John Hunter, 1842-1921
Hunter & Co. Boot & Shoe Bazaar, 1872
(north-east corner of Herbert & Mayne Streets, Gulgong)
(north-east corner of Herbert & Mayne Streets, Gulgong)
Click here for zoomable image
The Herbert Street frontage is the longer side of the shop. John Hunter owner. [Possibly Mr. Jury third from left in light clothes.]
In 1874 Hunter turned the shop into the Albion Hotel & moved his boot shop to the shop next door, formerly the Crystal Fountain (you can see the "l" on Crystal). The following year 1875, he purchased Nightingale's Hotel [formerly Tuckerman's Hotel] and amalgamated the two hotels into a new two-storied Albion. He remained as licensee until 1877.
Later Christopher Young, who had a business next door, purchased the hotel and rebuilt it as his Commercial Warehouse in 1885. The building still stands [Loneragans/IGA] as an icon in Gulgong.
Source: Information supplied by Baldwin & Davis, Research Gulgong (July 2006).
"Writers Rest", 75 Herbert Street, Gulgong
Source: Darren Michael
Another of John Hunter's Gulgong properties was 75 Herbert Street. The picture above shows windows chock-full of bottles. The left window has the words "Writers Retreat" on the glass. John Hunter was listed on an 1877 map of Gulgong as the owner. In 1886 he had a mortgage with the Union Bank of Australia which was discharged in 1889. In 1896 the property transferred to William Wesley of West Wyalong, a produce dealer, and in 1901 to his widow, Bridget Wesley. Bridget transferred the property to Alfred William Wood of Gulgong, a butcher. His mortgage of 1901 with the Bank of NSW was discharged in 1902. In 1902 Wood held a mortgage with C R Reid, by then a retired merchant having sold his large store uphill on Herbert Street to Jas Loneragan.
CR Young transferred the property to Charles Augustus Russell and Albert Ernest Russell, storekeepers of Gulgong. Two months' later the Russell brothers transferred the property to Jane Anderson of Munghorn, Cooyal, who undertook a mortgage with them. In 1908 the Russell brothers transferred the mortgage to Edward McCullock of Gulgong, Auctioneer, Robert William Head of Gulgong, saddler and Albert Ernest Brigden.
Source: HLRV
John Hunter
1877 - MUNICIPALITY OF GULGONG.
NOTICE is hereby given, that Mr. Christopher Reid Young has been elected an Alderman of the above Municipality, to supply the Extraordinary Vacancy caused by Mr. John Hunter permanently leaving the district. R. N. COLLINS, Mayor.
1877 - The City Boot Palace.Under this title the northern one of the new Waterloo Buildings shops has now been open a fortnight, and the Sydney public have had a fair opportunity of examining the internal arrangements as well as the quality of the contents. The outside of the new emporium has a most imposing appearance, such a blaze of light as burst forth suddenly on the first opening night having been quite enough to startle the passers-by in that part of George-street so long shrouded in gloom, and within the fittings are so elaborate, and the stock of goods so well chosen, handsome, and extensive as to continue the hold on the public that was commenced on first acquaintance.Mr. John Hunter, proprietor of this new establishment, has for the last fifteen or sixteen years been well-known in the Southern and Western districts, as the purveyor of boots to the dwellers in the districts of Young and Gulgong, and while he has been thoroughly successful in satisfying the wants of the hard-working miner, his boots for the promenade and the ballroom have been all they should be and his prices within reach of the 'poor man.' Having had a good look through the present stock, we are in a position to say no effort has been spared to suit every class of customer.
1892 - EMPLOYEESAbout eighteen years ago Mr. John Hunter left Gulgong and started a boot shop in Sydney. Today he has, in New South Wales, alone, 3000 men engaged in the boot trade.
1899 - In Days Gone By.
An old Gulgongite was in Mudgee on Wednesday in the person of Mr. Alec. Johnson, now of Genowlan. In the good times of the famous goldfield Mr. Johnson was manager of John Hunter's boot store in Gulgong. He is well, and was welcomed by many old friends.
1915 - HIS BUSINESS GENESIS.In the palmy days of Gulgong, when there were something like 20 000 or 30 000 people located thereabouts, Mr. John Hunter ran a bootshop on a large scale in that town. Later on he built and ran the Albion Hotel, which occupied a site upon which the big store of Messrs. Loneragan, Ltd., now stands.For a considerable time Mr. Hunter directed the fortunes of the house of accommodation, and after leaving it his brother, Mr. W. Hunter, took charge.This same John Hunter is now the biggest bootman in the State, if not in Australia. He has branches of his wonderful business all over the city and in most of the larger country towns. He was located in Gulgong for a good number of years before he conceived the idea of becoming a boot king. Some of the old hands will remember him very well.
John Hunter wholesale store at 47 York-street, Sydney, 1900
Source: Powerhouse Museum
1921 - MR. JOHN HUNTER. - DEATH ANNOUNCED. 'WELL-KNOWN' MANUFACTURER.Mr. John Hunter, founder of the firm of John Hunter and Sons, boot manufacturers, collapsed while in conversation at his residence, Lask, Darling Point-road, Edgecliff, last night. The big footwear factory in Castlereagh-street, Redfern, opposite the park, and the chain of over 70 retail establishments stretching through New South Wales and Queensland, which are owned by the firm of John Hunter and Sons are very largely, the product of Mr. Hunter's own energy and business capacity. He is 79 years of age.Born at Broadstairs, in Kent, the son of a bootmaker of Ramsgate, he came to Australia as a boy, and was still quite young when he commenced business for himself in boots and other retail lines in the Gulgong district.About 1877 he came to Sydney and established himself in a retail boot business near Market street, removing shortly afterwards to premises still occupied by the firm at the corner of Market and George streets. It is said that he was the first boot retailer in the city to afflx a ticket stating the price to every article of footwear in his shop, and the practice has been adhered to ever since in all the retail establishments of the firm. After opening branch shops at Summer Hill, Leichhardt, and Balmain, Mr. Huntor decided to open a factory, and about the year 1883 acquired that already established by Mr Hilder, at Redfern. He only remained in those premises, however, for a sufficient time to enable him to select a site allowing for greater expansion, and he erected premises fronting Douglas-street, which still form part of the extensive block of buildings which front Castlereagh street, Redfern.
Mr. Hunter had four brothers, who were also prominently interested in the boot trade in Australia, and all of whom have predeceased him. One of them, Mr. James Hunter, built up a large factory in Brisbane, and extended a retail business throughout Queensland, and the whole of those interests were purchased by Mr. John Hunter. Another, Mr. William Hunter, owned a large retail business in Rundle-street, Adelaide. Practically the whole of Mr. Hunter's time was devoted to the organisation and management of his business, and no man could desire to enjoy greater respect and popularity amongst his many employees than he did.
Mr. Hunter is survived by a widow and, by a former marriage, two sons, Mr. Alex. A. Hunter and Mr. Harold Hunter, both of whom are in the firm, and five married daughters — Mrs. Tout, of Edgecliff; Mrs. Podenzana, of Italy; Mrs. T. Prescott, ot Sydney; Mrs. O'Hare, of Sydney; and Mrs. J. Henderson, of Sydney. Another son, Mr. Sydney Hunter, died some years ago.
1921 - [REMEMBERED]
John Hunter, the boot king, who died in Sydney last week, rose from small beginnings. With his father the deceased started in the boot business at Young in the days of the diggings. When the Young branch of the boot firm was on a sound footing, Mr. Hunter himself went to Gulgong diggings, thence off to Sydney and started there. The big footwear factory in Castlereagh Street, Redfern, opposite the park, and the chain of over 70 retail establishments stretching through New South Wales and Queensland are very largely the product of Mr. Hunter's own energy and business capacity.
1921 - THE LATE MR. J. HUNTER - End of a Great Business Career'Just let me know the policy of the country and I will suit myself to it,' was an expression used by Mr. John Hunter, whose death chanced so suddenly a few days ago in Sydney. He was a footwear manufacturer and importer. He manufactured largely, in a big establishment he erected at Redfern. He had shops all over Australia. Mr. Hunter was the first man to label boots 'made in Sydney,' and to attach plain figure prices on his wares.
Born in England.
He was born in Kent, in 1843, and came to Australia in 1865. He was not originally in the shoe trade, but he soon got into it, his first shops being opened up the country — at Lambing Flat — now known as Young, and at the gold diggings, where he went on arriving in New South Wales.The industrial progress of Sydney and New South Wales owe much to John Hunter. The small beginnings at Lamb Ing Flat have almost been lost sight of, but they are worthy of recall, he did well there — so long as gold was found.Later he established businesses at Forbes, Grenfell and Gulgong. Footwear then was nearly all imported. Mr. Hunter resolved to come to Sydney in 1878 to manufacture boots and shoes.His son, Mr. A. A. Hunter, is successor to his father, and is much respected and liked in social, commercial and recreative circles. The firm has extended its energies, and nowadays buyers scour the world's marts East and West.John Hunter will be remembered not only as a great captain of industry, but also for his great qualities of heart and the human kindness of the man.The Gondola.Many will remember about 10 years ago a graceful craft that used to ply on the waters of the harbor, a fine specimen of a Venetian gondola. This had originally been intended for the Paris Exhibition. John Hunter bought the vessel, but some transport difficulties arose about transporting her to Australia.The P. and O. Company wouldn't handle her because she was too bulky. Hunter acted with characteristic decision. He gave orders for the gondola to be cut in four pieces and packed in cases. Skilled workmen who had labored on it with loving care were horrified, but the order was executed, and the gondola eventually reached Sydney, where it was put together again and used for years as a pleasure craft by the family until about 10 years ago it was sold to some water carnival promoters at Mosman.Black and White Suits.Years ago, when John Hunter had a store up country, a well-respected inhabitant of the district died. Her friends came to Hunter's store to buy dark clothes for the funeral, and he sold out his entire stock. Presently there arrived on the scene other contingents from neighboring hamlets, who all wished to show their respect for the old lady by attending her funeral. They wanted black suits, too. John Hunter had none to sell, but he convinced his clients that for so old a lady as the deceased white clothes were 'de rigeur,' and sold out all his white apparel also.The day after the funeral the 'whites' trooped into Hunter's store to demand an explanation. He met them imperturbably, and pointed out that whereas the owners of black suits could seldom wear them, those fortunate enough to get white suits would have nice garments suitable for everyday wear, and that really they had nothing to grumble about. The explanation was satisfactory.He had a faculty for looking ahead. Before the 1893 bank smashes, John Hunter had scented trouble, and had withdrawn £17,000 in sovereigns, which he put in the Safe Deposit vaults.Take Your Pick !An earlier generation — about the time of the early eighties — will remember a warehouse back of where Hordern Bros. now is. There was a fire here. It was rather a novel sight afterwards, we are told, to see firemen with pitchforks filling drays with salvaged boots to be taken away.Boots were imported, at about this time, in cases, 48 pairs in a case. They were rushed up from the ship to the store and were emptied out on the floor — all shapes and sizes. Customers of that period were invited to pick out their own pairs, and the firm then obligingly provided paper and string to tie up their purchases.Finish.The last scene of Mr. Hunter's life was at his home, talking with one of his departmental heads. The subject of the conversation was the importation of German goods, which distressed John Hunter. 'What? — buy German goods? It's Impossible! What would the boys (meaning the soldiers) think if I did?' Those were his last words, and, without warning, he clutched at his breast and fell back dead.John Hunter has left Australia a living lesson and erected an enduring memorial that all Australians would do well to learn and ponder on. He died as he would have wished, in harness and with his boots on, man every inch of him, and a gentleman, too.
Source: Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930) Sun 16 Jan 1921 Page 5
