b'Things changeIn 1822 local meetings required George Allen to travel theThe telex was a hit in the mid-1950s as messages were dusty streets by horse, and client letters to England tookboth secure and instantaneously transmitted. It was not some nine months to arrive. Stationery was so hard to comeuncommon in commercial transactions for telex tapes to by that George noted in his diary, with delight, the purchasereach up to 6 metres in length. The introduction of electric of six lead pencils. Legal documents were prepared bytypewriters was a major innovation, followed by the arrival professional engrossers whose exceptional handwriting wasof word processors in the late 1970s, and shortly afterwards, applied to vellum made from calfskin. The introduction offax machines. Hedderwick Fookes & Alston was the first law the typewriter in the late 1800s transformed this process.firm in Melbourne to invest in this new technology. Their fax machine enjoyed its own office and people from other The telephone made things easier. When Australias firstlaw firms came to admire it. The appeal was short-lived as telephone exchange opened in Melbourne in 1880 Crisp Lewisfaxes became obsolete with the arrival of digital technology. & Hedderwick was an early adopter, receiving phone numberPersonal computers, followed by email and the internet, 111. Incoming calls were transferred through a switchboard,transformed the operation of legal firmsas did personal the management of which required some skill. At Arthurdigital assistants, allowing lawyers to communicate with Robinson & Co this responsibility fell to office boy Ninianclients on the move.Stephen, who struggled to master the system of plugs. It was eventually put to him that everyones life would be easier if heWith so much progress many wondered what the turn left the switchboard and began his articles. It was wise advice.of the century would bring. As the clock struck midnight He went on to become a High Court judge and governor- on New Years Eve 1999 people across the world waited general. The Allen Allen & Hemsley switchboard was theto see if the fabled Y2K bug would cause the havoc many domain of Tilly Whitchurch. Her distinctive articulation ofpredicted. The concern was that computer programs Allens was known throughout the business community.would fail to recognise the year 2000, leading to a breakdown in everything from critical infrastructure and For many years correspondence was produced in triplicate,telecommunications facilities to office business systems. one for dispatch, one for the file and one for the firmsThe IT teams at Allen Allen & Hemsley and Arthur Robinson letterbook. Copies were made using the firms letterpress& Hedderwicks made extensive preparations to protect thea cumbersome and messy process sometimes referred tofirm and clients from the potential impact of the Y2K bug. as riding the dragon. The arrival of carbon paper allowedThere was even a concern the buildings sprinkler system three copies to be created simultaneously but it was themight go berserk and damage the firms art collection. arrival of the photocopier in the 1950s that revolutionisedWhen the year ticked over, everything went smoothly.things, although some in the legal profession were slow toThose in the office monitoring the situation experienced recognise its value. The partners of Hedderwick Fookes &both a sense of relief and anticlimax. Alston were among those unconvinced; a young Bill Rogers was reprimanded by Sir Colin Syme for frivolously investing in such a device. 214'