Historical information

Mont Albert State School was officially opened on 23rd April 1917. The school became Mont Albert Central School in 1918, taking in Forms 1 and 2. The school remained a Central School until 1964, when the secondary years formed the basis of a new High School, the Box Hill North High School, later to be named Koonung Secondary College.

This is part of a large collection of material related to the Deakin, Mair and Young families, all with connections to Surrey Hills and Mont Albert.
Ernest Lance Young was the son of Ernest Augustus Young (1891-1985) and Ruby Nichell Whitby (1892-1984). Lance was born 24 March 1915 in Surrey Hills. The family lived at 5 York Street, Surrey Hills. Electoral roll for 1937 gives the house name as 'Whitby Lodge'. He married Beryl Mair in 1939 and died on 5 October 1999 at Mont Albert. Electoral rolls list him as a manufacturer. His address after marriage was 11 York Street, Mont Albert. He is buried in Box Hill Cemetery (M-*-0867) along with his father. He served in WW2 (Service Number - VX104733 enlisting at St Kilda) and after returning took over his father's business.
Young's Motor Products have manufactured products for the automotive and other related industries, including chemical trades, since 1920.
Business history: Young's commenced trading in 1917 when Mr Ernest Augustus Young started selling paint brushes. At this time the company was known as E.A.Young & Co. with business premises in Queen Street Melbourne. Ernest soon expanded into paints and other products for the rapidly growing automotive trade and by 1920 was well recognised as a leading supplier. At this time canvas hoods were the norm and Ernest produced a "Canvas Hood Dressing" which gained acceptance as 'the one to buy'. This product was exported throughout the world.
By 1930 Young's range had expanded and the product range included items like distilled water, gasket cement, vulcanising heat patches, rust prevention and many more diverse products. Young's name then, was so well known in Australia and the world, that a letter could be addressed just "Young's Melbourne" and it would reach the company.
Young's survived the great depression, but in 1939 the Australian government commandeered the factory with all plant and equipment, thus closing Young's for the duration of the WW2. Ernest continued to make products at home for the war effort. When his son, Lance, returned home from overseas war service in Singapore, the Young's factory was re-established at 405 Canterbury Road, Canterbury near Chatham Station and worked to regain markets lost in the 1940s.
By 1980 Lance Young wished to retire, his immediate family didn't want to continue the business and Lance believed Australia would lose a great asset if he just closed the company. He sought to find someone within the motor trade who would uphold the Young's principles of product and service and in 1981 Allan Kennedy & Sons bought the business.Lance Young was retained as an active consultant until his death in October 1999, aged 84.
Products:
Superseal for radiators, tyre dressing (tyre black), car shampoo, hood dressing, leather and vinyl cleaner.
The factory was later elased to B&D Rollerdoors.
REF: Personal communication (Laurie Newton, nee Young) and http://youngsmp.com.au/comprof.htm

Physical description

Black and white class photo taken outside the school building. The class of 18 girls and 22 boys is flanked by a male teacher of the LHS of the photo and a female teacher on the RHS. Children are wearing a variety of clothing indicating the absence of an official school uniform.

Inscriptions & markings

REAR: Possibly 4 different hands as follows:
1. In black ink faded to brown: "January 1921 / Mont Albert State School"
2. "ERNEST" in black biro; looks to be a later insert to "Lance Young" in blue biro or ink.
3. "2nd on left / FRONT ROW legs crossed" in blue biro.