VPRS 8307 Records Relating to Brown Coal Research (including Personal Papers of George Baragwanath)

This series comprises various subject and working files, research publications, photographs, slides and scientific samples relating to the research and development of Victorian brown coal resources as conducted by the State Electricity Commission (SECV). It also some contains records pertaining to research completed prior to the SECV's inception by bodies such as the Mines Department and the State Advisory Committee on Brown Coal. Incorporated in this series are personal files created by Mr George Baragwanath, an SEC officer who was involved in many varied aspects of this research.(N.B: Please refer to the end of this note for chronologies relating to brown coal research and Mr Baragwanath's career.)The records in this series were left by staff of the Herman Research Laboratories, Richmond (SECV) after a move to new premises during 1991. The records were found in a very disordered state which made the tasks of identifying individual series and establishing the original order of the records extremely difficult. It was therefore decided to accession these records as a single series.Treatment and arrangement of this seriesIndividual items were identified by a project team from the Australian Science Archives Project (ASAP) led by Mr Gavan McCarthy, Senior Archivist.The ASAP project team numbered each item as found with a sequential number, known as the Appraisal Unit Number (AUN). The following detail was entered into a database for each record:( AUN and title( date range of the record( archival status and( quantity.Detail from the database was manipulated to generate 3 indexes which have been registered as VPRS 8309 Indexes to VPRS 8307 Records Relating to Brown Coal Research:( in record number order( in chronological order by the date range of each record, and( in order as boxed in the two consignments of VPRS 8309.The ASAP survey identified 23 broad record classes. Records were physically arranged in AUN order within each of these record classes.Record classes identified in this series by the ASAP survey team.Subject and miscellaneous SEC files: relating to a variety of issues are identified by reference to the file title. The creators of many of these files proved difficult to determine. It is possible that some of these files were also created by Mr Baragwanath.Working files and notebooks: mostly created by Mr George Baragwanath as part of his duties until his retirement in 1968. Some of these files contain biographical notes regarding his career and that of his father William Baragwanath (see attached chronology).Publications and reports: comprising an extensive collection of published reports, etc relating to brown coal, fuel research and general energy issues. These are identified only by reference to subject matter and not author/title. It is very likely that these papers provided much of the source material utilised in the course of the Victorian research as evidenced by the text and extensive bibliography in Hyman Herman's book Brown Coal (1952).Files relating to the careers of George or William Baragwanath and Hyman Herman.Newspapers clippings relating to coal research.Scientific samples, slides and photographs: pertaining mostly to wood and coal samples and pollen or fossils samples found in various mining areas. Some of these items could not be definitely identified and are thus described generally.Records created by other agencies or SECV Committees including the State Brown Coal Advisory Committee, Cabinet Committee on Brown Coal, Coal Utilisation Research Advisory Committee and the Brown Coal Gasification Committee.Other classes incorporating general files relating to the following subjects `Brown coal', `Briquettes', `Hydrogenation of Brown Coal' and `Conferences'.Consignment make upIn order to provide for the most appropriate means of physical storage, two consignments were created. All photographs, specimens and microscope slides are located in the P2 consignment.Destroyed recordsThe ASAP project also identified a range of material deemed not to have archival value. These records have subsequently been destroyed and are listed in an index also found in VPRS 8309 (refer to Index 3 in VPRS 8309/P1).CHRONOLOGY A - Brown Coal ResearchThe existence of substantial Victorian brown coal deposits, mainly in the Latrobe Valley, was first determined in the mid 1800s. Major developments subsequently:1866 or 7 some of the first brown coal analyses were completed by J.Cosmo Newbery, Victoria Government Analyst (Geological Survey).1891 recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Coal resulted in Newbery being sent to Germany to investigate briquetting techniques. A plant was also established at the Morwell open cut but eventually became idle.1916 the NSW miners strike forced the Government to operate the idle Morwell open cut. It had resumed full time production by the following year.1917 the Victorian Government formed the State Advisory Committee on Brown Coal to report on the commercial utilisation of brown coal for the generation of electricity. It delivered its report on 25 September and recommended the establishment of a power station at Morwell.1919 the SECV is established as the Electricity Commissioners.1920 on October 1 Hyman Herman (formerly Chairman of the Advisory Committee and, between 1912-1920, Director of the Geological Survey) was appointed as the Engineer in Charge of Briquetting and Research. He completed experiments on samples of Latrobe Valley coal in Europe and recommended the establishment of a briquette factory.1922-4 the briquette factory was constructed and by 30 June 1925 had produced approximately 36,500 tons.1923 SECV appointed a fuel research chemist.1940 Herman retires as Engineer in Charge of Research.1962 the Herman Research Laboratory was opened in Richmond. It was the first centralised SECV research centre. Prior to this date research had been conducted in a number of other locations including a Fuel Research Centre in Richmond.1991 Herman Research Laboratory moved to new premises in Mulgrave.CHRONOLOGY B - SECV career of George Baragwanath1922 - 1927 Junior Engineering Assistant on the staff of Hyman Herman1927 - 1931 Engineering Assistant (Technical) in design of plant specifications for Yallourn briquette factory1931 - 1932 Senior Technical Assistant to Factory Manager, Yallourn1934 - 1939 Research Chemist conducting experiments on Victorian brown coal at the British Fuel Research Station, Greenwich, UK1939 - 1945 Senior Personal Assistant to Hyman Herman (who after his retirement in 1940 acted as a consultant to the SECV)1946 - 1947 Secondment to the Australian Scientific Technical Mission, Germany1948 - 1968 Senior Research Officer1968 Retirement(Note: - George is the son of William Baragwanath who held the following posts:1920 - 1943 Director, Victorian Geological Survey1924 - 1943 Chief Mining Surveyor1932 - 1934 Secretary of Mines)Further ReadingResearchers wishing to obtain further information relating to Victorian brown coal research and development are referred to the following publications.