Handshake Now Lost On Paper Trail
Newcastle Herald
Saturday March 8, 2008
THE history books show that one of the earliest recorded matters dealt with by the No. 1 Branch of the Builders & Contractors Association of NSW was a letter-writing campaign.
Architects were targetted and specific mention was made of a man well-known in his field, a Mr Pender of Maitland.(The earliest building John Pender designed was the Morpeth School of Arts, which was opened on September 24, 1863.) The association requested "compliance with the standard conditions of contract". Manager of Newcastle MBA Group Scheme Michael De Lyall points out that contracts then and contracts now are quite different. "Contracts back in those days were very simple and often a handshake was the binding contract," he said. "Today we see 80-page contracts, 400-page specifications and addendums right up until the close of tenders."
© 2008 Newcastle Herald