Mussen, Gerald (1872 - 1960)

Summary

(Sir) Gerald Mussen, in association with Amalgamated Zinc (De Bavay's), arranged in 1925 for wood from north-west Tasmania to be tested in Holland for its potential in the manufacture of newsprint. In spite of unpromising results, a pilot plant was set up to used the pulp which contained a high percentage of eucalyptus sulphite. Plans to float an operating company in 1930 fell through because of the economic conditions at the time.

Details

Born Dunedin, New Zealand, 17 October 1872. Died Melbourne, 21 March 1960. Knighted 1939. Educated Southland High School, Invercargill. Joined gold rush to Coolgardie 1897; freelance journalist, Sydney; Melbourne based reporter, Sydney Daily Telegraph from 1901; industrial adviser, Broken Hill Associated Smelters Pty Ltd (BHAS), Port Pirie, South Australia 1917-19, consulting industrialist, BHAS, Broken Hill 1919-22; founding proprietor, Adelaide News 1922-23; bought land for a paper mill in Burnie, Tasmania 1924, forming a company that eventually became Associated Pulp & Paper Mills Ltd, of which he remained a major shareholder; developed the fish-canning industry at Port Lincoln, South Australia from 1937. Chairman, Victorian Central Citrus Association 1924-30; chairman, Federal Citrus Association 1927-30. Wrote Australia's Tomorrow (1944).

Published resources

Book Sections

• Kennedy, B.E., 'Mussen, Sir Gerald (1872-1960), entrepreneur, journalist and industrial relations consultant' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 10: 1891 - 1939 Lat-Ner, Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1986), pp. 653-654. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100636b.htm. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q23894444. Details
• 'Mussen, Gerald (1872-1960)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-507808. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_m.html. Details