Auspine Ltd v Australian Newsprint Mills Ltd [1998] FCA 22

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA CONTRACT - supply and purchase agreement - formation - offer and acceptance - absence of formally signed contract - alleged incompleteness and uncertainty - commercial agreements - implied terms - conditions of implication - business efficacy CONTRACT - sale of woodchip - evidence of surrounding circumstances and conduct of parties admissible to determine whether concluded agreement - whether exchange of documentation setting out contractual terms condition precedent to binding contract - Masters v Cameron W Howarth The Meaning of Objectivity in Contract (1984) 100 LQR 265 Professor Lucke Arrangements Preliminary to Formal Contracts 1967 Adel LR 46 Carter and Harland Contract Law in Australia 3 ed (1996) BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Shire of Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 applied Secured Income Real Estate (Australia) Ltd v St Martin's Investments Pty Ltd (1979) 144 CLR 596 cited Codelfa Construction Pty v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 cited Hospital Products Ltd v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41 cited Hawkins v Clayton (1988) 164 CLR 539 followed Byrne v Australian Airlines (1995) 131 ALR 422 followed The Moorcock (1889) 14 PD 64 applied Hillas & Co v Arcos Ltd (1932) 147 LT 503 applied Vroon BV v Foster's Brewing Group (1994) 2 VR 32 applied Didymi Corp v Atlantic Lines and Navigation Co. Inc [1988] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 108 cited F & G Sykes (Wessex) Ltd v Fine Fare Ltd [1967] 1 Lloyd's Rep 53 applied Custom Credit Corporation Ltd v Cenepro Pty Ltd (unreported, C.A. (NSW) 7 August 1991) cited Masters v Cameron (1954) 91 CLR 353 followed Allen v Carbone (1975) 132 CLR 528 considered Von Hatzfeldt-Wildenburg v Alexander [1912] 1 Ch 284 cited Sinclar Scott Co Ltd. v Naughton (1929) 43 CLR 310 cited Branca v Cobarro [1947] KB 854 considered Rossiter v Miller (1878) 3 App. Cas 1124 applied Air Great Lakes Pty Ltd v K.S. Easter (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1985) 2 NSWLR 309 applied Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull Partners Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 523 applied Brogden v Metropolitan Railway Co (1877) 2 App. Cas 666 applied Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 11,110 (C.A(N.S.W.)) applied Legione v Hateley (1983) 152 CLR 406 followed AUSPINE LIMITED (ACN 004 289 730) v AUSTRALIAN NEWSPRINT MILLS LIMITED (ACN 009 477 132) NO SG 26 OF 1997 O'LOUGHLIN J ADELAIDE 23 JANUARY 1998