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Berry Engineering - All Staff Photo

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Description: Berry Engineering was established in 1907 by Edwin Daniel Berry as E. D. Berry General Engineer. It was originally located in Main Street, but as the business grew, it moved to Ferguson Street, later expanding up Ashley Street.

All three of Edwin Berry's sons worked for the company – Frank (Frances Leslie) trained as a tinsmith, Zean (Zenas Jefferson) as a refrigeration engineer and Edwin Jnr (Edwin Horace John) as a welder. Frank became the senior partner in the mid-1930s when Edwin senior began missionary work in Fiji.

The business was responsible for several patents and manufactured a wide variety of metal equipment for the dairy and brewing industries. It was bought out by Mauri Refrigeration in the 1960s, later being known as Protech Engineering. In the 1980s Protech was acquired by Steelfort Engineering.

This image was likely taken after Edwin Daniel Berry left for Fiji. The business suffered from staff retention issues during the second world war as skilled staff either voluntarily joined the forces or were drafted. There were several requests made to the draft board to defer service so that workers could stay to complete major projects.
Two earlier staff photos can be viewed at 2024P_2023-25_042125 and 2024P_2023-25_042126.

Identified people - seated

• Myra Hickin (3rd from left)
• Zenas Jefferson Berry (4th from left)
• Francis (Frank) Leslie Berry (5th from left)
• Horace Franklin Greatorex Perkins (6th from left)

Identified People - Standing
• Lance Koberstein (8th from left)
• Willam (Bill) Finlayson (10th from left)
• Keith Bycroft (last on right)
Known staff of Berry Engineering in 1934
• B. Allan (Apprentice)
• H. H. Allison
• F. E. Burson
• D. Buchanan
• H. V. Buchanan (Apprentice)
• D. A. Bull (Apprentice)
• Keith J. Bycroft
• J. Dallas (Apprentice)
• Gilbert Davies
• C. W. Erenstrom
• R. Finn (Apprentice)
• J. Flowers
• C. W. Fuller (Believed to be Charles William Fuller, listed as a Mechanical Engineer in the Electoral rolls)
• S. Fuller (Believed to be Sidney William Fuller, listed as a Tinsmith in the Electoral rolls)
• William (Bill) Finlayson
• W. Grainger
• D. Gray (Apprentice)
• E. Greedy (Apprentice)
• C. Hall
• C. H. Harvey
• H. F. Haselden
• H. W. Hopkins
• I. Jarman (Apprentice)
• Lance Koberstein
• D. W. Laing (Apprentice)
• G. Marshall (Apprentice)
• J. Merson
• R. Parlane
• M. Pascoe
• H. D. Ross
• H. N. Scroggs
• R. Scott (Apprentice)
• H. Simpson
• T. Smith
• F. Stupples (Apprentice)
• G. Turner (Apprentice)
• W. Yardley
• R. H. Whitehead
• J. Wall
• R. C. Waters
• B. Waters

The older man in a suit in the front row could be either:
• Gordon Enoch Rowe – barrister and solicitor
• David Andrew Hewlett – Accountant
Both became company directors in 1941 one month after the resignation of Horace Perkins.