This photograph is one of Collingwood Historical Society’s contributions to the Friday Photo 2012 challenge under the theme Shoes.
Whybrows whose boot factory still stands in Hoddle Street Abbotsford was a big employer in Collingwood. Born of illiterate Irish immigrants in Ballarat St, Collingwood in 1871, John Wren like many Collingwood boys commenced his working life in the boot trade, working at Whybrows boot factory. Some stories say that while there he added to his income by a small scale bookmaking operation; others suggest that he worked for a bookie after his retrenchment from Whybrows in the 1891/1892 economic slump; another story is that it was a win on the Melbourne Cup that allowed him to set up business in Johnston Street. Whatever the truth of all of this John Wren was typical of many a Collingwood youth that he started his working life at Whybrows.
This photo dated to about 1920 is from the Museum of Victoria and shows the clicking room at Whybrows where the tops of shoes were cut out. John Wren would have been unlikely to have worked in this room as a skilled clicker.
CLICKER NOT CLIPPER CLICKING WAS A QUALIFICATION THAT NEEDED AN APPRENTISHIP OF 5 YEARS AND INVOLVED SELECTING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE HIDE OR SKIN BEST SUITED FOR CERTAIN PARTS OF THE SHOE IT WAS A RESPECTED PART OF THE WHO
LE COMPLETION ON THE SHOE
My mother, Phyllis Day nee Hudson did her apprenticeship at Whybrow Shoes in 1933-38. When I read out the article to Mum she immediately said ‘clicking room’ not clipping so was very pleased to note the comment above.
Thank you for pointing out this typographical error. Yes your mother is definitely correct and we will amend the spelling. Would she like to write a few notes about her working life at Why brow’s? We will be writing a page on Mr Whybrow for our Notables database soon.
Did you write something on him please? I know his granddaughter and she’d love to read it. Thanks.
Yes here is a link to his bio on our website.https://collingwoodhs.org.au/resources/notable-people-2/collingwood-notables-database/entry/469/
Thanks Anne. Would you know who supplied you with his birth date and place? I haven’t been able to find a birth certificate for him. Would you have a source please as I’m tracing his ancestry for his granddaughter. Thank you. kg
Hi, my great grandfather owned whybrowns shoes patcially or whole during the war and has given away pleanty of infomation about its role in the war, ill try to get some more infomation if you would like, I know when it was sold/ stopped trading he buried all the money before he died. My dad also immediatly jumped at the name phyllis and seemed to think there was a sub brand called phylllis shoes after her but idk not confirmed
Dear Darcy
I am sorry I missed seeing your comment before and so had not replied.
Could you tell me who your great grandfather was?
Karen
My father in law worked as a Clicker at Wybrow footware Abbotsford. I have a Souvenier Brochure of when Wybrow participated in the British Commonwealth Exhibition 1924. It contains photos of the staff, lunchroom, the building inside and out the grounds, stages of the construction of shoes and workers.
Dear Crystal
Thank you for that interesting information. would we be able to obtain a copy of the brochure?
Collingwood Historical Society
My great, great uncle worked here.
I have a photo of all the employees and owner (over 100 on photo) in front of a building . Not sure what year
Dear Meg
Thank you for that information. Would you be able to send us a copy of that photo? We would love to see it. If you told us your great great uncle’s name and any indication of when he would have worked there, or where he lived, we could probably make an educated guess as to the date.
Karen
I started work in reception at Windsor Smith shoes at Preston after they brought out Whybrow Shoes. I had the pleasure of working with Peter Whybrow, an absolute gentleman.
Thank you Jenny, that is a lovely comment to hear.
Karen
My great great grandfather was married to one of Arthur Whybrow’s daughters – Susannah. My mother told me stories about the Whybrows and the boot factory. Apparently they were celebrities at the time. Even if my attachment is only distant, it’s interesting to read about the factory in more detail.
Thank you Helen. It is nice to hear these personal stories.
I have just done a search on Whybrows as I have in my possession what is a mirror probably used in a shoe shop,to stand in front of and gives a great view of your shoes you are trying on.It has a solid oak frame with an angled mirror.Emblazoned on it is “Whybrows Exhibit Footwear”.I had always assumed it was an English firm and quite surprised to find it was Australian.MY Computer skills do not extend to my capabilities allowing to attach a photo.
If you need one I will have to enlist the help of someone younger,
Thank you Robin. Yes indeed Whybrow’s was a very important Collingwood shoe manufacturer. I will send you a separate email about a photo.
Hi everyone, my grandfather worked at Whybrow’s as a bootmaker in the 1920’s, according to my mother “for many years”. I would love to find out the years that he was employed at Whybrow’s. Does anyone know if there is an archive with such details. Thank you. Jill
Dear Jill
I am not aware of anywhere that could supply the employment details of your grandfather.
My grandfather, Stanley Clarence Gruner, was a Clicker at Whybrows for 50 years. When he reached the 50 year mark, they gave him a small card certificate, and I think a watch.
Thank you for the story about your grandfather Stanley Gruner. That is certainly a lengthy period of employment!
My grandfather was made engineering foreman at whybrows during ww1 due to
the previous foreman being a german and was sent to one of those internment camps.
My grandfather Edwin Eastwood was about 18 at the time but was recommended by
the foreman to take his place because he was impressed with his work.
My father told me these stories. Grandfather Ed would catch the first train of a morning
to make sure he was there to start up the steam engine for the factory. When they
switched over to electric motors to run the sewing machines the leather belts flew off
because the start up was too quick compared with steam.
I just found a photo of the Whybrows Shoe Manufacturer Football Team. It states my grandfather Jim Connell was in that photo. I don’t know what year it was taken.
This is the only photo I have ever seen of Jim, so would love to confirm which footballer he is.
I’d also love to know what years he worked there. I know he passed away in 1952 so it was before then and I suspect this photo may have been from the 1920’s or 30’s. I know he was born in 1896.
I have heard from family that his sisters also worked there.
My grandmother Bella Rowbotham probably worked there. I know she worked in a boot making factory so I suspect it was Whybrows.
My mother, Myrtle Andrewartha worked there when she left school at about 15 years of age which would have been around 1944, she was in the office.
If anyone can find employment records, I’d love know more, especially about Jim Connell.
Hi Bronwyn
Thanks for your email about your grandfather Jim Connell and about his photo of the Whybrows Shoe Manufacturers Football Team. Unfortunately as far as we are aware there are no employee records for staff employed at Whybrow’s. The only list of staff I know of is the list of those who served in World War I and who appear on the Whybrow Honour Board. I have checked and your grandfather does not appear on that list.
Thanks also for information that you share about other family members who worked at Whybrow’s. There is information on our website about the Whybrow founder on our website here:https://collingwoodhs.org.au/resources/notable-people-2/collingwood-notables-database/entry/469/ and about our recent discovery of the World War One Honour Roll. on our World War One page under Employee Rolls: https://collingwoodhs.org.au/resources/world-war-i-in-collingwood-2/
Please tell us more about your family members that worked there and how they link with each other. We would also love to see the photo you mention that included Jim Connell.
AH