A fit & healthy AGC

Who remembers the AGC Exersites?

AGC arranged and funded the installation of more than 200 of them as part of its contribution towards Australia’s Bicentennial Year (1988). Many still survive. The one pictured, at The Rocks, was still there until quite recently.

Managing the entire project was AGC’s very personable Group Promotions Co-ordinator, Jill Woods (pictured here as Editor of the 1985 Report to Staff). Jill is now CEO of the Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Watsons Bay – 13 August 2009

By train, bus and ferry they came to enjoy the food, booze, million-dollar view, and excellent company at The Watson Bay Hotel. Some even undertook a pre-lunch walk to South Head.

Between them, these photos show all but one of the sixteen 1925ers and one visitor (John Salamonsen) who were able to attend. It was good to welcome back Brian and George who are recovering well from their hip & knee operations; and to welcome first-timer, Vic Olenych (who managed to avoid the camera).

Just after asking, “What’s a press gang?”, Roy volunteered to organise a lunch at Woy Woy on October 8th. Details to come, but please mark your diary.

For the record, those in the photo below are (from left to right): Bob Clarke, Doug Craighead, Ian Nay, John Leplaw, John Barker, Terry Colley, Barry Smith, George de Jong, Brian Camps, Nev Hine, Roy Whittaker, John McCullough, Peter Crumlin & John Salamonsen. In the photo above, but not in the other, are Ron O’Neil (seated 4th from left) and Athol Jenner (2nd from right). As mentioned, Vic Olenych appears in neither photo.

Aah, committees…

There were many committees formed during the days of AGC. This one produced an award-winning Report to Staff in 1981.






The committee members are pictured here interviewing the then Group General Manager, Keith Jack.


From left to right: Charles Davies-Scourfield (HO Advertising), Ian Nay (NSW Consumer), Dawne Zotz (NSW Insurances), Keith Jack, Kerry Benson (Data Processing) and Peter Hunt (HO Property Finance).

Tragically, Keith passed away in 1982 at the far too early age of 55.

Le Chifley

With all the demolition & reconstruction going on in the city, it’s good to see that one great institution survives: Le Chifley. Or as it was better known to us: Fred’s.

The café (or bistrot a vin, to be exact) was referred to as Fred’s because that was the name of the very congenial owner of the place. A Frenchman with the unlikely name of Fred Robinson, he sold the business but is said to be a fairly regular visitor.

Fridays just weren’t the same if we didn’t have a longish lunch at Fred’s. The food was always good, and the house wine at least plentiful. And there was always the mad ring-around on Friday mornings to find out how many were going so as to be able to grab a table large enough to accommodate us all.

Then there was Wally, the newspaper vendor in Elizabeth Street. He was quite a character; and as we passed he’d announce to the world, “Read all about it…AGC executives going back to work pissed…again!” Quite amusing until one day, as Athol recalls, AGC’s chairman was walking behind us when he said it.

Good days.

Leura Conference

Considerable discussion among a few of the guys featured in this photo has failed to reach consensus on exactly when and why the conference was held.

Based on everyone’s best recollection, the date was most likely sometime in 1980. The exact reason for bringing such a mix of senior HR and Admin executives together could not be recalled.

However, there were some great memories of golf, squash and table tennis games; saunas and swimming pools; the Sydney participants being allocated interstate staff to pick up and return the interstaters to Mascot; farewell champagnes at the airport; and much more.

Venue was certainly the York Leura Gardens Resort in the Blue Mountains (although it was then called the Everglades Motor Inn). The course convenor was Peter Campbell who was National HR Manager at the time.

Left to Right: Ken House, Bob Bennett, David Beros, Dennis Fenton, John Leplaw, Bevan Harris, Col Lye, Peter Campbell, Frank Broadfoot, Les Mainwaring, Jim O’Brien, David Blowfield, John Bell – and Nev Hine in front.

It’s sad to note that John Bell passed away last year.