Burns Philp’s 100 Pacific years

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 34

Burns Philp’s 100 Pacific years

NZPA Sydney The Pacific Island trader and general merchant, Burns Philp and Co. Ltd, celebrated its centenary yesterday. The company, known in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands as “Beeps,” has diversified from its original shipping, retailing, and plantation business to be also a major hardware supplier, hotelier and liquor supplier, motor dealer, food and beverage supplier, electrical wholesaler, distributor of cement, office equipment and leisure goods, film processor, and mining joint venturer. James Burns arrived in Australia in 1862 aged 16 and worked as a jackeroo at Helidon station, near Toowomba, and later on the Barcoo River. His first taste of retailing was in Brisbane, but his first venture was to the Gympie Goldfields where he was one of the first arrivals in 1866. Burns quickly built stores at Gympie, One Mile Creek, and Kilkivan in the next three years as his business thrived. He returned to Scotland but by 1872 was back in Queensland and the next year . opened a store in Townsville. Signs painted on the 15 metres front of the wooden store proclaimed “J. Bums,

General Storekeeper” and advertised “Boots, Crockery, Wine and Spirit Merchant, Agent.” Glasgow-born Robert Philp worked for a shipping agent and merchant before joining Burns in 1873 and later becoming a partner. In 1877 Burns suffered a bout of malaria and went to Sydney to manage the chain of Queensland coastal stores he was establishing. The first overseas branches were established in British New Guinea at Samarai in 1887, Port Moresby in 1891, and Daru at the mouth of the Fly River in 1898. Offices were opened in London, New Zealand, San Francisco and in a variety of Pacific Island outposts, often before Government services arrived. Burns, Philp began issuing its own bank notes to facilitate exchange. In Australia, the business expanded into timber and pastoral pursuits. In 1896 the company was listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange with a paid capital of £267,500 although accumulated reserves were £ 100,000 and total assets exceeded £ 500,000. In 1900 turnover exceeded £IM. The two partners enjoyed their prosperity. Burns became a respected citizen of Sydney and in 1897 found the New South Wales Lancers of

which he was the first colonel. He entered the New South Wales legislative council in 1908.

Philp was elected to the Queensland legislative assembly in 1886 as member for Townsville and was Premier at the time of federation.

Buras was knighted in 1917 and died in 1923. After World War II the island operation resumed on a smaller scale.

Shipping operations were continued until the late sixties when they were phased out because Australian vessels were uncompetitive. In 1946 Buras Philp (New Guinea), Ltd, was formed to takeover the firm’s Papua New Guinea activities.

In 1972-73 a 26 per cent interest was sold to the Investment Corporation of Papua New Guinea. The 1970 s saw expansion centre on Australia with the purchase in 1972 of Merchant, A. J. Chown Holdings, Ltd, then Yencken Glass, IRA Berk, Ltd, (a motor retailer), the electrical manufacturer and distributor, Sun Electric, Ltd, and Northern Building Supplies, Ltd.

A controlling interest was acquired in the Western Australian iron ore miner, Robe River Ltd, in 1976. In 1980 control of the Hanimex Corp was gained in a takeover bid.