Australian Blanco

I came across your web article concerning Blanco and advise you of the following:

My name is Raymond George Dive, aged 72 years.

My grandfather, Samuel Austin Dive (Jnr) used to make blanco products in a shed that was part of S. Dive Pty Ltd, firebrick manufacturers, at Matraville, Sydney, NSW.

From the age of about 8 yrs to 15 yrs I used to help him make blanco in white for the Navy and khaki for the Army. These products were supplied as solid pressed cakes, trade named Blanco, in cardboard packets, to stores such as Woolworths and the like. My grandfather bought the business from an uncle of his, Edward Thomas Dive, who was a brother of my great grandfather, Samuel Dive, who founded the S.Dive Pty Ltd, firebrick manufacturing business which was in operation from 1878 until 1974. Edward Thomas Dive obtained clay from Asquith, Sydney NSW and made the product for WW1 defence forces. My grandfather, Samuel Austin Dive used clay from Matraville, Sydney NSW from a clay lease he owned and supplied the brickworks with as well.

My grandfather died in 1958 and the business may have ceased a couple of years before that.