Collection of 21 documents relating to Denis George
Maker
Denis George
(Australian, 1917 - 2001)
Date1967 - 1999
Object numberANMS1266
NameArchive series
Copyright© Estate of Denis George
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from the George Family and Adrian Jackson
DescriptionThis series of 21 documents relate to the Australian pearl maker Denis George. This collection consists of 1 timeline outlining major events in Denis George's life; 1 Program for the Pearls '94 International Pearl Conference and Exposition in Hawaii; 3 journal articles; 1 magazine and 2 sets of newspaper clippings; 2 electoral pamphlets; 1 1988 Australian Bicentenary participant certificate; 1 set of documents relating to Denis George's membership in the One Nation political party; 1 autobiography extract; 4 letters; 1 set of photocopied photographs of Denis George; 1 list of papers and submissions presented by Denis George; 1 technical paper and 1 set of presentations delivered by Denis George.HistoryDenis George (1917-2001), a post-World War II Greek Migrant, was a self-taught pearl maker who found his own way to culture pearls and spent decades from the 1950s to the 1980s experimenting and trying to improve his products. His ambition was to culture a unique Australian pearl. He produced pearls mainly from 'Pinctada maxima' (gold lip pearl) and 'P. Margaritifera' (black lip pearl). He was a maverick in the Australian and Papua New Guinean pearl industry because he refused to collaborate with Japanese pearling companies who dominated pearl culture by keeping their technique secret and forming joint ventures with nationals.
Denis George was never commercially successful but his achievements were remarkable. Not only did he develop his own way to seed pearl oysters, but he also pioneered the culture of pearls from 'Pteria penguin', a bivalve known as Butterfly Shell which was not then a recognised pearl shell. He was recognised in Japan for his pearling achievements, but was not well known in Australia.
His efforts extended beyond his own individual interests, in lifelong attempts to establish locally owned and run pearl culture industries in Australia and Indo-Pacific countries. He also strove for recognition of the naturalist William Saville-Kent as the true originator, around 1890, of the cultured pearl technique which the Japanese later claimed as their own and developed as an industry.