G'day all, This might be old news but I couldn't find a topic on CPL on it so I thought I would post it. ..................... The Courier Mail Brisbane. Thursday 4 August 1949 'REFUSED POWER' Lantern and kerosene oil stove makers: Closing entirely tonight because of lack of power. Normal output of 500 stoves and 500 lanterns a week. Almost 1000 stoves and 500 lanterns partly completed.' The manager of the firm, Handi Works Pty., Ltd. (Mr. L. Hughes), said his firm was the sole Queensland manufacturer of Primus stoves and pressure lanterns. 'We appealed to the Mines Department each week for per mission to use power, but were refused,' he said. .'These goods, already in short supply, could save the public much inconvenience in these days.' -- "Such Is Life"
An article from 24 July 1946 - a week after Handi Works began production at Rocklea, Brisbane ................. Making Irons, Stoves Handi Works Pty. Ltd., which has been established at Rocklea for a little more than a week, already has turned out some of its products for the Australian market, the Dutch East Indies, and Malaya. Mr. L. T. Hughes, managing director, said that the factory occupied 17,000 sq. ft. and employed 15 to 20 hands. It was'manufacturing the first pumpless petrol iron made in Australia, Primus stoves, folding camp stoves, and special pressure petrol and kerosene storm proof lanterns. If the firm could get materials, said Mr. Hughes, it could sell 1000 petrol irons a week. It expected to manufacture electric irons before Christmas.
It has been put to me that perhaps the writer was using the word primus as a generic term for stoves. Perhaps they are right. I do note, the word primus was used in articles 3 years apart and when mentioning kerosene lamps they didn't call upon the generic term Tilley.
Matty My point was the word "primus" was written with a lower-case "p" in the second article where the clip is shown above, indicating it was (probably) intended to be used as a generic term for pressure stoves. Handi made at least two types of kerosene pressure stoves marketed under their own brand-name. Tony
As Handi Lanterns have the claim "British Made" I am pretty sure they were not making Primus products under license. Visit http://handimuseum.tripod.com/
I certainly think this is a case of the word Primus being used in the generic sense. The lack of a generic name for lanterns ties in with my comment under Tony's topic that at least in Queensland the only generic term for lanterns was "pressure lanterns".
I was thinking the same as the other here. Primus is widely known as a generic name for pressure stoves. Tilley is just generic for lanterns in a few countries, and apparently not so in Australia. At least not all parts.
I must admit that until it was mentioned to me that I hadn't even thought of Primus being used as a generic term, Perhaps it was. One thing I will say, if the writer actually did quote the manager of the firm, Mr. L. Hughes of Handi Works Pty., Ltd, and his response was that we make Primus stoves rather than saying we make Handi stoves, or just using the word stoves, it's quite a faux pas.
Anything that was made in the British Empire could have the claim British Made applied to it, just as Handi lanterns had British Made despite being made in Australia.
Tony, I well understood your point and pointed out that perhaps you are right. I went onto say in another post that I hadn't given it a thought, prior to post the topic that Primus may have well been used as a generic term. I wouldn't like that Hughes bloke running my company and you get some free advertising from the press and he quotes a competitors name as the product they are making. In fact, I'd do a Donald Trump on him and fire him. I do accept the fact that it's more than likely been a generic term used.
Here is another article regarding Handi Works, L J Hughes and the word primus. Handiworks during the war made in Brisbane the first Ausralian primus stove to substitute for the imported stove then unprocurable. The company's manager (Mr L. T. Hughes) is confident that its stoves and other products can meet post-war overseas competition.
A Handi stove ad from 1944. I don't know anything about stoves but it looks like a Handi Quick Boil stove to me.
