Firms have long history

Press, 22 December 1987, Page 32

Firms have long history

The merger of Jarrah and Sydenham Timber Companies brings together two firms who have been part of Canterbury’s history. Jarrah still have some of the old quill-written ledgers dating back to the turn of the century, and a clean-out of the back room yielded the pens themselves.

Jarrah Timber Company began in 1908, when six Christchurch timber merchants got together to co-ordinate shipments of the popular Jarrah hardwood from Australia. The deep red timber was commonly used for railway sleepers, and as such had lucrative possibilities for the importers. With the passage of the years, the original merchants gradually dropped out. By the 1950 s Jarrah had become the property of the Cook and Wallah families, who continued to run it very successfully until the business was taken over by Smart

Group in late 1986. During the Cook/Wallah years, Jarrah was made up .of four companies. Trading together they made huge profits, with a turnover in the multimillion dollar bracket the year before they were taken over.

The Sydenham Timber Company was established in 1944 by Ivan Anning and W. W. Keighley. In 1958 they purchased a quarter-acre section from Alf Tucker, and conducted their business on what was known as Tucker’s Mill. They were a firm specialising in native timbers, mainly white pine, rimu and radiata from the West Coast, and beech from Southland.

The company was managed by the major shareholder, Ivan Anning, who gradually increased their yard to measure four acres.

The Smart Group bought Jarrah mainly for

the land they occupied. The Moorhouse Avenue site was on an intersection rated among the busiest in the South Island. But they were also looking to get away from their property speculator image, and diversify into some more concrete areas of profit. Finding themselves the owners of a profitable, up-and-running timber business, it was an opportunity too good too miss. The site, however was deemed too valuable to remain a timber yard. Jarrah would have to move.

Sydenham Timber had a perfectly good site, as well as an established reputation. The merger of the two companies would solve Jarrah’s accommodation problem. By bringing together a timber importer and a native timber specialist, it would also increase both companies’ share of the A development plan was drawn- up to change

Sydenham Timber’s yard into one which could house the activities of both companies. Despite changes of ownership, location and management, Jarrah Sydenham Timber Company’s general manager, Mr Duncan Blackmore, says that they intend to carry on as a friendly neighbourhood timber company.

Most Christchurch timber firms are still owned by their founding families.

Jarrah and Sydenham can no longer make that boast, but they retain staff whose years of experience in the industry make them, in Duncan Blackmore’s eyes, far more of an asset than an old family name. Duncan is confident that anyone who has dealings with them will reach the same conclusion.

market, and allow them to offer a comprehensive service to their customers.