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Frederick Richard Burley (29 May 1885, Hamilton, Victoria - 26 May 1954, Wahroonga, New South Wales) was the founder of Berlei.
[1]
[2]
Burley was a pioneer in employee relations and an accomplished public citizen, holding office in the Rotary Club and contributing to other worthy organizations.[3] In the custom of Rotary he would introduce himself to other clubs with his name, his club, and his occupation as a "maker of jewel caskets".[4]
The movie Undercover was made about the early years of the Berlei company and the life of Frederick R Burley. [5] [6]
Childhood
[edit]Father died 30 Dec 1891
Attended the Urqhart Street School in Ballarat[7].
Early Life
[edit]Joined William Dodgshun Pty. Ltd. at Ballarat as a junior in 1899, resigned in 1900. He then joined the firm of Brooks McGlashan and McHarg at Melbourne as a junior. He was appointed a salesman at the Ballart Branch in 1903 and salesman at Melbourne office in 1905. Appointed Department Manager at Melbourne 1908.
Married 1908-12-21. Family... Keith (1909), Joy (1911) , Margaret (1916), and Janet (1919).
Sub-Manager at Sydney 1909, and Manager at Sydney 1910.
Entry to the Lingerie business
[edit]Later in 1910 he left his post as Sydney Manager to take up a quarter [8] share in E. Gover & Co., Market Street, Sydney, where Mrs. 'Lottie' Murdoch (then Miss Andrew) was employed.
In 1911 Mrs. H. Gorell (sister-in-law) and another relative bought the remaining shares of the business and in 1912 additional new premises for E. Gover & Co. were obtained at Wilmot Street.
Here it was decided to do the wholesale business only, and Mr. Gorell took charge of the factory.
Visualising the real possibilities of further developing the wholesale manufacturing side Fred R. Burley decided to form a separate company, and asked his brother Mr. Arthur Burley, to join him. In July "Unique Corsets Limited" was formed with a nominal capital of £10,000, paid-up capital £2,500. Mr. Fred R. Burley was Chairman and Managing Director; Mr. Arthur Burley was Director and Secretary; Mr. H. Gorell, Director.
In 1913 "Mr. Fred" made his first visit abroad to study materials and manufacturing activities. He made many subsequent trips abroad, and took every opportunity to study modern industrial methods in many countries, notably U.S.A., Canada and the United Kingdom.
He travelled widely to learn business and trade information, to make business partnerships, and to get materials for his factories.[9]
Employee Relations
[edit]Having a keen interest in industrial relations, early in the development of his company Mr. Burley established various welfare activities to benefit the employees of the company, which were then in advance of current practice.[10] As early as 1917 Profit-sharing Certificates were issued to the staff, on which they received the same rate of dividends as the ordinary shareholders. This scheme operated successfully until it was replaced by a complete Staff Provident Fund.
In 1919 the name of the company was changed to Berlei Limited.[11]
Public and Political Involvement
[edit]In 1923, believing that preference for the Australian-made goods was a vital thing in our national life, he founded the Australian Made Preference League and served as the first president of the League. The League created the Great White Train as a promotional tool for early Australian industries.[12]
At the end of 1923 he founded Berlei (N.Z.) Ltd.
Use of Research to support Business
[edit]In 1926-27, at his instigation, a vast and systematic anthropometrical survey of women’s measurements was made. This was the first of its kind in the world, and as a result, Berlei Limited were able to make garments on a scientific health basis, and this resulted in the invention of the famous Berlei Figure Type Indicator.
International Involvement
[edit]In 1930 he founded Berlei (U.K.) Ltd.
Board of Trade
Support of ANZAC servicemen....
Other Interests
[edit]Fred Burley did not confine his activities solely to his business; he had many outside interests in community service, and one subject that interested him perhaps more than any other was the permanent improvement of the relations between employer and employee. He applied its principles to his own business, and was always ready to do what he could to advance this cause.
Other interests he had were the Chamber of Manufactures, Young Australia League, Boy Scouts’ Association, Father and Son Welfare Movement, Big Brother Movement, and the League of Nations Union. He held life Governorships in the Crown Street Women’s and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospitals, Sydney, the Alfred and the Women’s Hospitals, Melbourne, the General Hospital, Geelong, and held a life membership of the Y.M.C.A. and the Smith Family.
Rotary
[edit]His membership of the Rotary Club of Sydney began in 1922, where he served as Treasurer, Director and Committee Chairman, attending many Rotary International Conventions, and most Rotary Conferences when in Australia. He served Rotary International as District Governor in Australia in 1931-32.
The business of the company necessitated his removal to London in 1933, where he joined the Rotary Club of London and became its President in 1941. On his return to Australia in 1947 he was elected to the Rotary Club of Sydney as "senior active" member.
Retirement
[edit]In July 1950 Fred retired from active operation of the company and was appointed Chairman of Directors. A gala evening was held, with the whole Berlei staff and business contacts present, to mark the occasion of his retirement. Berlei (N.Z.), Ltd., was represented by their Chairman of Directors, Mr. J. A. Gentles and Mr. Keith J. Burley, Joint Managing Director of Berlei (U.K.) Ltd., also visited Australia on this occasion.
References
[edit]- ^ Hyslop, Anthea (1993). "Burley, Frederick Richard (1885–1954)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ Berlei. "The History of The Berlei Group - The Life of Fred Burley". Berlei Limited. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27.
- ^ "Frederick Burley dies". Brisbane Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 26 May 1954. p. 7 (LAST RACE). Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Patterson, Hamilton Stuart (1990). The Ordinary Doctor. Brisbane, Australia: Amphion Press. p. 55. ISBN 0867763728.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Quinlivan, B. (7 May 1982). "Pioneer proved Berlei bras fitted the nation just fine". Financial Review (Sydney). p. 19.
- ^ Elfick, David (Producer) (1983). Undercover (DVD). Sydney, Australia: Filmco / Palm Beach Pictures.
- ^ Who's Who (1929). Who's Who in Australia (3rd edition ed.). Melbourne: International Press Service Association. pp. p 904.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help);|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ "Berlei Review", The Berlei Review, Sydney: Berlei Limited, 1922–1960
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ^ "Wants Girdles Stretched". The Pittsburg Press. 1943-11-29. p. 11. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "WELFARE WORK PAYS". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 22 February 1919. p. 11. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ "COMPANY NEWS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 25, 523. New South Wales, Australia. 24 October 1919. p. 8. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Great White Touring Train visit to Wagga". Wagga Wagga City Council. Archived from the original on 2008-03-19.
"The WILD CAT COLUMN", The bulletin, 75 (3896): 16, 1954-10-13, retrieved 2 June 2018