Page 12 - 201902 SCA February 2019 Volume 56 Number 1

Painted MEMoRIES

A selection of historical paint references

Compiled by Peter Walters – Past President of SCANZ
THIS EDITION: WoMEN IN SURFACE CoATINGS
I was intrigued to observe that, when the time as they were married and started a family.
Certificates for successful completion of the Industrial Chemistry was considered too dirty or
SCAA Surface Coatings Course at the 2018 macho for “members of the fairer sex”. Besides, as
SCAA Conference in Melbourne were handed the Personnel Officer at Dulux at the time said to
out, 5 of the 7 graduates were Female. me, “Graduates are employed with the expectation
I also noted that there was also a female only that they will move into executive and managerial
breakfast held for “Women in Surface Coatings” positions within the company”. To him it went without
at the Conference. saying that such positions were the exclusive domain
of males. “After all women leave the workforce to
2018 in New Zealand was a year of celebrations devote the rest of their lives to family duties once they
to commemorate 125 years since New Zealand are married and their first child was on the way.”
became the first Sovereign Nation, on 19 September
1893, to grant suffrage to women. In 1895 South I recall a fellow female student having difficulty
Australia was the first State in Australia to grant obtaining a loan as the bank insisted that she have a
women suffrage. The Commonwealth Franchise Act Male Guarantor for that loan. Their reason – “Women
passed in 1902 ensured that Women could vote in get married and stop work and so are unable to pay
the first federal election held under federal law on a loan back, therefore the Bank required a working
December 16, 1903. man to guarantee that loan.”
These events prompted me to devote my Painted These attitudes shocked me at the time and I
Memories in this edition to reviewing the attitude supported the second wave Feminist movement that
towards and the position of women in our Industry was working against it.
and how it has changed through the 20th century,
particularly during my career in our Industry. Reflecting the changes in attitude that were occurring
in our society, The Human Rights Act was passed in
I commenced my full-time career in the Coatings 1977 outlawing gender discrimination in employment.
Industry by obtaining a position as a Technical
Officer with Dulux New Zealand Ltd in Panmure in 24 February 1979 26 February 1979
Auckland at the beginning of 1975. Irrespective of
my qualifications, experience or ability, I can say
with certainty that this position would not have been
offered to me, at that time, if I had been female.

Fellow female chemistry graduates from my final
undergraduate year, comprising around 20% of our
Stage 3 classes, were expected to teach, or accept
a comparatively menial job in industry, until such

From the author, Peter Walters
I have been involved in the Surface
Coatings Industry since 1971, and was
appointed to my first technical role in 1974.
I have been an active member of SCANZ
since 1976 attending most of the SCANZ
Conventions held from 1978 and a number
of SCAA Conferences, particularly the joint
SCAA/SCANZ Conferences.
When a Dulux Situations Vacant advertisement for
Learning about and understanding the “Male Graduates” appeared in the Auckland Star on
formulating principles of those professionals who preceded me Saturday 24 February 1979 I lodged a complaint with
has helped me understand my profession better and become a the paper pointing out that this advertisement was
better formulator.
in breach of The Human Rights Act. On Monday 26
I trust these series of reprints from historic documents written February 1979 the advertisement was changed to
by the coatings professionals of earlier generations will be of state “Male or Female Graduates”.
interest to the readers and assist the current generation attain a
better understanding of their chosen profession. n When I first saw the second Dulux advertisement, I
was bemused at the specification “Male or Female

10 Journal of Surface Coatings Australia • February 2019