HOME
HERITAGE BUILDINGS OF BROKEN HILL
BROKEN HILL PROTESTANT HALL CO., LTD.-
The Protestant Hall was a fine, substantial and magnificent Block of buildings, and was situated in Beryl Street opposite the Sulphide Street Railway Station, the ground for which was purchased from Sub-Inspector Saunders for 275 pounds.
The present Chairman, at that time Mr. A. B. Wood, who is mainly responsible for the above, by the untiring efforts and zeal that he displayed, called a meeting on October 23,1900 at which it was unanimously decided to build a Hall and Lodge Rooms suitable for the Loyal Orange Institute, in which to hold their meetings, and it was agreed that a private company be formed, consisting of members from the Loyal Orange and Royal Black Associations, and the Protestant Alliances Friendly Society, and the shareholders be confined to members of either Society.
The foundation stone was laid on June 20,1903, by John Wheeler, Esq., n J.P., R.W.G.M., L.O.I.N.S.W. The first directors were G.A.Mills, J.P. (Chairman), A. B. Wood (secretary), Messrs. E. Beskeen, E. K. Stuchbury, R.W. Dunstan, Thos. Dyer, J.H. Crougey. The formal opening for Lodge occupation took place on September 13,1903; but it was not till 1907 that the buildings were finally completed, and on March 20 of that year they were opened with much ceremony by Major A.J.S.Gilchrist, the Grand Secretary, in the unavoidable absence of the Grandmaster.
The building cost about 3,000pounds, and contain main hall,80ft x 42 ft. (the finest dancing floor on the Barrier), two offices and together with two fine Lodge rooms and ante-room upstairs.
A very fine upright grand piano, valued 80 guineas, was presented to the Company ante-rooms, and billiard room downstairs, was occupied by the Orange Club, by Andrew Stenhouse, Esq., J. P.
The Protestant Hall, which has been in use for more than half a century was demolished in 1962 to make way for the Bureau of Medical Inspection, the Broken Hill Mine Employee's Pension Fund and the Joint Compensation Committee to be completed by mid 1962.
And Today (1999) the Australian Inland Energy have demolished the pension fund Buildngs to construct a modern building.
CAMBELL AND SUTTON PTY LTD
The foundations of the firm of Campbell & Sutton PTA LTD were laid in 1901, when Mr. Colin Clyde Campbell resigned his position as foreman-manager of grocers Plant & Temple, of Argent Street, and set up business on his own, firstly in Argent Street, and then in Jeweler Place.
In 1912, he was joined in the business by Mr. William John Sutton, who, at that
Time, conducted a grocery store at the corner of Lane and Oxide Streets.
The business prospered, and in 1913, the firm bought out the wholesale merchant firm of GA Grant and Co. whose warehouse, still standing, was at the corner Argent Lane and Bromide Street.
The rapid growth of the company soon outgrew the premises, and, in 1914, the Blende Street building now used by Star Discount House as a retail grocery store was purchased for the firms wholesale activities.
Campbell & Sutton's maintained a strong position among the wholesale grocers of Broken Hill, even though, as a local company it did not have the financial resources interstate firms had.
Following the 1939-1945 war, major changes developed in the grocery industry, and the traditional place of the grocery wholesaler began to weaken.
One by one, the wholesalers reduced or witdrew their services to retailers, who, in the main, had formed their own buying co-operatives, and were in direct buying competition with wholesalers.
STAR DISCOUNT HOUSE FORMED--The board of Directors of Campbell & Sutton Pty Ltd determined that the firm would not vacate the grocery industry, and, as a result, formed and registered a new wholly-owned subsidiary, to be known as Star Discount House Pty Ltd.
The new company operations on July 4,1961, using a portion of the building still occupied by Campbell & Sutton Pty Ltd for its wholesale operations.
Campbell & Sutton's progressive attitudes have resulted in the continual upgrading or rebuilding of its retail Star Discount stores and is in harmony with its motto for the future:
"The locals on the move".
NEXT