan Coombs passed away after

senior employees having a significant shareholding, was

a long illness on 17 April 1997.

regarded in some quarters as one of the key developments

Although Allan had bowed out of the business in the

contributing to A.G. Coombs' long-term success.

mid-1980s, the role of employees in the company's

There was no question that they had just experienced a

evolution had always been important to him, and it was his

rollercoaster of a decade, from the depths of the recession

fervent wish that strategies be implemented to perpetuate

in the early 1990s to an intensive period of rebuilding and

A.G. Coombs well into the future. It was a feeling shared by

recovery spanning several years. The outlook, though, had

his son Philip and resulted in the decision to encourage key

improved considerably, with several high-profile contracts

employees to have some ownership in the business.

taking the company's project teams back into the city's

The introduction of employee share plans in 1999-2000 was in keeping w ith Allan's belief that you needed your

commercial hub and even north to Canberra as part of a large joint venture.

employees as much as they needed you. The plan was

A.G. Coombs' structure was also evolving, while its profile

open to eligible employees (seniority, length of service

as a building services company was gradually being

and experience were important) and, in many respects,

strengthened. The fact that they were now hiring more

equated to a partial management buyout of the company.

apprentices was yet another good indicator of growth.

Its purpose, in essence, was to retain good people in

Getting to this point had required some careful tacking on

the business, while giving them a vested interest in the

the part of Philip and his managers to steer the company

company's future.

through some turbulent waters; however, all the work done

These developments also coincided with the untangling and gradual winding up of the various family companies.

during this time would provide the basis for future growth in the rapidly approaching new millennium.

By 2000, the A.G. Coombs Group had bought most of the company properties from the Coombs family, a process that had commenced in 1990 with the sale of the Moorabbin complex to the Group. It also highlighted the fact that A.G. Coombs was becoming more corporate in its structure, and that the family involvement in the business was decreasing.

A.G.Cootnbs

CHAPTER SEVEN 1995-2000) BEGINNINGS ANO ENDINGS-THE MILESTONF. YEARS

The interior of the new Royal Children's Hospital, 2011.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A G. COOMBS STORY

• •

Innovation, new VISIOnS and the

'thinking'company Chapter Eight (2000-2012)

Many businesses around Australia welcomed the new millennium as a milestone opportunity to redefine their corporate profile. A.G. Coombs was no exception and new ideas, indeed new visions, were emerging as to how the company could carve out a more consultative role as part of its whole-of-life service model. The 'green' challenge would also drive the business forward, w ith the emphasis on sustainability and energy-efficient buildings providing a new focus for the company's expertise.

As the decade unfolded, three key events stood out in terms of the company's history and also its future. In 2001, there was another change in leadership, with a non-family member stepping into the role of managing director for the first time.

Then, after careful consideration and years of keeping the business "close to home", A.G. Coombs began expanding nationally and putting its name on interstate branch offices in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Finally, in 2012, senior executives at A.G. Coombs acquired the remaining family shares in the business, while electing to continue operating under the A.G. Coombs name.

.• ..••• •• .. ...• • ...•• .. ..•• ..•• • •

• • •• • • •

.. ..• ...•• .

•

While all these developments provided momentum and a fresh approach, they were in keeping with A.G. Coombs' long-held objective to perpetuate the business and provide a specialist, all encompassing service from the commencement of a project through to its completion and well beyond. Importantly, A.G. Coombs' can-do culture and core values (emphasising teamwork, continuous improvement and good corporate citizenship, among other things) helped unify the company during a time of considerable change.

•• • ••

.. ..•• ...• ..• .. ...•• ..• ..•• ..

• •

CHAPTER EIGHT 2000-20' 2) INNOVATION. NEW VISIONS AND THE THINKING COMPANY

January 2000 The new mlllennIu1n 1s welcomed across the world.

September 2000 Sydney hosts the Olvmpic Games.

September 2001 9/ 11 terror attacks In Amenca

May 2004 Tasmanian Mary Donaldson marries Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark.

December 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami,

March 2006 Melbourne hosts the Commonwealth Games.

August 2007 Beg,nn1ng of the Global F1nanc1al CnsIs.

February 2009 Black Saturday bushf1res 1n v,ctona

June 2010 Juha Gillard becomes the rrrsl female prime m,n,ster of Austraha.

December 2010 - January 2011 Queensland floods .

June 2012 Queen Eltzabeth's D,amorid Jubilee celebra!tons.

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

A.G. Coombs Advisory Corporate initiatives can evolve in different ways and, for

as well as a 'doing' one, and there was no reason why they

A.G. Coombs, it was a typical working lunch that delivered

could not market this expertise and use it to provide a more

a string of ideas for growth opportunities around its core

complete service.

Projects business. "A.G. Coombs had a reputation for doing things differently and for always thinking, 'Is there a better way that we can do this?'" said Bryon Price who, just prior to joining the company in July 2000, sat down with Russell Telford and scoped out a potential business model for the

A qualified engineer by training, Bryon had come from a consult ing background and was already familiar with A.G. Coombs' modus operandi. Having observed the company's technicians in action, he quickly came to appreciate that they were very strong technically and very

future.

strong on commissioning projects - in short, a "little out Underpinning their discussions was a belief that

of the box" when compared with their competitors.

A.G. Coombs was already offering customers more than what one normally would expect from a traditional mechanical services provider. It was a 'thinking' company

Bryon Price joined A. G. Coombs in July 2000. Working closely with Russell Telford, he began scoping out a model tor A.G. Coombs Advisory, a new service that the company launched in late 2000.

Checking the installation of new plant at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

••

CHAPTER EIGHT (2000-2012i INNOVATION NEW VISIONS AND THE 'THINKING' COMPANY

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Over the years, the company's willingness to sink its teeth

and Service businesses had the first and second roles

into design and engineering issues meant that there was

covered, with the third role - that of advising and problem

now a substantial set of skills and expertise within the

solving - having the potential to move the company up the

business. But while staff often took on a consulting role with

'food chain' if another tier of service could be established.

customers, providing advice on issues outside the scope of the initial contract, the whole notion of consultancy was still a niche area for A.G. Coombs and was not driving the business forward in any formal sense.

After selling the idea to the Board they got the green light in November 2000 to promote what was now being referred to internally as A.G. Coombs Advisory. Several weeks later they went out to the market as a one-stop building

Given the company's technical reputation, Russell felt that

services company, with the Projects business, the Service

they should be "moving up the food chain" and providing

business, Walker Fire Protection and the new Advisory

customers with access to this knowledge. After all, if you

service making up four complementary yet distinct areas

could provide the right advice at the outset, you could help

of service. The word 'advisory' was carefully chosen, partly

people tick all the compliance boxes, address sustainability

to avoid confusion w ith the role of external consultants, but

issues, overcome technical hurdles and put in place

also because people w ithin the company could seek advice

budgets to get the job done.

on everything from big-picture project management to troubleshooting specific problems.

"We felt there was an opportunity in the market for a contractor that could fill three specific roles," said Bryon.

Although just a concept at this point, the Advisory service

This contractor would design, construct and commission

helped differentiate A.G. Coombs from its competitors.

all the building services (including electrical, plumbing and

It also formalised something that the company had been

HVAC); it would then operate and maintain all the services

doing for many years, while rounding out and completing its

once they were commissioned; and it would also advise

whole-of-life service wheel.

clients on how to achieve the best outcomes. The Projects

ANZ Data Centre Advances in computing and the need for faster conr1ectivity have resulted in data centres becoming more sophisticated. As one of the key installations, air conditioning is vital for controlling temperature fluctuations and humidity, as any rise in ambient temperature can cause equipment to malfunction.

In its role as head contractor, A.G. Coombs supervised the infrastructure upgrade of the ANZ Data Centre and was recognised for its work by the Institution of Engineers Australia in 2003.

ASINGULAR VISION rnf A G COOMBS SlORY

Getting down

to business

Extending the company's scope of services into the

"We faced one thing very clearly at that stage," said

Advisory area provided a new focus for the years ahead;

Russell. "Geographical spread around core business or the

while, in other developments, Philip Coombs decided that

development of the whole-of-life model." After reviewing

the time was right for a non-family member to run the

these two options, plans to move interstate were temporarily

business. The task of guiding everyone down this new path

filed away in favour of strengthening the whole-of-life service

fell to Russell Telford who, in April 2001, became Group

model and building the company's profile in Victoria.

Managing Director. Meanwhile, Philip remained on the Board as the company's major shareholder, and, several years later, would take over the chairman's role from Jack

Around this time, the A.G. Coombs Group Pty. Ltd. was being developed from a holding company, with three separate businesses, into a parent company with a number

Melbourne.

of subsidiaries. The new structure saw all subsidiary Russell Telford's road to the managing director's office

companies feeding directly into the parent company, which

effectively began in the post-recession days of the early

in turn allowed resources to be spread more strategically

1990s, after Philip Coombs singled him out to manage

across all the Group's operations.

the Special Contracts Division (SCD). By 1996 he was heading up all the company's contracting operations, an appointment, he admitted, that took him a little by surprise.

As the restructuring continued, management noticed that the Service business seemed to lack the cohesiveness of other areas of the Group. This was mainly due to the

Those who had worked with Russell in his site foremen

nature of its work, with Service technicians (who tended to

days were well aware of his abilities, with Ray Sherry

operate individually or in small units) driving around town to

recalling how people were completely blown away by

maintenance jobs, where they serviced things that others

his presentation skills. "He put out the first PowerPoint

had built. People in Projects, however, operated in larger

presentation I'd ever seen and I just thought, 'Wow, where

teams, with all the camaraderie and sense of achievement

has this bloke come from? You're a plumber!' And I knew

associated with being part of a collective effort.

then there was a drive there that was different."

Yet the Service business had clients - lots of clients - and Russell's ability to articulate company initiatives, plus the fact

being on the ground with a maintenance contract gave

that he came from a trade background and could identify

people in Projects a better chance of winning additional work

with many of the people he was supervising, were important

if a building needed extending or refurbishing. Not only were

during the rebuilding process in the 1990s. His challenge

these contracts important, the Service business also had the

in 2001 would be to develop a team that could grow the

capacity, in Russell's opinion. to lead them interstate.

business in new directions.

Interestingly, the feeling around this time was that the culture in the Service Division was not as strong as other areas of the Group, which in turn prompted management to think about the entire workplace and, consequently, about the need to define, if possible, this much talked about culture.

CHAPTER EIGHT 2000 2012) INNOVATIO~J N~\'vVISION&AND TrlE 7HINKING OMPANY

A SINGUIJ\R VISION THE A G COOMBS STORY

Preserving

culture

A.G. Coombs' culture was legendary and there were

dinners for twenty-one years of service where those who

countless stories of employees who had left the company

had attained this m ilestone were presented with a gold

for one reason or another, only to return several years

watch. These events highlighted the depth of experience in

later seeking re-employment because their experiences

the business, with over ninety gold watches presented by

elsewhere did not measure up. The culture was the glue that

2001. The long-time employees summed it up best: "If you

held everyone together, particularly in the Projects business,

did your job, you were treated fairly," said Ray Twite.

and was much admired by those outside the company.

"There was a belonging there, " said engineering consultant Norm Davies.

Published in 2001, the Culture Document emphasised A.G. Coombs' commitment to the safety and wellbeing of its people, and noted that happy employees were the

Despite this observation, there were now concerns that

best advertisement a company could have. "Working at

the very essence of what had made A.G. Coombs such an

A.G. Coombs I've never felt that I was just a number," said

enviable workplace might have been diluted by several years

Gareth Whitfield, Manager Contract Delivery and Operations.

of internal restructuring, not to mention an influx of new recruits

"Everyone's opinion is valued and I've had every opportunity

who were unfamiliar with the key identities in the business and

to achieve my goats."

how the company had evolved. "With all the changes taking place we did not want to compromise the culture," said Bryon Price, who accepted responsibility for talking to employees and committing this "legendary thing" to paper.

The document also acknowledged the core values established in the mid-1990s, and reaffirmed standards of behaviour that encompassed integrity and trust. and following things through (even if it took a little longer),

Essentially, it was people's reflections and anecdotes that

or going that extra mite to resolve problems. There was

shaped what became known within the company as the

teamwork, too, with people pitching in and getting the job

Culture Document. A.G. Coombs, they concurred, was a

done, and taking pride in the efforts of their colleagues. The

"fun place to work" w ith a "nurturing and understanding"

document specifically talked about creating a "champion

environment. The little gestures were also remembered.

team" that was always striving to excel rather than just doing

"My mum got flowers," said Ray Sherry, recalling the annual

the job. It was therefore not surprising that it also included the statement, "Mediocrity will not be tolerated!"

A new direction for the Service business Paul Eagling would play a pivotal rote in reinvigorating

"I was always impressed by the technical depth of the Projects

the performance of the Service operation after joining the

team and its 'can do' attitude." The Service business, which he

company's management team in 1999. An engineer by

was now managing, had the potential to lead them into new

training, Paul's prior experience with leading consulting and

markets, so it was vital to strengthen its culture and team if it

manufacturing companies brought a fresh perspective to

was going to assume wider responsibilities in the years ahead.

the business. He also embraced A.G. Coombs' culture of Paul Eagling -

teamwork, thoroughness and going that extra m ile to get

General Manager Servicing.

the job done, while focusing on lifting professionalism and technical capability. "As a former A.G. Coombs client, I was attracted to the company as much by its culture and people as by the professional challenges it offered," said Paul.

Paul provided the much needed stability and leadership to build the next generation of the Service business as the company promoted and added key front-tine people including Gareth Whitfield, John Plowman, Con Bafitis, David Rouvray and tan Taylor to the team.

Thos. Walker & Sons became a subsidiary of the

A G. Coombs Group in Apn1 ·/ 990. Historlcally strong in process pipework, its fire protection services complemented the mechanical services already being offered by A.G. Coombs. It also operated in different-sized markets and created opportunities for the Group to offer a broader range of services to all its customers. After a number of restructures, the Thos. Walker & Sons business was liquidated and its fire protection capability briefly rebranded under the A. G. Coombs name, before being relaunched as Walker Are Protection Ply Ltd.

CHAPTER EIGHT (2000-2012) INNOVATION. NE,1VISIONSAND T11E THINKJNC "OMPANV

ASINGULAR VISION rlE A.G. COOMBS STOfW

Taking stock By 2005, the A.G. Coombs Group was a business w ith sixty

The company was rightly proud of its 'safety-first' culture,

years of history behind it, but with its eyes firmly trained

while its commitment to improving health and safety

on the next six decades. In recent years it had introduced

standards had already been acknowledged with several

services that not only supported its Projects business, but

Excellence Awards from the Master Builders Association

were also capable of standing on their own. The creation

of Victoria. Similarly, its apprenticeship program was

of the Advisory service was one example of this vision, as

much admired and would be recognised in 2006 with

was the creation of Integrated Technical Management (ITM),

a Commonwealth Award for Excellence.

a company which had started providing on-site technical management for entire buildings in 2003.

INTEGRATED ~

TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT

~

Looking ahead, one of the biggest challenges for all companies in the building services industry was the

A.G. Coombs was also one of the few companies in the

increasing community focus on sustainability. A.G. Coombs

building services industry to be SafetyMAP accredited,

already prided itself on being innovative, safety-conscious and

not to mention the first to have achieved this accreditation.

customer-focused; it was now becoming energy-conscious,

(It is now SafetyMap Advanced.)

environmentally aware and frequently thinking 'green'.

An advertisement promoting career opportunities with111 A.G. Coombs featured the company's first female apprentice.

A.G. Coombs Group - The Pfac@ to Work -...«.~~

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A G. Coombs was contracted to replace Melbourne Aquarium's cooling towers with a new air-cooling plant.

CHAPTER EIGHT ,2000-20121 INNOVATION NEW VISIONS ANO THE THINKING' COMPANY

:.ul!Apt•

<\4,~,•

A.G.Coomb,

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

The green challenge One of the biggest drivers for change during these years

At 500 Collins Street, for example, t he conversion of an

was the growing call for buildings that were energy efficient.

ageing dual-duct system into a more energy-efficient, chilled

While plumbers of yesteryear were no doubt bewildered by

panel system required, among other things, an absolutely

t11e quest to reduce the carbon footprint of an air-conditioning

airtight fac;:ade in order to meet specific environmental

unit, the pressure to lower carbon emissions and create

outcomes. Energised by this challenge, A.G. Coombs

environmentally sustainable buildings was increasing, and

designed a special rig to test the airflow and air pressure

was a challenge relished by the engineering minds at

in a sealed section of the building, before embarking on a

A.G. Coombs.

detailed commissioning process to ensure optimum energy efficiency.

500 Collins Street was one of many older bwldings that A. G. Coombs upgraded to more energy-efficient systems.

Delivering energy solutions was just one way in which A.G. Coombs saw itself contributing to the sustainability of the built environment. Another area where it felt it could play a meaningful role was as an Independent Commissioning Agent for Green Star accreditation.

A longstanding commitment to supporting apprentices and encouraging career development earned A.G. Coombs the 2006 Commonwealth Minister's Award for Excellence for Employers of Australian Apprentices (Melbourne region).

Pictured from left are: Apprentice Coordinator, Darren Martin; then Minister for Vocational and Technical Education, the Hon Gary Hardgrave MP; A.G. Coombs Managing Director, Russell Telford and the company's first female plumbing apprentice Melissa Skrzelinski. Today, A.G. Coombs provides training for over forty apprentices a year.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G COOMBS STORY

Independent Commissioning Agent (ICA)

needed to incorporate leading-edge environmental features, while meeting the complex commissioning requirements set

Property developers were now appreciating the need to

out by the GBCA.

demonstrate environmental sustainability, and proof of their commitment would be reflected in a series of 'Green Stars',

Determined to achieve this goal, Melbourne City Council

which they could attain after rigorous evaluation and display

(the property's owner) engaged builders Hansen Yuncken

prominently on signage or in building foyers. Awarded by the

and then appointed A.G. Coombs as the ICA on the project.

Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), these coveted

As part of its brief, A.G. Coombs advised on technical

Green Stars signalled an environmental standard that was

issues, developed generic compliance guidelines,

easy to comprehend, in much the same way that people

conducted workshops and reviewed submissions. It also

could appreciate the difference between a five-star and

ensured that all HVAC and building control systems were

three-star hotel.

appropriately commissioned.

Complying with the GBCA's exacting standards was as

As construction progressed, there was a sense that CH2

much about working through a process during construction,

would meet its environmental targets. which was an exciting

as it was about installing the right equipment. Seeing an

prospect for all contractors working on the project. Indeed,

opportunity to take on the environmental stewardship of a

everyone's efforts were rewarded following the building's

building, A.G. Coombs began developing the third-party

completion in 2006, when CH2 became the first commercial

mentoring role of the Independent Commissioning Agent

facility in Australia to achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating - the

(ICA) in collaboration with the GBCA.

highest rating possible.

The prime purpose of the ICA would be to help builders and property owners understand the requirements for compliance, while ensuring consistency throughout the

Designed by the City of

entire process. It was not about doing the job for the client,

Melbourne in association with

but rather a case of guiding them through the necessary

Mick Pearce and Designlnc,

steps to achieve accreditation. Although it would be the client's call as to whether it appointed an ICA, many property owners and builders soon recognised the benefits

CH2 raised the bar as a multi-level showpiece of innovative 'green' technologies.

Its 6 Star Green Star rating

of l1aving an experienced third-party mentor on board, not

elevated it above Australian

only to help them navigate their way through the compliance

best-design practice to world's

process, but also to enhance their application for Green Star

best practice.

status.

Image source: The Collector's Marvellous Melbourne.

"We saw how we could provide this focal point for all the work teams and facilitate a smooth transition from design and construction through to commissioning and occupancy," said Bryon Price. It was in this specific role that A.G. Coombs' whole-of-life approach came to the fore, enabling its clients to draw from deeper wells of expertise across all areas of the business as they went about meeting their sustainability targets.

One of A.G. Coombs' earliest achievements in this area would be its involvement w ith Council House 2 (CH2), a major development in the heart of Melbourne striving for a 6 Star Green Star rating. To receive this rating, the building

The new ANZ Centre was an impressive example of how careful design and commissioning could reduce a building's impact on the environment and, in this case, lower greenhouse gas emissions by up to seventy per cent. Wind turbines generated clean power, all waste water was recycled and heat from electricity generation was used to run absorption chillers for air conditioning.

Situated in the newly created Melbourne suburb of Docklands, the ANZ Centre was being built to accommodate around 6,500 people and was designed with every conceivable energy-saving feature in mind. The building naturally had to meet a range of sustainability benchmarks, and contractors such as A.G. Coombs were challenged to deliver systems that would lower carbon emissions and provide signiffcant energy savings.

For A.G. Coombs it was also an opportunity to bring the wider expertise of the Group to the table, with work crews A.G. Coombs' whole-of-life vision was now a reality, with ANZ's new global

all areas of the company taking an integrated approach to

headquarters under

projects. "It was exciting to see our business units develop

construction c. 2007.

to a level where they were working collectively to provide seamless solutions for customers," said Russell Telford.

This collective approach meant that customers could access the wider expertise of the Group no matter whose door they knocked on first, whether it was A.G. Coombs Advisory, the Projects business or the Service business.

The company's whole-of-life approach was further

from A.G. Coombs Projects installing and commissioning the mechanical services, and A.G. Coombs Advisory, as project ICA, steering the building to a 6 Star Green Star Office Design rating. Normally, the ICA role would have been outsourced; however, separate lines of reporting enabled the Advisory business (now a company in its own right) to provide an independent mentoring role. Finally, after the Centre opened in 2009, Integrated Technical Management took up residence with a brief to maintain all the technical systems within the facility.

highlighted when it took on three different roles during t he construction of the ANZ Bank's new global headquarters at

Although the environmental initiatives for the ANZ

833 Collins Street.

Centre were highly complex, it was exciting, as well as advantageous to be designing systems for a brand

CHAPTER EIGHT (2000-2012) INNOVATION NtWVISIONSAND THE THINKING' COMP,iNY

new facility. However, in an environmentally conscious community, many property owners were now seeking to reduce energy costs in buildings that were not only older, but also fully occupied. This was the challenge for A.G. Coombs at Sydney's HSBC Centre, where the Projects and Advisory businesses pooled their expertise to upgrade the building's mechanical plant and air-conditioning system, w ith minimal disruption to tenants. A.G. Coombs was also operating under an Energy Performance Contract (EPC), and was required to guarantee the energy outcomes of the project. As part of the 2010 upgrade, both teams managed to recycle some eighty-three per cent of surplus materials.

They also achieved a reduction in carbon emissions that equated to "taking 460 cars off the road", according to internal calculations.

Even SeNice technicians were looking beyond general property maintenance and thinking about potential energy solutions for their customers. This development validated the decision at the start of the decade to establish A.G. Coombs Advisory, as technicians were now able to enlist the help of the Advisory seNice when proposing staged upgrades of equipm ent to more energy-efficient systems. The ability to offer this extra tier of seNice to customers broadened the capabilities of the SeNice business, which would soon start managing the maintenance across very large property portfolios.

in Par/Mlle was The new Royal Children '.s Hospital responsible mbs Coo G. A. constructed by Len d Lease, with mechanical the and ing ition for the installation of the air cond formed a also mbs A.G. Coo and specialist hospital services.

- know n as RACAH - to joint venture with AE Smith & Son deliver part of the services.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Revisiting the

Royal Children's Hospital The contract for the new Royal Children's Hospital (RCH)

then was how to deliver the best results for the Children's

in Parkville was the one most steeped in nostalgia for

Hospital while still providing a quality service to all their other

A.G. Coombs, given its previous association with the

clients. Some sharing of the workload was desirable and,

hospital between 1955-63. Although long hailed as one of

with this in mind, A.G. Coombs approached AE Smith & Son

the world's leading paediatric facilities, the growing demand

and established the RACAH joint venture to deliver part of the

for the hospital's services, not to mention advances in

services required. The RACAH name came from breaking up

medical science, had prompted decisions to construct a

the RCH acronym with the two 'As' for each partner.

more modern building with capacity for an additional thirtyfive thousand patients a year. The new hospital would also be located in Parkville, on land adjacent to the old building.

As agreed, the venture allowed both partners to maintain their existing customers, while running RACAH as a standalone project. Under the A.G. Coombs contract w ith

Plans for the billion-dollar facility were being handled

Lend Lease, the jobs were also divided equally so that if a

by a public private partnership - a business venture

task required a team of twenty draftspeople, each company

model funded and operated as a partnership between

put forward ten people. "We shared the risks and the

government and the private sector. Under this arrangement,

rewards that go with it," said David Seedsman, who was

a consortium of designers, builders and facility managers

now part of AE Smith & Son's senior management team.

would finance, construct and maintain the hospital for twenty-five years, while the RCH would operate the facility

Bringing one of Australia's leading paediatric hospitals into the twenty-first century meant designing sophisticated

when completed.

heating and cooling systems for its operating theatres, Construction finally moved ahead in late 2007 under builders

cancer treatment wards, laboratories and MRI areas.

Lend Lease, who engaged A.G. Coombs as a trade partner

"Green" was the word as the 200-strong RACAH team,

to design and install the air conditioning, mechanical

under the direction of A.G. Coombs Project Manager

services and specialist hospital systems. Energy efficiency

Kevin Wilson, set about delivering an environmentally

was paramount and, although the offidal Green Star rating

sustainable hospital. By 201 0 they had installed chilled

system had yet to be introduced, their aim would be to work

beam air conditioning, specialist heat recovery units and

towards a five-star rating by performing a self-assessment

a tri-generation energy plant fired by natural gas. A key

against the yet to be finalised credits of the Green Star

installation was a bio-mass boiler that reduced carbon

Healthcare V1 rating tool.

emissions by burning timber waste by-products to produce heating hot water.

For A.G. Coombs, the excitement at revisiting one of its most iconic projects was balanced against the need to be

Leaving nothing to chance where the boiler was concerned,

strategic in undertaking such a massive contract. "Nearly all

they contacted the Swedish boiler manufacturer and flew in

our resources were devoted to the RCH when the company

a technical expert to ensure that it achieved its operational

installed the services in the old complex," said Managing

efficiency. It was the first installation of its kind in Australia

Director Russell Telford. "But given the growth of our business

and was yet another feature in the creation of one of the

since then, we also had other major projects to consider."

country's 'greenest' hospitals. The commissioning phase

The question of resourcing was crucial. as a project of this

for all the installations would take approximately fourteen

size and complexity could easily have tied up large areas of

months and involve extensive testing of all systems and

the company for an extended period of time. The challenge

equipment throughout the building.

CHAPTER EIGHT (2000-2012) INNOVATION. NEW VISIONS ANO THE THINKING COMPANY

AC

joint venture """"'-'""""

• has Jong been n 's Hosp,tal Royal The reco . ldre g Cht

•• • . nised as Vi,ctona smaµ specialist paediatric hospital. The ding was bwl new in constructed next t o the old hospta l, whieh

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F;ach year thousands of children visit the Royal Children's Hospital for specialist appointments, emergency treatment and life-saving surgery. Although hospitals can be intimidating places, the new building's light-filled public foyers have created a warm and friendly environment for children and their families.

Image source: Shannon McGrath Photography.

On 26 October 2011, Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Melbourne to open the new hospital. Being so closely involved in the rebirth of a leading medical facility was a truly proud moment for A.G. Coombs.

Putting aside the technical achievements, not many contractors could claim that their work had been inspected twice in almost fifty years by the same reigning monarch.

Image source: © PA

CHAPTER EIGHT (2000-2012) INNOVATION. NEW VISIONS AND THE THINKING' COMPANY

A SINGULAR VISlON - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Moving interstate There inevitably came a point when the lure of interstate

When Allan Coombs was alive, any suggestions of opening

markets could no longer be ignored. National and

interstate branches had generally been resisted, with

NSW-based customers, for example, had been urging

Tasmania being the one exception. Taking on a major

A.G. Coombs to establish a permanent base in Sydney for

project in Canberra was fine, providing it was sufficiently

some time, while opportunities in Queensland demanded

large enough to be economically viable; however, it

consideration. Despite this potential for expansion, an

was a case of getting the job done and then returning

important decision needed to be made, as there had been

to Melbourne. The subject of interstate expansion was

good reasons in the past for concentrating the company's

something that Philip Coombs had inherited in the 1980s,

resources in Victoria.

but filed away for practical reasons. "At that point, w ith the size of the company, it just wasn't worth it, as we could not afford to lose key people to interstate branches," he explained. Management decisions in the years ahead would see this position reinforced.

Sydney. Newington

Canberra City

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

By the late 2000s, however, A.G. Coombs had a much

Canberra was another obvious location for a branch office,

bigger core base with more people in the system, while

not only because of the company's previous work there, but

its market share in Victoria had grown to the point where

also because Integrated Technical Management (ITM)

geographic expansion was becoming essential to support

now held Commonwealth Government contracts for

national clients in securing new business. So, in 2009, when

the heritage-listed John Gorton Building (formerly the

the time was judged right, A.G. Coombs took its expertise

Administrative Building) and also the Treasury Building.

north and opened a branch office in Sydney by establishing

Canberra clearly afforded opportunities to build the ITM

A.G. Coombs (NSW) Pty. Ltd. While the move to Sydney

profile, and, in September 2010, the A.G. Coombs Group

was initially Service-driven (with several maintenance

opened an office in Allara Street, which was centrally located

contracts in place), the Projects business soon followed as

in Canberra's CBD.

planned and quickly became a contender for major projects. especially on large developments around Sydney Harbour, where Lend Lease was looking to use A.G. Coombs to support its forward orders.

The Treasury Building, Canberra Image source: Mall/liX Photography

The McLachlan & Ann Complex, Queensland

A SINGULAR VISION THf A.G. COOMBS STORY

With the company in expansion mode, calls from

Building Information Modelling - or BIM to use its acronym -

Queensland continued streaming into Russell Telford's

was now generating full digital representations of buildings,

office, all with the same question: "Wl1en is A.G. Coombs

and was already being used to great effect by A.G. Coombs'

coming up here?" Although it was tempting to book flights

drawing office. As other contractors were also employing

to Brisbane, Russell made it c lear that office space would

BIM technology, there was clearly a need for someone

only be rented if a major contract was on the table. These

to coordinate the BIM component of a project, which

contracts finally materialised in 2011, prompting A.G. Coombs

A.G. Coombs, w ith its technical know-how and broad

to establish a Group office in Brisbane. While strong client

management expertise, was able to undertake. The role of

support made the move possible, the fact that they were

BIM coordinator (the full title was too much of a mouthful)

able to establish the office with local expertise meant

was yet another overarching role for A.G. Coombs and one

that A.G. Coombs opened its doors in Brisbane sooner

which slotted perfectly into its portfolio of services.

than expected.

Moving interstate was not without its hurdles and, despite

After a confident st art, supported by the relocation of several

A.G. Coombs' longstanding reputation in Victoria, there was

longstanding employees, including Brett Mann and Eric

a sense in t hese early days of being the "new kids in town".

Gailey, business moved ahead rapidly on the back of a design

This was not necessarily a drawback in Russell's eyes, as it

and installation contract for the Mclachlan & Ann Complex

allowed them to promote their whole-of-life building services,

in Fortitude Valley - a major development occupying a whole

while positioning A.G. Coombs from t he outset as advisors

city block. But it would be the contract for The University of

and technical specialists, with core capabilities in traditional

Queensland's new Oral Health Centre that would challenge

HVAC projects.

A.G. Coombs in other ways, and see it take on a new role in the area of digital modelling.

All these developments fulfilled earlier strategies to build a whole-of-life capability in building services and to expand nationally only after consolidating the company's credentials in Victoria - and only when the time was right

Back in Tasmania A multi-service maintenance contract for the ANZ Bank's retail network in Victoria and Tasmania enabled A.G. Coombs to maintain its historical links with Tasmania, where twenty-five ANZ branches were located. Commencing in 2006, the Service contract involved maintaining not only the mechanical and fire installations, but also providing all the electrical maintenance throughout the network. It would also be a catalyst for exploring new project opportunities in Tasmania.

:,

CHAPTER 8GHT !2000-2012) INNOVATION, NEW VISIONS AND THf THINKING' COMPANY

A comprehensive energy-efficient

HVAC system refurbishment was designed. installed, commissk)ned and tuned for the build ing's O'Wne<S at 44 Market Street in Sydney's CBD in 2011.

A.G. Coombs Advisory provided

specialist independent commissioning and engineering advi ce to support the achievement of leading Green Star and NABERS building ratings from tile construction of 100 St Georges Terrace in Perth. [NABERS - The Nati onal Australian Built Environment Rating Sc/leme - mea sures and compares the environmental peitormance of Aust ralian buildings.)

A.G. Coombs worked closely with

the building's owner to significantly impr ove the energy performance of the newt,; cons tructed 100 Pacific Highway in North Sydn ey in 2012.

Image courtesy ISPT

Image courtesy ISPT.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE AG. COOMBS STORY

Perpetuating the business and living the values On 31 December 2012, A.G. Coombs moved away from

The beginning of a new year would also be the opening of

a family-owned structure when Philip Coombs sold his

a new chapter for A.G. Coombs - one enriched by core

remaining shares in the business to senior executives. Having

values that had been drafted over a decade beforehand.

played a key role in the company for over twenty years, Philip

"Adding value" to projects, "striving for excellence" at all

was now keen to pursue other interests, and so the transition

times, encouraging "two-way communication" and being

took place in keeping with plans to ensure a greater level of

"community minded" were not simply words in print, but a

employee engagement in the company's future. Effectively a

carefully crafted code of ethics for conducting business and

management buyout, this development was the culmination

interacting with employees.

of a long-held vision to see A.G. Coombs continue as a leading force in the building services industry.

For Managing Director Russell Telford, the core values provided an internal checklist, guiding everything from daily

While these developments brought to a close the direct

actions to high-level management decisions. "These values

family involvement in the business after sixty-seven years,

were established at a time when we were restructuring

there was no doubt that the A.G. Coombs name would

and introducing new services, so it was important to us

remain on the letterhead. It was a name that stood for

that we maintained a standard of conduct, which the core

something in the industry, exemplifying in eight characters

values helped enshrine. From that point on, if something

a standard of service built on dedication, professionalism,

was perceived to be amiss, we only had to ask, 'Are these

teamwork and innovation.

actions in line with our values?' " "How we train and recruit people, how we conduct performance reviews, everything is guided by our core values," said Manager Employee Services Kim Hesline who, together with Finance Director Frank Schooneveldt, worked with Russell Telford to develop the eight principles that would also be refiected in the company's Culture Document. Both documents helped define and articulate A.G. Coombs' value-adding ethos, teamwork philosophy and fair-minded approach, with the more expansive Culture Document encapsulating the essential elements, described earlier in this chapter, of A.G. Coombs' workplace culture.

If anyone thought that the exhortations contained within these two documents would disappear into the corporate ether, they had little appreciation of the company's firm commitment to "walking the talk". It was an attitude cultivated over the years by long-serving employees such as Frank Schooneveldt (by 2012 Frank had served almost

Russell Telford at the company's annual dinner.

forty years with the company) and embraced by those who understood the stabilising influence of clearly stated values.

CHAPTER EIGHT (2000 2012) INNOVATION. NEW VISIONS AND THE 'THINKING COMPANY

Two values held dearly by

A.G. Coombs are 'teamwork' and 'value to others'. In 2011 it put words into action by installing new air conditioning into the redeveloped facilities of its foundation charity Challenge, a not-for-profit organisation helping families living with cancer. The A.G. Coombs team is pictured here during the redevelopment of the Challenge Family Centre, which opened in November 2011. The company's personnel volunteered their engineering, drafting, project management, installation and commissioning expertise. Key subcontractors also donated new plant, materials and transport.

Russell distinctly recalled how Frank, one of the staunchest

With the business poised for further growth, the need to

gatekeepers of these values, would often close out a debate

maintain standards of professionalism and integrity became

at management meetings by emphatically saying, "We should

an over-arching priority for Russell Telford. "The key question

go forward in this way because of core value number two!"

for us was always going to be, 'How do we align ongoing

And everyone would get it, because it was all about results,

growth with our core values?' The fact that we are still

not excuses.

referencing these documents some fifteen years after they

The importance of having established standards of conduct

were drafted, demonstrates that we are living our values.''

and behaviour was highlighted after the company officially

The core values are, today, at the heart of A.G. Coombs'

changed hands in 2012. Significantly, the core values

national operation - a touchstone, if you like, for measuring

helped overcome any issues that might have arisen from

the company's performance both externally and internally.

the change in ownership . An integral part of the company's

Even prospective employees are shown the 'values' and

foundations, they ensured a seamless transition between

asked for their thoughts, while those who end up working

past and present, irrespective of whether the business was

for the company are positive, happy, team players - above all,

owned by a family member or by its 'family' of employees.

can-do people.

They also enabled A.G. Coombs to be perpetuated in accordance w ith standards and principles to which

Importantly, the values ensure that planned expansion will not be at the expense of perpetuating a resilient and responsible

everyone had subscribed.

business; one that attracts like-minded people and which customers feel confident to engage with over the long term.

Rnance Director Frank Schooneveldt

Afterjoining Accounts Payable

played a pivotal role in steering the

in 1993, Kim Hesline progressed

company financially through some

through a variety of roles before

testing times in the industry. After a

assuming responsibility for Human

forty-year career with A.G. Coombs,

Resources when the personnel

Frank would be appointed

function expanded to cover areas

Non-Executive Director on his

other than payroll. In 2005 she

retirement in 2013.

was appointed Group Human Resources Manager, a role which later evolved into Executive Manager Employee Services.

A SINGULAR VISION - THE AG COOMBS STORY

70 years and counting In 2015, after observing A.G. Coombs' successful

Teamwork and skill have seen A.G. Coombs progress from

expansion interstate, one might ask, "Is there anything

completing the installations at the Royal Children's Hospital

left for the company to do? Are there any challenges

in the 1960s (then Australia's largest mechanical services

ahead after seventy years in business?" The answer is,

contract) to a lead services role in 2013 for what is currently

unequivocally, "Yes".

Australia's biggest commercial development at Barangaroo South in Sydney. Again, it was the company's teamwork and

Being an acknowledged leader in a constantly changing industry landscape is in itself a major challenge - not to mention a responsibility. For Russell Telford, the company's ability to maintain and leverage this unique position is

skill in 2013 that produced (in record time) Australia's largest prefabricated multi-services riser for the Peter Doherty Institute in Melbourne - a world-class medical facility and the first in the southern hemisphere to bring research,

as much due to how it conducts itself within its own

teaching and clinical services under the one roof.

organisation as to how it performs externally. ''Continued investment in the development of our people, their safety

These are just some examples of A.G. Coombs'

and wellbeing, and providing an environment that supports

multi-service capability, which today extends into

the teamwork required to deliver at the highest level are

advisory services, building information modelling (BIM),

essential attributes of our business model," he insists.

manufacturing, prefabrication, commissioning, technical management and large-scale property maintenance.

The Doherty, Melbourne University

Image source: Peter Bennetts photography.

EPILOGUE (2012-2015)

Behind A.G. Coombs' transformation from a small plumbing

Although A.G. Coombs has evolved from a small

business into a national building services company are its

family-owned company into a large nat1onal business,

past and present employees - people who have always

it remains through its_culture a family of skilled tradespeople

relished a challenge and who have felt proud to say, "I wor,k

and experienced professionals. Its record for retaining

for A.G. Coombs". Their achievements are visible today

people within the business is legendary, and among the

along Collins Street, thro(!ghout metropolitan Melbourne and

happy consequences of long-term service are knowledge,

regional Victoria and, more recently, in capital cities interstate.

experienee, loyalty and friendship.

The building projects,,however, are but one measure of

Having championed the development of building

A.G. Coombs' approach to business.Displayed throughout

services within Australia, A.G. Coombs can proudly claim

the company's offices are the numerous: business. employer

.a pioneering role within its.industry. An innovator a(heart,

and safety awards highlighting its determination to set new

it has set new,.standatds and intr«Juced new services, while

benchmarks across all its OP,e$tions. A continuihg foous Ofl

a whole-of-life appro?Ch has driven its be~n ,. growth and :,,:

staff develop[nent demonstratl:)$ a. comrnit~nt to growing • . the skiHs . . .· •· . '. .

• .

akey pqint qt dif!J'~fl98 since th~ 19/;!0s.

~

,-~

A Sl~.G LAR VS 0\

nding to Adhering to this vision, while adapting and respo the bar change, has been the result of continually raising Even back and offering a more specialised level of seNice. nditioning in the 1960s , you did not simply acquire an air-co in fact and ventilation system from A.G. Coom bs, you to entered an environment where peopl e were eager e more resolve technical issues and sugge st ways to achiev g meetin efficient outcomes. They checked, too, if you were regulatory requirements and, in time, began provid

EA

cam. BS <;TORY

maintenance for all the seNic e installations, not mechanical equipment.

just the

Coom bs People in the industry used to remark that A.G. ntly was just that "little bit different", that it was consta and thinking, "How can we do this better?" That spirit ophy, attitude, now encapsulated in a whole -of-life philos endures today.

ing

Box Hill Hospital

171 Collins Street

EPILOGUE 2 12 z015

A journey and vision that started in 1945 continues today...

Dr Chau Chak Wing Building

mage source: UTS and Coptercam.

A SINGULAR VISION TI-lE A G. COOMBS STORY

Acknowledgements A number of employees (both past and present), as well as key associates of Allan Coombs, were interviewed as part of the research for this book. An Executive Review Committee was also established to review the final manuscript.

We thank everyone for sharing their memories and for devoting their time to making this publication a reality. We also thank Sean McGowan for conducting the interviews.

Executive Review Committee:

People interviewed:

• Alan Collard

• Ron Barns

• Chris Mason

• Philip Coombs

• Jim Barr

• Jack Melbourne

• Bryon Price

• Gerald Carter

• Bill Moseley

• Frank Schooneveldt

• Alan Collard

• Bryon Price

• David Seedsman

• Elaine Coombs

• Frank Schooneveldt

• Russell Telford

• Philip Coombs

• David Seedsman

• Susan Waterer

• Norm Davies

• Ray Sherry

• Rob Dunn

• Ray Stephenson

• Jock Fraser

• Russell Telford

• Kim Hesline

• Brian Tregenza

• Keith Marsh

• RayTwite

We also thank the following people and organisations for their assistance: Jennie Angliss nee Luke

AMP Capital

Federal Group

Ashley Barrie - UTC Building &

Arts Centre Melbourne

Hamilton Lund

Charter Hall

ISPT

City of Melbourne

Kador Group

Coptercam

Lend Lease

director, AMCA

Cox Rayner Architects

Melbourne Airport

Bronwyn Hewitt - Royal Children's

Crown Resorts Limited

Moonee Valley Racing Club

Hospital Archives

Darling Harbour Live

The GPT Group

Eric B. Schultz - Historian and author

Department of Defence

The Treasury

Department of Finance

Toyota

DEXUS Property Group

UTS

Industrial Systems Tony De Bolfo - Communications Department. Carlton Football Club David Eyon - Former executive

AG Coombs

I Servicing Ply Ltd

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

A SINGULAR VISION '"HE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Bibliography • Annear, Robyn, A City Lost & Found- Whelan The

Wrecker's Melbourne, Penguin Books, Australia, 2014.

• Buckrich, Judith, Collins - The Story of Australia's Premier

Street, Australian Scholarly Publishing, Melbourne, 2005.

Australian newspaper articles

Moorabbin News, 19 October 1960; Sunday Times, Perth, 20 June 1937; The Argus, Melbourne, 7 August 1936, 15 January 1937, 17 September 1937, 5 June 1937, 22 December 1938, 22 June 1939 and 2 August 1939;

• Carrier, Weather and the story of how it is manufactured,

The Brisbane Courier, 22 October 1929; The Courier Mail,

Carrier Engineering Corporation, New York, USA, 1919.

Brisbane, 12 June 1935 and 30 March 1937; The Sydney

• Cribbin, John, Moorabbin -A Pictorial History 1862- 1994,

Morning Herald, 20 June 1971.

City of Kingston, 1995.

• Flesch, Juliet and Francis, Rosemary, Spanning the Centuries

- a history ofAE Smith & Son Pty Ltd, AE Smith, 2008.

• Lang, W.R. (Roy), James Harrison - Pioneering Genius, Neptune Press, 1982.

• Laube, Herbert L., How to have air conditioning and still

From the A.G. Coombs archives • Building Efficiency (be) Magazine, 2006 - 2014 • Collins Place News • Marketing material • Media clippings

be comfortable, Business News Publishing Company, Birmingham, Michigan, USA, 197 1.

• Luscombe, Geoff, Beginnings of the refrigeration industry in Australia, Australian Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and

Heating, March 1993 and April 1993.

• Marvmelb.blogspot.com.au "Beside the Yarra: The Paris End of Melbourne" (17 April, 2013) • Roberts, Brian, The Quest for Comfort, Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, London, UK, 1997.

• Roberts, Brian and Yunnie, Paul, The Magic of Hot Water, Andrews Water Heaters, Wednesday, UK, 2001.

• Schultz, Eric 8 ., Carrier - Weathermakers to the World, Carrier, USA, 2012.

• Sheridan, N.R., Air Conditioning, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Queensland, 1962.

• Will, Harry (ed.), The First Century of Air Conditioning, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning, 1999.

• Yule, Peter, The Royal Children's Hospital - A history

of faith, science and love, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, 1999.

• Staff newsletters

A SINGULAR VISION - TI-IE AG COOMBS STORY

Photographic Credits The following credits relate to images from state and national libraries, archival collections and commercial photo libraries.

Major contributors include the State Library ot Victoria (SLV), the National Library of Australia (NLA), The Collector's Marvellous Melbourne (fCMM) and the Royal Children's Hospital Archives (RCHA). The RCHA images listed here are those with photographer's credits. Some RCHA images also appear in other collections. All other images have been acknowledged where they appear throughout the book. Images wit hout credits have been sourced from the A.G. Coombs archives.

Page 4 (bottom): Australian War Memorial 112831

Page 65 (top): National Archives of Australia A 1200/

Page 6 (bottom right): SLV, H2006.56/20, Charles

L42971/11402142

Nettleton photo

Page 65 (bottom): National Archives of Australia A 1500/

Page 7 : Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 8609/P20,

K14262/7883318

Historical Records Collection, Unit 332

Page 75 (bottom): Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office

Page 18 (top): NLA, nla.pic-an 10757318, PIC P633LOC

PH30-1-7384

026 Reg Alder photo

Page 80 (bottom): SLV, H92.20/13231, Adrian Crothers

Page 22: SLV, H98.30/375, Wolfgang Sievers photo

photo

Page 23 (top): Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office

Page 82: SLV, H2003. 100/927, Wolfgang Sievers photo

au-7-0016-125412684

Page 84 (left): SLV, H92.20/13232, Adrian Crothers photo

Pages 24-25: City of Kingston - Kingston Collection

Page 84 (right): TCMM (Collins 29)

Page 26: SLV, H31615/7

Page 85: SLV, H92.20/13231, Adrian Crothers photo

Page 27 (bottom): City of Kingston - Kingston Collection

Page 87: SLV, H99.50/391 - pi00222 1, Wolfgang Sievers

Page 29 (bottom): State Library of South Australia, PRG

photo

1258/2/2107

Page 89: SLV, H99.50/392 - pi002222, Wolfgang Sievers

Page 32: SLV, H91 .244/3389, Peter Wille photo

photo

Page 34: Public Record Office Victoria, VPRS 16284/P1,

Page 91: SLV, H98.252/871, John T. Collins photo

Unit 60

Page 92 (bottom left): TCMM (Collins Place 4)

Page 44: NLA, 14429527

Page 101 : TCMM (East End 1982)

Page 45 (left): SLV, H92.20/15762, Lyle Fowler photo

Page 106: SLV, H1 8003

Page 45 (right): SLV, H91 .244/5562, Peter Wille photo

Page 114 (top): TCMM (Melbourne Central 8)

Page 48 (top): SLV, H98.30/284, Wolfgang Sievers photo

Page 117: TCMM (Princess 3)

Page 48 (bottom): Getty Images SUP 85903703

Page 148: NLA, nla.pic-an12549227-93

Page 52-53: RCHA Laurie Richards photo

Page 150 (top): NLA, nla.pic-an12549227-94

Page 54 (top): SLV, H2009 35/15, Wolfgang Sievers photo

Page 150 (bottom): TCMM (Crown Casino 1)

Page 54 (bottom): RCHA Tom Ryan photo

Page 169: TCMM (CH24)

Page 55 (bottom): RCHA Laurie Richards photo Page 56: RCHA Tom Ryan photo Page 57 (bottom): RCHA Tom Ryan photo Page 60 (top): RCHA Tom Ryan photo

Illustrations: Simon Way: page 4 (Allan Coombs), page 37 and page 132

Page 60 (bottom left): RCHA Tom Ryan photo Page 61 (top): RCHA Tom Ryan photo

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A SINGULAR VISION THE A.G COOMBS STORY

21-Year Achievement 1968 Jim Barr

1996 Paul Carroll, Lew Cotterell, Peter Natoli

1971 Bill Moseley, Gerald Carter

1997 Keith Bryan, Philip Coombs, Ian Hawkins, Des Piper, Jocelyn Stretton

1974 Jack O'Hehir 1975 Albert Bell, Phil Buxton, Bill Goodger 1976 Alan Collard, John Zylstra

1977 Ron Ashby, Ron Barns, Percy Broadhurst, Bruce Granger, Kevin Jarvis 1978 Graeme Beattie, George Booker, Barry Fisher, Ray Smith

1998 Bob Shaw

1999 John Eaton 2000 Terry Bonello, John Shirley, Russell Spicer 2001 Grant Darling, Daryl! Evens, Robert Knipe, Dale Reynolds, Kevin Wilson 2002 Graeme Hay

1979 Colin Bailey, Ron Donnison, Ted Ellis, Jock Fraser, Phil Lovelace, Noel Moylan

2003 Hans Dobrautz, Paul Dorrity, Denis Moore

1981 Max Dixon

2005 David Barry, Lorraine Konstanty, Darren Martin, David Shipp

1982 Wayne Bromley, Bob Tardif, Herman Van Ooyen 1983 Ron Fisher 1984 Herbert Betz, Drago Jerecic, John John, Norm Long 1986 Russell Bray, John Fairbrother 1987 Keith Marsh, Frank Rada, David Seedsman, Dennis Wood

2004 Max Georgeson, Geoff Woodyard

2006 Bernie Kolber, Paul Oakes, Tom Norton, Janet Tillig, John Van Diemen 2007 Elizabeth Atkinson, Con Paspalis 2008 Maurice Ekanayake, Greg Kay 2009 Craig Granger, Russell Telford, Dick Turko

1988 Peter Anderson, Ross Ferguson, Ted Harrison, Peter O'Reilly, Laurie Thomas, Ray Twite

201 0 Mario Cipolla, Andrew Johns, Kyle Paten, Jeff Schembri, Greg Spencer

1989 Jim Alger, Charlie Cesnjaj, Bob Howard, Ray Sherry, Ray Stephenson

2011 Rod Bell, Trevor Eastland, Peter Smits, Ashley Trebilcock, Gareth Whitfield

1990 Harry Hudson, Bob Kerr, Phil Morgan, Mato Savor

2012 Steve Brough, David Kan, Brett Mann, Darrin Palmer, Rod Sunderland

1991 Eddie Browning, Eric Gailey, Phil McMahon, Bill White. Bill Young 1992 Tino Quirillo, Malcolm Wallace 1993 Frank Schooneveldt, David Rolph 1994 Alan Foster, Tony Foti, Peter Morphet

2013 Lucy Angelone 2014 Darren Briggs, Kim Hesline, Paul Lewis, Tim Mcl ean, Sean Rodgers, Martin Whitney 2015 Stuart Livingstone, Jeannine Mills, Paul Thompson

1995 Robert Casey, John Dunne, David Hubbard, Denis Jaffe, Andrew Kincaid, Frank Natoli, Richard Sellars, Brian Tregenza, Gordon Wilson, Bruce Woodyard

When Craig Granger (below left) was presented with his 21-year watch in 2009, his father Bruce - who marked a similar milestone in 1977- was on hand to congratulate him. There have been a number of other family connections within the business, such as brothers

Women have been making an important contribution to A.G. Coombs

Bruce and Geoff Woodyard, and Gordon and Kevin W1Json, all of

since the 1960s, with a number of female employees achieving their

them proud recipients of 21-year watches. Gordon attained another

21-year service milestone. They include Jocelyn Stratton, Lorraine

milestone when he marked forty years with the company in 2014.

Konstanty (pictured below centre), Janet Tillig (below left), Elizabeth Atkinson (below right), Lucy Angelone, Kim Hesline and Jeannine Mills.

A SINGULAR VISION - Tl-lE A G COOMBS STORY

Allan Coombs Training Award First awarded in 2000, the Allan Coombs Training Award recognises the application, effort and dedication shown by the company's apprentices and trainees in both their employment and their personal lives. The award honours the company's founder, Allan George Coombs (AM), whose fervent belief in the value of education and training has enabled apprentices and tradespeople to improve t heir skills and increase their opportunities for advancement. As a leader, Allan Coombs put his beliefs into action by developing the facilities and technical training syllabus at institutions such as Swinburne Technical College (now Swinburne University of Technology), while also providing on-site training at his own

From left: Philip Coombs, Nicholas Trevorah, the winner of the 2012 Allan Coombs Training Award, and Russell Telford.

company. Allan believed that training would benefit not only his company but also the industry as a whole. His conviction helped advance the profile of the Victorian building industry as well as the A.G. Coombs Group.

Recipients 2000 - Paul Stammers

2008 - Ben O'Brien

2001 - Chad Kopacz

2009 - Daniel Wheeler

2002 - Paul Roche

2010 - Justin Banbury

2003 - Hayden Harmer and Robert Montirosso

2011 - Heidi Hanlon

2004 - Stuart Knipe

2012 - Nicholas Trevorah

2005 - Grant Warren

2013 - Callum Hearn

2006 - Gavin Mitchell

2014- Nicholas Carrick

2007 - David Hemmings

r' A.G.Coombs SERVICE

,.,_"'-

~ = - .. ~

..

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ASINGULAR VISION - THE A.G. COOMBS STORY

Industry membership A.G. Coombs has been actively involved with a number of leading industry bodies and initiatives:

• Fire Protection Association Australia (FPA Australia) • Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) • Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust)

• Air Conditioning & Mechanical Contractors' Association (AMCA)

• Institute of Plant Engineers Australasia (IPEA)

• American Society of Heating Refrigeration

• Master Builders Association (MBA)

& Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) • Master Plumbers & Mechanical Services Association • Australian Institute of Company Directors

of Australia (MPMSAA)

• Australian Institute of Management (AIM)

• Mechanical Service Contractors of America (MSCA)

• Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and

• National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB)

Heating (AIRAH) • Property Council of Australia • BIM-MEP AUS • Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors' National • Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers

Association (USA) (SMACNA)

(CIBSE) • Standards Australia • Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) • Facility Management Association of Australia (FMA)

A.G. Coombs has supported Challenge for over twelve years and during this time adopted the not-for-profit organisation as its foundation charity. Rising to its name, Challenge has been providing daily support to children and families living with cancer since 1983. Its services begin the moment a diagnosis is received and continue through to treatment and beyond so that families do not have to make this difficult journey alone.

Challenge delivers many of its programs at the Challenge Family Centre, which A.G. Coombs upgraded with new air conditioning in 2011 . The important work performed by Challenge struck a chord with A.G. Coombs' employees, who volunteered their time to assist with the upgrade and ongoing facility maintenance. They also guided the building to a 4 Star NABERS Energy rating in 2013. Over the years,

Winner of the 2010 Allan Coombs Training Award Juslin Banbury (left) with Challenge CEO David Rogers. Winners of the award are

A.G. Coombs has donated several hundred thousand

invited to select a charity to which A.G. Coombs donates $2,500.

dollars worth of in-kind and financial support to Challenge.

Justin's charity of choice was Challenge.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A SINGUIJ\RVISION - Tl,E A.G. COOMBS STORY

Company Awards 1994 - 2015 1 994 - Master Builders Association Victorian Excellence in

2008 - 370 Degrees Group Plumbing Host Employer of the

Construction Awards - Subcontractor Award 120 Collins

Year: A.G. Coombs

Street BHP Petroleum Plaza: A.G. Coombs

2008 - BP Large Contractor Award: A.G. Coombs Service

1999 - Master Builders Association ACT Excellence in

2009 - BP Large Contractor Award: A.G. Coombs Service

Building Award - Subcontractor Division, Services, 201 0 - ARBS Outstanding Service and Maintenance

John Gorton Building: A.G. Coombs

Provider: A.G. Coombs Service 2000 - Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning

and Heating Inc. (AIRAH) Excellence Award - Victorian Arts

201 0 - 530 Collins Management - Award of Excellence for

Centre Central Plant Upgrade: A.G. Coombs (finalist)

Best Performing Contractor: Walker Fire Protection

2001 - Master Builders Association Victorian Excellence in

2011 - 530 Collins Management - Award of Excellence for

Health and Safety Award: A.G. Coombs

Best Performing Contractor: Walker Fire Protection

2001 - Master Builders Association Victorian Excellence

201 1 - National Fire Industry Association (NFIA) OneSteel

in Construction Award - INCC Plant Room Refurbishment

Fire Systems Award - Innovation in Workplace Health and

Melbourne: A.G. Coombs (finalist)

Safety: Walker Fire Protection

2002 - Master Builders Association Victorian Excellence

2013 - Lend Lease for The University of Queensland's Oral

in Health and Safety Award: A.G. Coombs

Health Centre Project (Safety Performance Award): A.G. Coombs

2002 - Master Builders Association Victorian Excellence in Construction Award - NGV redevelopment, Melbourne:

2014 - Victorian WorkCover Authority Health and Safety

A.G. Coombs (finalist)

Awards - Best Solution to a Specific Workplace Health and Safety Issue: A.G. Coombs

2002 - Melbourne East Group Training (MEGl) Host 2014 - NSW WorkSafe SafeWork Awards - Best Solution

Employer of the Year: A.G. Coombs

to an Identified Workplace Health and Safety Issue: 2003 - Institution of Engineers Australia Victorian

A.G. Coombs and Lend Lease (finalist)

Engineering Excellence Awards - ANZ Data Centre Infrastructure Upgrade: A.G. Coombs (Highly Commended)

2014 - FM Industry Awards for Excellence - Sustainability &

Environmental Impact Award: A.G. Coombs, Charter Hall 2003 - Master Builders Association Victorian Excellence

&. Knight Frank (Highly Commended)

in Health and Safety Award: A.G. Coombs 2014 - FM Industry Awards for Excellence - Energy 2004 - Master Builders Association Victorian Excellence

in Health and Safety Award: A.G. Coombs

Efficiency Award: A.G. Coombs, Charter Hall & Knight Frank (finalist)

2006 - Commonwealth Minister's Award for Excellence for

Employers of Australian Apprentices (Melbourne region)

2015 - Property Council of Australia / Rider Levett Bucknall

Innovation and Excellence Awards - KONE Award for Innovation: A.G. Coombs and Lend Lease

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

the John Gorton Building, the ANZ Centre, the new Royal Children's Hospital, Hamer Hall, The University of Queensland's Oral Health Centre and Barangaroo South.

Today, A.G. Coombs is a national business with major operations in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Having survived major recessions and undertaken extensive restructuring, the company is now a multi-service business providing customers with a whole-of-life service encompassing technical advice, design, engineering and manufacturing. It also installs, commissions. maintains and manages a wide range of services in award-winning, energy-efficient buildings.

Over the years, A.G. Coombs has garnered multiple awards for its safety initiatives and performance as an employer and innovator. Many of its employees are long serving.

This anniversary publication documents not only the history of A.G. Coombs but also the introduction of air conditioning to Australia. The images record the construction of significant commercial and public buildings, while showing the transition from the old days of drawing boards and site plans to the current use of Building Information Modelling and 3D digital technology in building design and construction - an area in which A.G. Coombs now plays an influential role.

About the Author:

Marcella Hunter is a Melbourne-based author and historian. After a career in communications in both the public and private sectors, Marcella branched out on her own as a freelance writer and editor, specialising in writing and producing commercial publications and corporate histories. She is the author of several books, among them Australia Post - Delivering More Than Ever; Creating a Better Future - the AMP Story; Shell Geelong Refinery - 50 years in Geelong; Kenworth MaWng History; and Preston Motors 100.

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A.G.Coon1bs

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ISBN 978•0·646- 9303Z-9

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