Farmer and Company

This article is about the Australian chain of stores. For the New Zealand chain of department stores, see Farmers Trading Company.

Farmer and Company, commonly known as "Farmer's", was a retail store in Sydney, Australia.

## History

[edit]

Joseph Farmer and Caroline Farmer established a drapery business in Victoria House, 259 Pitt Street, Sydney (opposite the Victoria Theatre) in September 1840.[1] In 1847 Farmer retired from business, leasing the shop to Price and Favenc, becoming Price, Favenc and Gwyn with the admission of George Boyce Gwyn.[2] In 1849 a nephew, William Farmer, joined the business[3] and in 1854 was made a partner, the business becoming Farmer, Williams and Giles, drapers, mercers and haberdashers, whose principals were William Farmer, William Williams and Francis Giles. The company was dissolved March 1860, and taken over by William Farmer and Richard Painter[4] and with the inclusion of John Pope, traded as Farmer, Painter and Pope. The company was dissolved in August 1869 and re-formed by Farmer and Pope as Farmer and Company.[5]

John Pope (1 October 1827 – 13 January 1912)[6] was for many years the driving force of the company, and was succeeded by his sons Parke W. Pope and Norman Pope. Parke's son Eric Pope was a director.

In 1874 the business expanded, taking over the adjacent building to the south on Pitt Street.

In 1906 the Pitt Street frontage, designed by Horbury Hunt, was demolished to be replaced with a continuous display window. A major rebuild of the Pitt Street complex in 1907 involved replacing and strengthening the floor of the central building to bring it to the same level as adjoining floors.[7]

In 1916 the company purchased the freehold of Roberts's Hotel at the corner of Market and George streets. Its proprietor was Charles James Roberts MLC.

### 2FC

[edit]

In 1923 Farmer and Co. Ltd. completed arrangements with the Evening News, the Sydney Morning Herald, J. C. Williamson's, J. and N. Tait and Dalgety and Co. for establishment of a privately owned radio broadcasting station.[8] The transmitter began operation on a trial basis on 5 December 1923, from a studio in Pitt Street via land lines to the transmitter at Willoughby. The test transmitter had a rated power of 500 watts on a wavelength of 1100 metres (270 kHz)[9] and an wire antenna strung between two 200 feet (61 m) masts.[10]

Receivers tuned that frequency went on sale shortly after. Under the "sealed set" system, subscribers to 2FC paid £3/3/ per annum for the service.[10] With the repeal of "sealed set" legislation, 2FC in 1927 changed to a 5000 watt transmitter on 422 metres (665 kHz). In 1929, the station was acquired by the Australian Broadcasting Company, Ltd.[11] in 1932 nationalized to become part of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

### Industry consolidation, acquisition by Myer, and demise of the brand

[edit]

The department store sector was undergoing consolidation and, in 1960, Farmers acquired the New South Wales regional retailer, Western Stores.[12]

In early 1961, Farmer's was acquired by Myer Emporium Limited., by an exchange of ordinary shares.[13] The New South Wales stores continued to trade as Farmers throughout the 1960s.[14] Following the buy-out of Farmer & Co. preference shares in 1969,[15] all their stores were rebranded as Myer stores around 1974.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Advertising". Commercial Journal and Advertiser. Vol. 6, no. 509\. New South Wales, Australia. 12 September 1840. p. 3. Retrieved 3 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
2. ^ "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XXIV, no. 3552\. New South Wales, Australia. 6 October 1848. p. 4. Retrieved 1 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
3. ^ "Century of Progress". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 32, 047. New South Wales, Australia. 14 September 1940. p. 11. Retrieved 3 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
4. ^ "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XLI, no. 6784\. New South Wales, Australia. 3 March 1860. p. 8. Retrieved 1 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
5. ^ "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. LX, no. 9759\. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1869. p. 1. Retrieved 1 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
6. ^ "Death of Mr John Pope". The Daily Telegraph. No. 10183\. New South Wales, Australia. 15 January 1912. p. 9. Retrieved 3 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
7. ^ "Buildings and Works". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 21, 538. New South Wales, Australia. 29 January 1907. p. 4. Retrieved 2 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
8. ^ "Wireless Broadcasting". The Evening News (Sydney). No. 17533\. New South Wales, Australia. 29 August 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 3 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
9. ^ "Broadcasting". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 808. New South Wales, Australia. 6 December 1923. p. 9. Retrieved 3 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
10. ^ a b "Wireless Broadcasting". The Braidwood Review and District Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 11 December 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 3 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
11. ^ "Broadcasting". Singleton Argus. New South Wales, Australia. 7 June 1929. p. 8. Retrieved 3 April 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
12. ^ "£6M. OFFER FOR STORE TAKEOVER". Canberra Times. 1960-09-10. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
13. ^ "Farmers' Board Approves £22m. Myer Bid". Canberra Times. 1960-11-30. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
14. ^ "Expansion by Myers". Canberra Times. 1969-09-05. p. 17. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
15. ^ "COMPANY REPORTS TAKEOVER BID WITHIN MYER STORE GROUP". Canberra Times. 1969-12-24. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-08-09.