Hickory golf Australia

[Jgb333]

Can anyone name any club makers from Australia from the hickory era?

[northplatteriver]

Google tells me...

 

Joe Kirkwood Snr and Walter Travis were pretty tough Aussies, but honestly I had never heard of them....

 

https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/ranking-australias-50-greatest-golfers-of-all-time/

[LeftyMac]

Himmerman and Kirk

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

11 hours ago, northplatteriver said:

Google tells me...

 

Joe Kirkwood Snr and Walter Travis were pretty tough Aussies, but honestly I had never heard of them....

 

https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/ranking-australias-50-greatest-golfers-of-all-time/

Joe Kirkwood is commonly associated with his road trips and exhibition matches with Walter Hagen. He was one of the first trick shot artists, a natural showman.

[LeftyMac]

From the Golf Society Newsletter in 2015

 

Himmerman and Kirk: Cleek Golf Club Makers Mordialloc, Victoria, Australia By Paul Burgess In an effort to separate fact from fiction and record the story of Himmerman and Kirk, Cleek golf club makers of Mordialloc, Victoria, Australia in the 1920/30’s I have set out below what I have learnt after some personal research together with my wife Pam, discussions with golfing friends and notes from my own club’s archives at Woodlands Golf Club. Who were these Scots who set out to make clubs in Australia? They were Brothers-in law who married the Cunningham sisters of St Andrews, Scotland, Catherine and Helen. John Himmerman married Helen and John Kirk, Catherine. Their marriages took place at St Andrews in November and December 1904 respectively. All four were born at St Andrews. John Reid Himmerman had been a coal miner at 18 years but when married at 22 years was evidently working at Tom Stewart’s golf club factory at St Andrews. John Lynn Kirk was a 26 year old blacksmith and also working at Stewart’s factory. In 1922 John Himmerman aged 40, together with Helen and their 7 children, migrated to Australia aboard the S S Demosthenes. John Kirk, 45 years followed on his own aboard the S.S. Ballarat in 1923 leaving his wife and 4 children at St Andrews. The magazine “Golf” in July and December 1922 had two feature articles announcing the establishment of a new factory at Mordialloc to manufacture iron golf clubs. The first of its kind according to the second article which set out in detail how Kirk would forge a club head then have Himmerman finish the process. This was carried out at the rear of the premises at 25 Railway Street (later Collocott Street) Mordialloc. The house which is extant was named ‘St Andrews” as verified to me by a neighbour. However the rear of the property has been subdivided and no visible signs exist of the former manufacturing activities. In 1923 a Sydney newspaper reported the partnership’s trade mark had been registered viz: “Trade Mark Applications Officially Accepted List: List of Commonwealth Trade Mark Applications Officially Accepted and Advertised - November 30 1923: 36468. Golf Iron Heads. Label device incorporating a cross and the words “St Andrews Trade Mark” - Himmerman & Kirk, Mordialloc, Victoria.” A Golf Rules book of the era included an advertisement extolling the reader to buy clubs featuring the trade mark but interestingly did not specifically mention Himmerman and Kirk

 

In 1929 photos appeared in two Adelaide newspapers naming players who had arrived to play in the Australian Open of that year. J Himmerman is named but the results of the Open do not mention his name. Looking at the photo it is unlikely to be John junior and is more likely a man in his forties as Himmerman Snr. would have been in 1929. No other photo has been forthcoming anywhere of Himmerman, even from his descendants in Victoria. In 1930 John and Helen Himmerman returned to St Andrews for a period of 3 months. No record has been found of such a trip by John Kirk who probably had more reason to return and see his family than the Himmermans, however Kirk did return later and lived out his life at St Andrews. In the Sydney Morning Herald of 23rd Oct 1935 the following advertisement appeared. GOLF CLUBS MARKED DOWN 30 Shillings, “Krakshot” irons 22 shillings and 6 pence. The noted “Krackshot” irons, stainless steel, with hand forged heads by Himmerman. These are the genuine ‘MODEL 66’ price 30 shillings. Anthony Horden sale price 22 shillings and 6 pence. An interesting observation of this advertisement is that only Himmerman is mentioned as the club maker. It is about the time Himmerman moved from Mordialloc to St Kilda so might that date be a clue of a breakup of the partnership between the brothers-in-law? Perhaps the business was not profitable. By this time Himmerman was aged 53 and Kirk 57. The latter had been away from his family for at least 12 years. Did he wish to return? He did but we have been unsuccessful in pinning down exactly when he did return to St Andrews. Himmerman was in the directories of the St Andrews property at Mordialloc from 1923 - 34, then there was no entry for him until 1937 when he was at St Kilda, in 1938 - 40 at North Melbourne and finally until 1961 at Malvern where he died. His first wife Helen had died at Mordialloc in 1932 and he remarried in 1940 to Theresa Kate Sampson. There was no issue by that marriage. Kirk must have returned to St Andrews sometime in the mid to late thirties as a family historian of the Cunningham’s informed me he had various jobs during the rest of his life - as a Coastguard during part of the war years, as a custodian at St Andrews Castle & Cathedral, and eventually in a small way, as a shopkeeper and partner with his daughter Helen. Much still needs to be recorded about this early manufacturing enterprise. Especially why it ceased business sometime in the mid thirties. Some other oral history I have collected from a number of sources, which almost always have a grain of truth or are indeed factual are listed below for the reader to contemplate in the future. This applies especially to anyone out there with time and passion to add to what I have documented here. The stories include the following: • One of Himmerman’s daughter married a Patterson River Golf Club Professional. • The business may have been sold to Slazenger’s which operated a sporting equipment manufacturing factory at Richmond in the 1930’s. • One of John Himmerman’s daughters recalled her mother (Mrs John Himmerman), pointing out a Richmond factory saying that was where John Himmerman worked in 1930’s. • A number of patents relating to design of golfing equipment were registered by Himmerman and Kirk. • Kirk’s nick names might have been “Sandy” &/or “Jock” • Kirk travelled to Australia with a brother. I am sure there is a lot more to be learnt about this venture and I invite anyone to add to what I have managed to record here.

[LeftyMac]

The putter at the top is a Himmerman and Kirk.  I have a few other H&K's I'll try and pull out and get a photo of.  They also made clubs under the "St Andrew's X" brand amongst others.  A lot of the hickories in Australia were made in Scotland but stamped with the name of a local pro or shop but locally forged clubs are around under various brands, suspicion is that H&K were involved with a few.  The guru on H&K is Ross Baker who has great deal of information on them as well as a sizable collection of their clubs.

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by LeftyMac

[kevin2]

7 hours ago, LeftyMac said:

The putter at the top is a Himmerman and Kirk.  I have a few other H&K's I'll try and pull out and get a photo of.  They also made clubs under the "St Andrew's X" brand amongst others.  A lot of the hickories in Australia were made in Scotland but stamped with the name of a local pro or shop but locally forged clubs are around under various brands, suspicion is that H&K were involved with a few.  The guru on H&K is Ross Baker who has great deal of information on them as well as a sizable collection of their clubs.

 

  Really cool. Maxwell hosels. I lost interest in researching and collecting irons a couple decades ago. Have a renewed interest recently. Fun stuff...

[LeftyMac]

I went on a bit of a Maxwell binge.  I have close to two sets now

 

 

[kevin2]

On 3/8/2023 at 7:55 AM, LeftyMac said:

I went on a bit of a Maxwell binge.  I have close to two sets now

 

 

Very cool! It is all about the enjoyment.