GASAA's "NAMES"

What's in a name? That which we call a rose,by any other name would smell as sweet
- Shakespeare (Romeo & Juliet)

GASAA's "elders" have clearly differed from Shakespeare's much quoted view. Indeed the association's name has been changed a number of times over the years either to keep pace with changing technology or to reflect changed social attitudes.

The 1923 "Master Process Engravers Association of Australia" was reconstructed in 1938 to become the "Federation of Master Process Engravers of Australia". The name change was probably introduced in order to highlight the major constitutional alterations being made and to ensure that everyone recognised a new era was beginning. Paradoxically, the new body was to be much more an "Association" (of individual members) than a "Federation" (of independent State Associations) but terminological exactitude played second fiddle to pragmatism.

By 1949 it was deemed prudent to pay homage to what we would later call "hi-tec". The word "Process" was dropped in favour of "Photo" and the full title became "The Federation of Master Photo Engravers of Australia".

Soon after that, in 1953, perceived social attitudes caused the word "Master" to be jettisoned. When first used in 1923, "Master" implied that the members brought a high level of technical skill to their day-to-day work. Subsequently many came to view "Master" as the opposite of "servant". Being a servant suggested being "servile". The word "Master" therefore had unpleasant connotations at a time when all right thinking people believed that Jack was as good as his master. So out went the word "Master" and the organisation became the "Photo Engravers Federation of Australia".

By 1959 a new technical environment had taken hold. Lithography was emerging as the giant to replace engraving. An all embracing term was needed and "Graphic Arts Platemaking" chosen. No one was, or is, quite sure what "Graphic Arts" meant but it had to have relevance because, after all, it was the name of the new Federal industrial award which governed employer/employee legal relationships in the industry.

"Graphic Arts" was a "catchy", modern phrase with good public relations potential.

The new name was thus the "Graphic Arts Platemaking Employers Federation of Australia". It is hard at this distance in time to determine why the word "employer" was introduced. Three possible reasons present themselves:

• The Master Printers Association of Australia had recently become the Printing and Allied Trades Employers Federation of Australia and it may have been thought that some parallel was appropriate.
• The plain "Photo Engravers Federation" wrongly suggested that employees, and perhaps others, would be entitled to membership.
• There may have been a hidden hankering to return to the discredited master/servant era and the word employer may have been regarded as an acceptable compromise.

Then, in 1976, the organisation adopted its current name of "Graphic Arts Services Association of Australia". The motive for dropping the word "platemaking " in favour of "services" had its genesis in the belief that the pre-press specialties of typesetting, electrotyping, stereotyping, photo engraving, litho platemaking and gravure cylinder making were either to become obsolete or were to merge into one super speciality. It may even have been felt that the creative form of "graphic art" would have a place in that super specialty too.

By adopting the phrase "graphic arts services" the Graphic Arts Services Association of Australia was ready for anything.

In summary, the official registration dates of the various names were:

• 01.04.40 The Federation of Master Process Engravers of Australia
• 22.04.49 The Federation of Master Photo Engravers of Australia
• 25.09.53 Photo Engravers Federation of Australia
• 12.02.59 The Graphic Arts Platemaking Employers Federation of Australia
• 16.11.76 The Graphic Arts Services Association of Australia

Adelaide 1973 – Past Presidents
J.Parker, F.Randle Jnr, N Burston, W.Ryan, R.Port