Grace Brothers

Grace Bros was an Australian department store chain, founded in 1885. Grace Bros. joined Myer in 1989 to become the largest department store group in Australia. All the departmental stores were operating under Grace Bros. until they were re-branded under the Myer name in 2004.


The Grace Brothers, Albert Edward and Joseph Neal Grace decided to leave England in 1880 to go to America and Australia. Joseph Neal arrived in Australia in 1883 and shortly after in 1885, Albert Edward arrived in Sydney. Grace Brothers had a long and rich history of retailing in Sydney following its founding by the Grace Brothers, Albert Edward and Joseph Neal Grace.

In 1885, brothers purchased 15x60 store front at 203 George Street near Railway Square terminus. They stocked the store with $1000 merchandise. They moved to the new location, Broadway in 1887 with the expansion of the store. By 1906, they had opened a five-story building at Broadway, now the site of the Broadway Shopping Centre. A full page announcement appeared in Sydney morning Herald about the Grace Bros. Company Policy in 1911. In 1917 the company was registered as Grace Bros Ltd. with the motto – Sure to get it at Grace Bros. Under the NSW Companies Act Grace Bros Ltd changed its name to Grace Bros. Pty. Ltd.

In 1926, the Grace Brothers, Albert Edward and Joseph Neal Grace, purchased a block of land on the corner of York, Clarence and King Streets in Sydney, on which they would build the "Grace Building". Both brothers believed that the site was perfectly positioned for the building as a "The Showpiece of the Company".  New public transport routes were opened and even Company letterhead showed the building as being "...on the Harbour Bridge Highway." The Grace Building was officially opened by Sydney Lord Mayor Ernest Marks on 3 July 1930.

In 1931, Joseph Neal Grace died and Albert Grace became Managing Director of Grace Bros Ltd. In 1933 Albert took his first step towards the expansion of Grace Bros stores from City to suburban Parramatta and Bondi. Prior to his death in 1938, Albert Grace planned suburban expansion of the Grace Bros stores from the City, a move which is considered the reason Grace Bros survived when many of their contemporaries perished such as Anthony Hordern’s and Mark Foy's. Isabel Grace died in 1970 at age of 86 years.

Over the years, grace Bros. opened many suburban and country stores. Parramatta and Bondi Junction stores were opened in 1933. Parramatta store was the first suburban Grace Bros. stores. In 1961 Chatswood Grace Bros. was opened followed by Roselands on October 1965. In August 2001, the final grace bros. store was opened in Castle Hill. In 2004, Sydney retailing icon Grace Bros. replaced its 109 year old name to Myer. 

MURRAY BROTHERS - Part 2

In 1889 Murray Brothers erected Parramatta’s first shopping emporium on the corner of Church and Macquarie Streets at a cost of 10,000 pounds which supplied all trades.  Household items were also sold i.e. furniture and furnishing, crockery, pianos, organs, clothes and jams. In 1890s Murray Brothers received a Certificate of Merit for colonial made furniture by Royal Agriculture Society.

During 1903 Murray Brothers was divided into two companies, Murray Brothers Ltd. and Murrays Limited, maintaining separate but adjacent businesses.  Drapery and furniture was under the control of Murray Brothers and the hardware section under the control of Murrays Limited.  W. R. Murray became sole proprietor of Murray Brothers.  The plumbing section was taken over by T. H. Harvey and E. N. Murray and became Harvey and Sons Pty. Ltd.

During the Second World War Murray Brothers donated 1000 pounds to the war effort. 

A new store was built on the north west corner of Church and Macquarie Streets after the National School was demolished in c1924.  Murray Brothers acquired extra property in August 1958 at the rear and a four storey building was erected with a Marsden Street frontage.  Fire guttered the furniture factory at the rear of the store damaging stores of furniture and expensive cabinet making machinery. Damage bill running into many thousands of pounds.

In 1947, Murray Brothers manufactured their last consignment of Blind and Curtain.  Also that year the business was purchased by Burns Philp and Co. Ltd.

1^st May 1954, Murray Brothers purchased the site from the Church of England for 250,000 pounds.  A store was built on the site while the land was still under the lease from the church.

Murray Brothers expanded to become Parramatta’s oldest and highly respected departmental store with the policy of supplying the needs of residents in and around Parramatta. Murray Brothers closed their doors in 1978 after 102 years of trading in Parramatta.  They stayed in the Parramatta location not spreading their wings into other suburbs.

References:

• T Kass, C Liston and John McClymont, Parramatta: A Past Revealed, Parramatta City Council, Parramatta, 1996

• Murray Brothers, Vertical File, Local Studies and Family History Library, Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Information Centre

• Photos from , Local Studies and Family History Library, Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Information Centre

• http://trove.nla.gov.au

• http://dictionaryofsydney.org