Australian War Memorial Digitisation project – Seeking copyright holders

The Australian War Memorial is undertaking a digitisation project  from 2018 to 2022, aiming to digitise collection items at risk of deterioration, including paper records, film, audio, and images in many media. This process will help preserve the original items and enable the collection to be more broadly available to researchers.

As part of this project, the Memorial is seeking copyright permission to publish the collections listed below.  If are you are a copyright holder, a relation or descendant of the person named, please contact Digitised Collections via email on Digitised.Collections@awm.gov.au

Osmar Julius Blau, 8 January 1913–22 October 2010

Osmar Julius Blau was born in Sydney on 8 January 1913, the eldest of four children born to Oscar and Marguerite Blau. The Blau family operated a successful business that imported soaps and perfumes. Osmar’s grandfather Julius is credited with introducing the 4711 eau de cologne products to Australia.

Osmar was educated at Scots College at Bellevue Hill, Woollahra, and went on to study engineering at the University of Sydney. He graduated in 1935, receiving a Bachelors of Engineering in Mining and Metallurgy.

He enlisted in the Australian Army in February 1941 and was posted to Wayville Army Barracks in South Australia. He applied for a commission with the Australian Army Ordnance Corps, and embarked for Malaya with his unit in July 1941.

In December 1941, Lieutenant Blau was promoted to the rank of captain during the battle on the Malayan Peninsula and placed in charge of the 74 Light Aid Detachment attached to the 22nd Brigade.

In February 1942, British Forces on Singapore surrendered and Captain Blau was interned at Changi Prisoner-of-War Camp. He was later sent to work on the Burma­–Thailand Railway.

After the war, Osmar returned to Australia and took up a position with the Broken Hill Mining Company. He met his Beatrice Earle Pyper, who was a friend of his sister, Margaret. Beatrice and Osmar married in 1947 in Sydney.

Osmar and his wife were keen philanthropists, patronising a number of organisations including the Ian Morley Memorial Fund. After his retirement, Osmar continued his involvement with the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, which lasted for 77 years.

Osmar joined the Probus Association of Queensland after his wife passed away in 1994. The Memorial holds a copy of an address he delivered to the Toowong Boy Scouts and Cubs and various chapters of the Probus Club in April 1997.

Mr Blau passed away on 22 October 2010.

If you are related to Osmar Julius Blau, or in contact with any of these people or Mr Blau’s descendants, please contact Digitised Collections via email on Digitised.Collections@awm.gov.au

Collection Number: PR01047