The Museum of Perth chronicles the social, cultural, political and architectural history of Perth.
A J Baker & Sons: A Century of Business
There are not many families who have been in business for 100 years - let alone in Western Australia.
In recognition of that Chairman, Peter Baker, and Managing Director, Mike Baker, engaged Shannon Lovelady, Author and Historian at the Museum of Perth, to write the history of A J Baker & Sons to celebrate our centenary in May 2020 (slightly delayed by Covid).
The result is a magnificent book chronicling our proud history; it’s about Bert Baker the man, his family, and its business, which has flourished in the ensuing 100 years.
In 1896 in Adelaide, South Australia, we glimpse a young Bert wrapping bars of soap while working at Burford’s, which became Australia's oldest soap manufacturer. This first job was where he learnt one of the most important corporate lessons, often overlooked; that staff are a firm’s most valuable asset.
In 1900 we see Burford’s bring Bert to Western Australia where, after two decades of loyal service, Bert forges his own business with offices in the original old AMP Chambers. With incredibly keen foresight and great conviction, he then chooses the right products to market including, a little later, pioneering domestic and commercial refrigeration.
In December 1929 he bought three beautiful old townhouses on the corner of Hay and Irwin Streets, Perth, which were one of only a handful of building modifications undertaken in Perth in 1930, due to the effects of the Great Depression. Despite much of the world’s business grinding to a halt Bert continued steadily, carefully nurturing his business and his customers, and the growth of A J Baker & Sons continued.
The book features many items within the company's archives:
old newspaper articles, beautifully kept in original 1930s albums;
photos of gorgeous showrooms set up with ASCO scales and AMAT-Ice, Electrolux and Leonard refrigerators;
photos of significant refrigeration installations done at the Palace Hotel, Perth, and the Palace Hotel, Kalgoorlie and records of installations from almost everywhere in between; and
meticulous record-keeping in Bert’s own hand, within immaculate journals and ledgers dating back to the birth of our business in 1920.
Shannon even researched Bert’s family, going back to his grandfather Nicholas Slattery who arrived in Adelaide in 1855, and undertook detailed investigations into identifying the many beautiful old pubs, clubs and shops which had chosen to have their refrigeration installed by A J Baker.
The Baker family identified relatives in some of the more crowded images and at the very last minute, on the day of the book being submitted for print, they even confirmed the name of the family dog (‘Benny’) in a Christmas photo!
The book 'A J Baker & Sons: A Century of Business’ arrived in A J Baker & Sons’ Osborne Park headquarters on Friday 19 November and was launched to members of the Baker family on 21 November, at an event at The Meat & Wine Co in the old Palace Hotel; one of Bert’s best clients throughout the 1930s and beyond.
A copy of the publication is available for viewing at the Museum of Perth’s Reference Library, Level 2 of the Atlas Building, 8-10 The Esplanade Perth. Contact aaron@museumofperth.com.au to make an appointment.
