26 Facts About Laurence Hartnett

Sir Laurence John Hartnett CBE was an engineer who made several important contributions to the Australian automotive industry, and is often called "The Father of the Holden".

Laurence Hartnett received practical training at Chingford and Northolt airports before being appointed to Number 304 Bomber Squadron in Shropshire.

Demand for motor cars in England in the immediate aftermath of the war was far greater than the supply and Laurence Hartnett increased the automotive side of his new venture by instructing his employees to make inquiries in nearby villages with a view to locating war widows who couldn't drive but whose husbands prior to enlisting had left their cars up on blocks to await their owners' return.

Laurence Hartnett would offer to buy these vehicles, which often needed work done to make them roadworthy, with a view to repairing and reselling them at Wallington Motors.

Undeterred, in the following year, Laurence Hartnett set up as an automobile engineer, renting part of a Wallington boot repair shop and dealing in bicycles, motor bikes and cars.

Laurence Hartnett obtained commissions with firms such as the Nyasa Consolidated Company which wanted him to inspect vehicles it was considering buying for its commercial operations in central and east Africa.

Laurence Hartnett's job was to unload and assemble these vehicles when they arrived by ship and to distribute them to a network of dealers he had appointed and whose activities he supervised throughout the region.

Laurence Hartnett took an extracurricular interest in commercial radio during this period.

Laurence Hartnett accepted the position, resigning from Guthrie and Co on 31 March 1926, and embarked for Calcutta on 10 June accompanied by his wife, Gladys, whom he had met when, as an employee of Vickers Ltd.

Attention to such external details was becoming increasingly important in determining GM's growing success and senior overseas representatives like Laurence Hartnett were given some leeway in choosing them in the light of perceived local preferences.

Laurence Hartnett would send his staff to interview actual and potential customers in his territory concerning their colour preferences.

Laurence Hartnett found a poisonous atmosphere prevailing at Luton where Vauxhall staff seemed consumed by resentment at the American parent company's tendency to interfere with their operations.

Laurence Hartnett proceeded to consolidate its Melbourne operations which he had found scattered over seven widely separated locations.

Laurence Hartnett made sure that the construction of the new plant on this land received maximum publicity.

Laurence Hartnett took particular pride in the pioneering work done by his directorate in the development of optical glass for use in gun sights and related weaponry.

Laurence Hartnett argued that it was up to his Directorate to design the weapons after being told their purpose and how they were to be used.

Also in January 1942, as Japanese forces were heading southward down the Malay peninsula towards Singapore, Laurence Hartnett offered to forestall them by flying to the island, himself, gathering up valuable machine tool gauging equipment left there and bringing it back to Australia before the enemy's arrival.

Accordingly, Laurence Hartnett warned his American directors that the Australian government was determined to have cars manufactured locally and might, itself, establish a factory for that purpose if private industry proved unwilling.

Laurence Hartnett even supplied Jensen with proposed drafts of such letters.

Laurence Hartnett continued to make important contributions to Australian motoring after he left GMH.

Laurence Hartnett instigated an ambitious venture to build a uniquely Australian car, the Hartnett, based on a design by Frenchman, Jean Gregoire.

The Laurence Hartnett was a front wheel drive design, with an air cooled, 600cc, horizontally opposed twin-cylinder engine.

Laurence Hartnett commenced importing the Datsun to Australia, pioneering the importation of Japanese cars to Australia.

In 1966, Laurence Hartnett sought to establish local production of Nissan cars, but this was not successful.

On New year's Day 1945 Laurence Hartnett was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Laurence Hartnett was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1967.