Shopping
is a love affair for some and for others a tedious nightmare. Iconic names like David Jones, Coles, Woolworths, Harris Scarf, Bunnings, Myer, Ritchies and Big W to name a few are synonymously wrapped
in our every day Australian lives. Although, some brands started out mid 19th/early
20th century, our ancestorials didn’t have the huge variety of department/grocery
stores /mall in the versions we are accustomed to now. The mall model began in the US in the 1950’s,
emerged in Queensland in 1957, and then ventured onward to Melbourne in 1960. The
seed was planted and well the rest is history.
One is now never too far away
from a major shopping centre in city, suburban and major rural centres. Here’s
a fascinating timeline series about the stores we now take for granted. Some of them will
surprise you as they sure did me. That’s what Socialorical is all about,
research and uncovering our social history.
Interesting, the major shopping destination stores we still use every
day were all Australia created until circa 1952 with the introduction of
Safeway and then followed in 1968 by Kmart. What a wonderful journey. Enjoy this series briefly touring the history that is Australian shopping.
1838- David Jones opens first store, Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia. Initially it was a one room drapery
store on the corner of Barrack and George Streets.[1] At the time Sydney was
a small but growing colony. The stores namesake David Jones was born in Wales
and with his family immigrated to Australia in 1834 first to Hobart, then to
Sydney. [2] In 1887, the Barrack and George Street premises was rebuilt. Prior to it's opening a large soirée of high profile Sydney gentlemen enjoyed inspection of the new premises and throughly enjoy it according to the article in the Sydney Morning Herald. The article is also a Who's Who guide of prominent Sydney families in 1887. Notably, the desire to invite women was not abandoned without much regret, 'the firm felt they were so indebted to them in the past, and they had to look to them so much in the future, that they ought really to have been first on the list.' It was, as Sir Henry Parkes (then Premier of NSW) stated, 'there was insurmountable difficulties.... and want of sufficient space', preventing the invitation of ladies to the event. [3]
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| 1887, David Jones 1st Department Store Source: http://www.davidjones.com.au |
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"The near approach to completion of Messrs. David Jones and Co.'s splendid now premises, at the corner of George and Barrack streets, was marked yesterday by a pleasant ceremonial.... the proprietors had issued between 200 and 300 invitations to gentlemen to inspect the establishment, and there was a most liberal response...The company, having inspected the various showrooms, &c, were summoned to a large chamber, which had been laid out as a banqueting-room. Luncheon, served in excellent style by Messrs. J. F. Gunsler and Co., was here-partaken of. Some loyal and patriot toasts having been honoured."'MESSRS. DAVID JONES AND CO.'S NEW PREMISES.', The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 March, 1887._______________________________________________________
As Sydney grew so did David Jones stores, becoming a public company in 1906 and onto
the stock exchange as David Jones Ltd in 1920 . On November 28, 1927, the flagship Elizabeth
Street store is opened in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.[4] Supposedly it was modelled on New York's 'Saks Fifth Avenue' emporium, this is to be confirmed. [5] The flagship store was built on the site of the Sydney Girls' High School whose foundation stone was laid Governor Macquarie in March 1820. The land was purchased for £124,000 after a bidding war between E.J. Tait and a David Jones' representative in 1920. The government reserve on the property according to the Sydney Morning Herald was £100,000. Incidentally, the sale took place in the rooms of Messrs Raine and Horne, whose real estate brand is still trading today.[6] It was in 1927 when building projects in Sydney hit an all time high.
Published as promotional postcard in the late 1920's, David Jones Flagship Department Store-'The Wonder store', Elizabeth Street, SydneySource: http://www.photosau.com.au_______________________________________________________"This new home. Australia's finest achievement in retailis the goal that has been reached after four generations of honest trading service-giving, and rears majestically seven stories in the air..."An old friend in a new home" very aptly indeed describes this great event that all Sydney has been waiting for."
"Yesterday before a crowd of several hundred people a fair haired boy of five years a great-grandson of the founder opened another store a great emporium rising five stories and gleaming with aluminium plateglass and polished ash.
Perhaps young Charles Lloyd Jones the son of the present chairmain of directors did not quite realise the historic significance of his act yesterday as he cut a ribbon of gold and with a golden key unlocked the door of the new store at the corner of Market and Castlereagh Street and first crossed the threshold before the waiting hundreds streamed in behind."
David Jones Melbourne. The store was originally known as Buckley and Nunn circa 1851-1982
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckley_%26_Nunn
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckley_%26_Nunn
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David Jones is a city in itself. Today it is said that a man could live out his whole life
dependent for food, clothing, culture and amusement on David Jones' alone - and want
for nothing. Certainly there is little that Sydney itself offers that
cannot be found, in one form or another, within the
walls of David Jones'.
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David Jones becomes part of Adelaide Steamship Company (Adsteam) in
1990, but after the collapse of Adsteam, David Jones Limited now DJL Ltd was again listed in 1995 on the
Australian Stock Exchange. David Jones is still expanding and in one of their 2012 investor reports aims to
open 6 new stores and several smaller format stores, as well as a new mobile store in the first quarter 2013 and an app for Ipad. Today, it has 35 stores Australia wide, 2
warehouse outlets and David Jones online.
An iconic Australia store that is 175 years young!
