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Arthur Read
Alan Read
John
Jocelyn
by Russell Skeet
Stuart
John Read
Spanning five generations,
one pioneering business is
still thriving in Thames –
READ BROS HARDWARE
,
the oldest recognised
family-owned business in NZ.
Present day Read generations
1860s 1960s
W
ith the discovery of gold in the
Karaka and the opening of the gold
field on 1 August 1867, dramatic
changes unfolded for the area – indeed things
would never be the same.
Within four years the population had grown
to approximately 15,000, and the town,
properly described as a metropolis, had all the
features of a well-healed thriving Victorian era
township. With a heavy industrial base, and
huge demands for the construction of wooden
buildings, the timber industry emerged as a big
component of the economy.
At the centre of this frenetic expansion were
astute business and commercial men, including
John Read, timber merchant and iron monger.
Handily placed at the centre of Grahamstown,
John Read was assured of success, so long
as he was flexible enough to respond to the
changing needs of the town.
And John surely needed to be shrewd and
flexible, as the town was at its zenith in 1871,
but afterwards suffered ups and downs and
generally declined, so that by the 1920s the
gold mining industry was spent.
However the large industrial base that was
established to service mining remained and
was able to adapt its manufacturing profile
to include railway locomotive building, ship
and lighthouse building, and later, agriculture
machinery – all of which needed iron ware and
timber, so that the core of Read’s business was
sound. The legacy of these times for John Read
was an enduring reputation for being able to
supply whatever was needed.
As Grahamstown declined John shifted the
location of his business to Shortland, in line
with a general move of business to the centre
of the town. With John’s passing in 1922, his
sons took charge, with Arthur charting the way
through the difficult times between 1931 and
1947, when the town actually went bankrupt
and was in the hands of Commissioners.
In 1935 the business again relocated, this
time to a billiard room owned by Arthur, at 308
Pollen Street, still their current location. With
two changes of location Read Bros Hardware
traded steadily, surviving the vicissitudes of the
small town’s economy.
THIRD GENERATION... FOURTH...& FIFTH
Alan Read, the third generation, having gone off
to World War II, returned home to the business,
and over time assumed control. Tough times
after the war gave way to the prosperous times
of the 1950s and ’60s; and Thames, with its
industrial base, continued to prosper.
By the 1970s – when Stuart, the fourth
generation, took over – the times were
changing again, with the ‘good days’ having
passed. Stuart took the bold step of attaching
the independent family-owned business to
a group, the “Lucerne Wholesale Society”,
later the Hammer Hardware Group, to ensure
the continued viability of the small business
operating in an increasingly competitive
business environment.
In 2013, with John Read, fifth generation,
assuming operational control, Read Bros
Hammer Hardware reverted to independent
status, resting the future of the business on
strong family values, good customer service
and continuing market-place responsiveness.
And, you can still buy a gold pan, just like 1867.
Generations carry on the
‘Read Tradition’ – Since 1867
WWW.COROMANDELLIFE.CO.NZ27