SPC - BLUE CIRCLE SOUTHERN CEMENT NEWSLETTERS

Berrima District Historical & Family History Society has acquired an almost full set of newsletters for Southern Portland Cement and Blue Circle Southern Cement from 1959 to 1985. These newsletters contain a wealth of information about operation of this important Southern Highlands employer and the people who worked there. In that period the company was the largest employer in the district and most residents either had someone in their family who worked there or knew of someone who worked there.

The Berrima District Credit Union, now Community Bank BDCU, had its origins in the company, beginning operation in 1963 as an employee-based credit union.  The original name was Southern Portland Cement Employees Credit Union Ltd.

The newsletters contain reports on developments at the site, but also many stories about employees and their families, with photographs that may not survive anywhere else. Also a regular sports column, as the company had many sporting teams playing in local competitions. A gardening column by Claude and Isobel Crowe was also included in the newsletter.

Recognising the importance of these newsletters, the Society applied for funding from BDCU Community Bank, to assist with the cost of digitising the collection. Our application was successful and together with funds from our own resources we have been able to have 8,800 pages of the newsletters digitised and now make them available in PDF format on our website. We believe they will be a wonderful resource for families and family historians, as well as researchers with an interest in the development of this important local industry.

OUR THANKS GO TO BDCU COMMUNITY BANK FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT

If you have any questions about the project, please contact us at the Mittagong archives.