Coca Cola has been sold in Australia since 1937 and factories were established in a number of Australian cities in the 1940s and 1950s as its popularity grew. This factory began production in 1960 and is representative of the post war influx of large-scale industrial developments into the municipality. Companies invested in the area as a result of the favourable local zoning provisions.
Chesterville, Cochranes and Keys Roads all saw factories or warehouses constructed by major companies such as ‘…Schweppes, Coca-Cola Bottlers, Beechams, Singer, Horndraulics, Coates Brothers and Phillip Morris.’[1]
The Coca Cola factory is significant to the local community as it is one of the remaining examples of a prominent manufacturing company that established in the area during the post war years. Coca Cola was a large employer of the local community.[2] The building also has architectural heritage value attributed to the ‘simple facade treatment and signage to the Levanswell Road facade.’[3]
While viewing this site, something to consider is who gets to say what is listed a part of our heritage and how should these heritage values be described? For this tour, the main sources of information about the heritage values of the sites we are visiting are the City of Kingston Heritage Study (2000) and the records on the City of Kingston Heritage Database (which is currently offline).[4] These studies have been conducted by experienced heritage professionals and detail the significance of the sites to the community.
Thinking back to the language used to describe the heritage values at Wrens Road, you may recall the factories were described in term of architectural features and economic development. However, more recently, heritage professionals have been encouraged to look beyond the physical fabric of the object or site and consider the ‘meanings that people attribute to it and the feelings of connection and ownership that they have for it.’[5] We describe these invisible aspects of a site as being its intangible heritage.
In her book, Historical Preservation: Collective Memory and Historic Identity, Diane Barthel argues that when interpreting industrial heritage we must venture beyond the heroic school that simply looks at ‘… brilliant inventors and daring entrepreneurs’ and consider the social relations of production by looking at the costs, not just the benefits of industrialisation.[6] For example, working in heavy industry presented real health dangers, accidents were common and yet these are often downplayed in heritage studies. Also, the site may demonstrate technical progress, but did this translate to social progress? The story for each workplace will be different.
In the case of Coca Cola, the company attributes some of their success to their commitment to employing local workers and supporting local businesses.[7] But, if we were only to view the physical structures on the site, this part of it's history would be obscured. However, in this case, Coca Cola Bottlers' history of supporting the local community is reflected in the statement of significance for this site. Even by this very simple example, we can see the potential richness the intangible heritage of a site offers to its interpretation.
Sources:
[1] Anon. ‘Coca Cola factory’, City of Kingston Heritage Database [currently offline], citation no. 171, City of Kingston Heritage Study Place Identification Form, 2001, Bryce Raworth Pty. Ltd.
[2] Anon. ‘Coca Cola factory’, op. cit.
[3] Anon. ‘Coca Cola factory’, op. cit.
[4] Jill Barnard, Gabrielle Moylan and Mary Sheehan, City of Kingston Heritage Study, Stage One, Living Histories & Associates, Melbourne, 2000, reproduced at: https://www.kingston.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/.../heritage-study-report.pdf; Online Heritage Database, http://www.kingston.vic.gov.au/Property-Development/Heritage/Search-Online-Heritage-Database;
[5] Alison Wain, ‘Values and Significance in Conservation Practice’, Proceedings of the AICCM National Conference, Canberra: 19–21 October 2011, AICCM, Canberra, 2011, reproduced at: https://aiccm.org.au/sites/default/files/WAIN_NatConf2011.pdf, p. 1.
[6] Diane Barthel, Historical Preservation: Collective Memory and Historic Identity, Rutgers University press, New Brunswick, 1996, pp. 67–68.
[7] Anon. ‘Coca Cola factory’, op. cit.
