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Section 2 - Commercial Overprints

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WALTONS/STORES/LTD..a .b

.a .b

User: Waltons Stores Ltd

Department Stores

Address: George St, Sydney, NSW

Revenue Use:

.a - 1929 Numeral issue 3d [red or black overprint]

.b - 1929 Numeral issue 3d

.b - 1966 Numeral issue 3c

Rarity Scale:

.a - 1929 Numeral issue 3d R4 [red or black overprint]

.b - 1929 Numeral issue 3d R3

.b - 1966 Numeral issue 3c R4

Background: *John Robert Walton was born in Charters Towers, Queensland in 1904. He spent his early years on a sugar plantation at Ayr before moving with his family to Sydney. He was educated at Scots College but after finishing school he did not find employment but rather he was active in sport, playing golf and surfing and one year he was NSW Surfing Champion.

In 1930 he began his commercial career selling cash registers in northern Queensland for the US based, National Cash Register Co. By 1946 he was Managing Director for Australia and the Pacific region.

In 1951 Walton bought a menswear store in George Street, Sydney, opposite ‘Town Hall’ station and the business thrived. In 1955 he formed an alliance with US retailing giant ‘Sears & Roebuck’ and the resulting company became Waltons Limited and they expanded into Sydney, regional NSW and Brisbane. Also in 1955 he acquired the Amalgamated Retailers Ltd.

In October 1964 Waltons opened 12 stores around Melbourne giving Waltons over 60 stores across the Eastern States. At this time Waltons formed a partnership with the US bank Citibank offering financial services to customers and this extended into Insurance.

In 1966 Waltons Limited acquired Marcus Clark & Co and then took over the failing Anthony Hordern & Sons and merged these into the Waltons store network. Later in 1972 they acquired the McDowell's department stores bringing their store network to 96. In 1971 John Walton was knighted for his services to commerce and in 1972 he retired as Executive Chairman and his son John (junior) took over the business and in 1976 John (senior) severed all ties with the company.

The late 1970’s and early 1980’s were difficult economic times and this lead to the sale of Waltons Ltd to Alan Bond in 1981. Bond sold off assets of Waltons and eventually after experiencing staggering losses during the 1980’s ($199 million in 1983 alone) Bond sold Waltons Ltd to the Charles Davis Ltd who turned the remaining stores into Venture and Norman Ross outlets. Venture later went bankrupt in 1994.

The flagship Waltons department store in George Street, Sydney, was demolished and replaced by the Citibank office tower, which includes the Galleries Victoria retail space. The main Melbourne store, in Bourke Street Melbourne was remodelled into a Village Cinema complex, which in turn closed in 2006.

Sir John Walton died in Sydney in January 1998, aged 93.

Device: Preprinted

Related Patterns: Refer to related company patterns in:

NSW: Other - Section 2 Commercial Overprints

Amalgamated Retailers Ltd

VIC: Other - Section 2 Commercial Overprints

WALTON STORES LIMITED.a

*Wikipedia

Museum of Victoria

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WG/Co..a

User: William Gardiner & Co Ltd

Warehousemen

Address: 71 York St, Sydney, NSW

Railway Use:

Numeral issue 6d

Rarity Scale:

Numeral issue 6d R4

Background: *William Gardiner and Co were warehousemen and they were headquartered in a substantial building in York Street, Sydney. The building had 8 floors with large internal lifts and two street frontages, and the company also held an adjoining property in Clarence Street. In addition they had a buying office in London and offices and representatives in Brisbane, Newcastle, West Maitland and the Pacific Islands.

In December 1926 they amalgamated with fellow soft goods company, and perfin user, Sargood Brothers to form Sargoods Gardiner Pty. Ltd. The 71 York Street property was sold and the new company moved into a building that Sargoods had in construction at 24–26 York Street.