I just finished restoring this one. It was given to me in pieces by a friend in return for a favour I did her.
Made in Sydney in the 1950s in a factory a few miles from my house.
Douglas Snelling was an architect who also dabbled in furniture. His range of chairs, I think, were the first mass produced furniture over here and sold in department stores.
They were originally webbed with parachute webbing - war discards. They're a comfortable chair.
An American, Rapson, made similar chairs, as did a Dane called Risom. And probably others. I'm not sure who was first, but it wouldn't have been the Aussie - a small market has meant that Aussie designs never really took off.
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Jens Risom was first with that kind of chair, as far as I know---1941. He also did an armchair version but the arms aren't cantilevered (probably not the right term but I can't think what is) like yours.
I've done a few chairs with that webbing like that--they're fun, very quick and they turn out great if you are just a little careful with placement!
The cantilever is a nice detail. A lot of the original Snelling ones are pretty wobbly - probably never a great design. I pulled that chair apart and reglued and re-fixed everything. The dining chairs are pretty common, but the lounge chairs more rare. I have the bits to make up about 7 dining chairs out in my shed. I'll have to get back onto that project.
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