Milne & Co. was a South Australian company of wine merchants, with premises on Grenfell Street, Adelaide, founded and for much of its history run by members of the Milne family.
History
edit- Disher & Milne
William Milne (later Sir William) (17 May 1822 – 23 April 1895) formed a partnership with brother-in-law James Wardlaw Disher and in July 1846 purchased a Hindley Street wine merchant business from Patrick Auld (1811–1886) who was returning to England.[1] The business operated as Disher & Milne from 1846 until July 1853 when the partnership was dissolved, and William Milne opened a similar business under his own name on Grenfell Street, opposite Elder & Co.[2] From August 1853 the business continued with James B. Manford as Disher & Manford, then in March 1854 was bought out by Peter G. Harris. In 1857 William Milne was elected to the seat of Onkaparinga, and retired from business around the same time.
- William Milne, jun.
In November 1869, his son William Milne, jun. (1849–1905) opened a wine and spirit store as "William Milne, jun." at 32–36 Grenfell Street (once the site of Beeby & Dunstan's flour mill), adjacent Elder, Smith & Co.'s building (later the site of Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society building).[3]
- Milne & Co.
In March 1882, William Milne, jun. took on his brother George Milne (1856–1934) and Henry Archibald Price (1849–1895) as partners. George had been a senior manager there for some years, and Price had until recently been manager of the Mount Gambier branch of the National Bank of Australasia.[4] Their brother John Milne was also involved in the company for a time.[5]
In 1887 William Milne, jun. and Price quietly retired from active involvement in the company, leaving George Milne in control. William had a home on Palmer Place, North Adelaide and a summer residence, "Byethorne" at Mount Lofty. He was an active director of the Executor Trustee and Agency Company.[6] Price died in 1895.[7]
In 1893 the South Australian Brewing, Malting & Wine & Spirit Co. Ltd., intent on focusing on beer brewing, sold their stocks of wines and spirits to Milne & Co. and to A. E. & F. Tolley Pty Ltd., and became the South Australian Brewing Company, Limited.
In May 1925 the business was registered as an incorporated company.[8] George died in 1934, a very wealthy man.[9]
The Milne family
editWilliam Milne married Eliza Disher (c. 1818 – 17 August 1912), daughter of John Disher of "Byethorne", Nairne, South Australia in 1842; they later lived at "Sunnyside", Glen Osmond; among their large family were:
- William Milne, jun. (1849 – 14 December 1905) married Emma Sophia Simpson (1850 – 8 September 1914), daughter of Capt. Henry Simpson on 17 March 1870
- John Milne (3 November 1854 – 12 July 1934) married Lucy Edith Macgeorge (4 September 1859 – ) on 11 November 1875.
- Rev. John Philip Milne (c. 1878 – c. 1 September 1924) worked among poor in London[10]
- George S(tanley) Milne (9 May 1879 – 1961) married Alice Belle Greenland, Inspector of Ships, South Africa
- L(eslie) Hugh Milne (1882– ) served in South Africa 1901, Inspector of Fisheries at Swansea, Wales.
- Lucy Edith Milne (1884 – 1961) married Kenneth James Stephen in 1918, lived in Blackwood.
- F(rank) Kenneth Milne (18 July 1885 – 3 October 1980), architect, married Hazel Muir Fotheringham in 1913[11]
- Kenneth Lancelot Milne was founding president of the SA division of the Australian Democrats, and MLC 1979-85.
- E(rnest) Malcolm Milne (c. 1886–1963) married Gladys Burden on 1 March 1910, lived at Glenelg
- Mary Elizabeth Milne ( –1955) married Harold Powell in 1914, lived in Largs Bay
- George Milne (23 August 1856 – 17 August 1934) married Georgina Ellen Swinden on 14 June 1884.
References
edit- ^ "Out Among the People". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. 88, no. 27216. South Australia. 27 December 1945. p. 7. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Advertising". South Australian Register. Vol. XVII, no. 2151. South Australia. 8 August 1853. p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Advertising". The Express and Telegraph. Vol. VI, no. 1, 789. South Australia. 4 November 1869. p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Advertising". Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXXIX, no. 2109. South Australia. 4 March 1882. p. 24. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Obituary". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 14 July 1934. p. 17. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Personal". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. XLVIII, no. 14, 716. South Australia. 16 December 1905. p. 9. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Late Mr. H. A. Price". South Australian Register. Vol. LX, no. 15, 220. South Australia. 24 August 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 21 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Registration of Company". The Register (Adelaide). Vol. XC, no. 26, 320. South Australia. 6 May 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "£323,260 Left By Mr. George Milne". The News (Adelaide). Vol. XXIII, no. 3, 496. South Australia. 3 October 1934. p. 1. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Obituary". The Chronicle (Adelaide). Vol. LXVII, no. 3, 546. South Australia. 6 September 1924. p. 20. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Rosemary Francis, 'Milne, Frank Kenneth (1885–1980)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2000, accessed online 19 December 2017.
- ^ "Death Of Mr. C. G. Milne". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. LXXV, no. 23221. South Australia. 13 March 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Sudden Death of Mr. Roy Milne". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 4 April 1938. p. 20. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via National Library of Australia.