David Jones

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David Jones is not only Australia's oldest department store, but the oldest department store in the world still trading under its original name.

A short history of the company, from 1838 to the present, follows: if you're interested in one particular era or event, just click on the relevant date on the timeline, and it will take you straight there.

Just 50 years after the founding of the colony, Mr David Jones, a Welsh-born immigrant, opened "large and commodious premises" on the corner of George and Barrack Streets on 24 May 1838.

His mission:

to sell "the best and most exclusive goods" and to carry "a stock that embraces the everyday wants of mankind at large."

The small store prospered. Its location on the main artery of the new town, opposite the General Post Office, was a brilliant choice. David Jones and Co. received patronage from not only the Sydney gentry, but also the country settlers. They flocked to the store to buy buckskins, ginghams, waistcoat fabrics, silks, cotton tick.

David Jones eventually retired and left the management of the store to his business partners. Unfortunately, the store failed and the assets of David Jones were assigned to Trustees. He came back out of retirement, borrowed heavily, and with the help of new partners and his son Edward Lloyd, managed to recreate the store's success.

Edward Jones had travelled widely overseas, and brought back to Sydney new ideas in retailing, including the European concept of a "department" store.

By 1887, in a rebuilt George Street store, (which boasted the city's first hydraulic lift) the business had expanded to include furniture and furnishings and David Jones' mail order department which sent parcels to all corners of Australia.
The store attracted the Colonies' most eminent citizens as customers, and received visits and orders from nobilities such as King Kackumbo of Fiji and King George of Tonga and his Queen Consort.

Christmas has always been a special occasion for David Jones, as this advertisement from 1899 attests:

"Messrs. David Jones and Co have much pleasure in inviting you to inspect their magnificent stock of UNIQUE AND ARTISTIC NOVELTIES suitable for Xmas and New Year Presents, which are being displayed in their Spacious Promenade Showroom"

"With prices ranging from 2/6 to 20 Guineas. The collection is unique. The variety is unsurpassed, and specially selected for PRESENTATION PURPOSES from the UK, America and Eastern Countries. A visit of inspection will be esteemed a favour."

David Jones opened the Marlborough Street factory - the largest of its kind in Australia - manufacturing a huge variety of goods from clothing to cabin trunks. This helped alleviate the store's reliance on imports

David Jones Limited, now a public company, announced plans to build another city store. A block of land had been purchased on Market Street between Elizabeth and Castlereagh. The move was considered madness by many as the area was so remote from the city's retail centre.

Charles Lloyd Jones now succeeded his brother Edward as chairman of David Jones Limited. He proved to be a visionary like his grandfather, and undertook the building of the new Elizabeth Street store.

When it opened in 1927, this grand department store, which remains the flagship of the company to this day, single-handedly moved the hub of Sydney's retailing to Hyde Park.

To mark the store's 100th anniversary, another store on Market Street was opened by the Prime Minister 'Billy' Hughes in 1938. But soon afterwards the Second World War broke out and the new store was occupied by the Ministry of Munitions.

During World War II David Jones continued trading, despite the rations, the hard times and the loss of staff to the Armed Forces and war effort at home. A large section of the George Street store was converted into a Club for those serving in the forces.

David Jones brought Sydney out of the post-war doldrums with Paris-style fashion parades in 1947. Pierre Balmain had the women of Sydney enthralled, and one year later came the collection of Christian Dior's famous 'New Look', the first time Dior had ever shown outside Paris.

In 1954 Queen Elizabeth II became the first British Monarch to step foot on Australian soil. The Great Restaurant on the 7th Floor of David Jones Elizabeth Street was chosen as the venue for a State banquet in her honour.

The years that followed marked a period of major expansion for David Jones Limited. The company grew from 3 to eight stores by 1959, and in the next 20 years would expand to Queensland, ACT, Victoria and South Australia, creating a national retail chain which today numbers 35 stores. See Store Locator for more information.

Refurbishments in the '80s to the Elizabeth Street store included the creation of David Jones on Seven, a designer boutique on the top floor where the world's best fashion labels can be found. Also Food, Glorious Food was established on the Lower Ground Floor of Market Street, with a marvelous array of fresh and gourmet foods. See Instore Services for more information.

While the business of retailing changed in many ways, David Jones maintained its commitment to world class service which included the introduction of the loyalty programme "Instant Rewards", to beautiful merchandise with the introduction of new brands, many of world renown, and to beautiful stores with the continuing refurbishment of stores and the opening of five new stores, two in New South Wales and three interstate.

The millennium began with David Jones reentering the Western Australian market, introducing the David Jones Shareholder Rewards Program and launching the David Jones website. The reconstructed David Jones store at Rundle Mall in Adelaide won a prestigious international award as the best newly completed store in the world in the year 2000.

Further information about David Jones' history can be obtained from our Archivist by calling 9648 3129 or by mail:

David Jones Archives
PO Box 6406
Silverwater NSW 1811