Historical information

"Freight forwarding" is the arranging of the shipping of goods from their point of origin to their final destination. Freight Forwarders worked as an intermediary between companies that needed to ship products and the shipping and transportation firms that could ensure delivery. A key element of "freight forwarding" was the advice and professional handling of documentation and customs requirements provided. Early "freight forwarders" tended to be innkeepers who forwarded on the luggage of their hotel guests.

One of the first "freight forwarding" companies was established by Thomas Meadows in 1836 which made it one of the earliest freight companies in Europe. More reliable rail and steamships were beginning to be used to transport goods and this created a demand for the new "freight forwarding" industry. The combination of railroads and steamships became very important in the late 19th and early 20th century. International shipments became common and freight forwarding that could handle their complexity became an integral part of the manufacturing and shipping landscape.

Thomas Meadows & Company Ltd moved to offices in Milk Street, London in 1854 (where they remained until 1969 when they moved out of the city to Leytonstone) and continued in the freight business until 1987 when the company was acquired by Rockwell International Freight.
The growth of Thomas Meadows & Company Ltd coincided with the growth and development of the colony of Victoria with an increasing need for the transporting of large numbers of people as well as important goods required by the growing colony - furniture, spirits, food, clothing, agricultural implements, household items etc. In the late 1840's only two or three overseas ships a month visited Melbourne but by late 1852 (after gold was discovered) more than a dozen ships arrived each week. By 1939, Thomas Meadows & Co. Ltd. had offices in Canada, U.S.A., New Zealand, France, Belgium and in Flinders Street Melbourne.

This poster was sold by "Smarts Authorised Newsagency" in 1988 in Warrnambool - a business that had been owned by Neil and Shirley Smart at 168 Timor Street, Warrnambool since 1976. Previously it had been "Reed's Newsagency and Book Shop" (a local business established by William Reed circa 1912 and known as "William Reed Bookseller and Stationer"). The original owners, Reed's Newsagency and Bookshop were operating the shop in 1939 which suggests the poster may have been on display (for the information of their customers) in their shop at that time.

Significance

This poster is significant through its association with Thomas Meadows and Co. Ltd. who is considered to be the founder of the "freight forwarding" industry in the early 19th century.
It is an example of advertising used by shipping agents in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. Its information includes the addresses of the firm's different offices in the U.K. and abroad, ships, shipping lines and ports used and the timetable the vessels were likely to follow.
It is also significant through its association with a well known and long standing local Warrnambool business.

Physical description

A 1939 Timetable of "Australian Sailings" produced by the shipping agents Thomas Meadows and Co Ltd. It lists all their ships (plus dates and ports) sailing from the UK to Australia as well as the addresses of their offices in other cities in the U.K., Canada, U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand, France and Belgium. It has three vertical columns depicting (from left to right) January to June sailings, a simple 1939 calendar and their July to December 1939 sailings. The poster is attached on the top and bottom to two thin black metal strips. The top strip has a metal ring with a hole.
A stamped label on the back of the poster has the name, telephone number and address of Smarts newsagency plus the date.

Inscriptions & markings

Front of poster -
"FORWARDING AGENTS. INSURANCE BROKERS.PASSENGER AGENTS.CARTAGE CONTRACTORS / MOTOR CAR AND MACHINERY PACKERS.FURNITURE AND GENERALEXPORT PACKERS"
"THOMAS MEADOWS & CO Ltd."
"ESTABLISHED OVER 100 YEARS"
"SHIPPING AGENTS / 35 MILK STREET, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON, E.C.2"
"PACKING WAREHOUSES IN LONDON & MANCHESTER"
"1939"
"TIME TABLE OF AUSTRALIAN SAILINGS"
"JANUARY TO JUNE, 1939/ FROM LONDON"
"JULY TO DECEMBER, 1939 / FROM LONDON"
"HAVE YOUR SMALL PACKAGES SENT BY OUR SPECIAL "SMALLS" SERVICE AT LOWER RATES/RATES TO PORT ONLY OR INCLUDING DELIVERY THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA"
"INSURANCE AGAINST ALL RISKS EFFECTED WITH CLAIMS PAYABLE DESTINATION"
"ROUTE YOUR SHIPMENTS VIA THOMAS MEADOWS & CO LTD. FOR PROMPTNESS AND ECONOMY"
Stamp on back of poster -
"SMART'S AUTHORISED NEWSAGENCY'
"168 Timor Street, Warrnambool 3280"
"Telephone: (055) 62 2092"
"12 DEC 1988"
Sticker at bottom -
"51"