George Coles (entrepreneur)
Encyclopedia
George James Coles was the founder of what was to become the Coles Group
shopping empire, the largest chain store group in Australia
.
Born in Jung Jung (now Jung, Victoria) to shopkeeper George W. Coles (d. 1932) and Elizabeth Mary Coles (née Scouler - other sources have Scoular, Souter)(d. 1900), the first of ten children, and educated at Beechworth
College. His mother died following the birth of her eleventh child in 1900.
His father married Ann Cameron "Annie" Topp of Buninyong
on 20 August 1902 and sold his shop (measuring 20ft by 18ft (6m x 5.4m).) in the Victoria
n country town of St James
to eldest son George in 1910 for £4500, then moved to Wilmot, Tasmania, where he opened yet another shop.
In 1914, with brothers Jim and Arthur and capital of £2000, he opened his first shop in Smith Street, Collingwood
(he gave his address as 28 Smith Street - above the shop?) with the slogan "Nothing over a shilling", which in the early 1930's became "Nothing over 2/6d"
Brother Arthur enlisted with the AIF
shortly after Australia joined the "Great War" (World War I
). He was twice wounded and was repatriated in 1916. George enlisted with the 60th Battalion of the AIF in March 1917. Brothers Jim and David were killed during the conflict. Their uncle Jim helped manage the store during their absences.
In 1927 they had nine stores, all in Victoria. In that year they first offered shares to the public.
In 1938 G. J. Coles & Co. Ltd. had 86 stores across Australia and 168 in 1953.
In 1976 G. J. Coles & Co. Ltd. had 576 stores and a staff of over 36,000
See Coles Group
for a fuller history of the company, particularly its later developments.
With his role in the company reduced, he was able to devote his time and energies to philanthropic and political causes. He was on the board of the Alfred Hospital and from 1933 its honorary treasurer.
He was an active member of St John's Anglican Church in Toorak
.
He was an active member of Rotary
and president of its Melbourne club in 1934.
He helped found the Institute of Public Affairs
, and was its president in 1965. He expounded on his philosophies in an interview in the January 1966 issue of their newsletter.
With fellow businessmen R. M. Williams
and Sam Hordern he helped found the Equestrian Federation of Australia in 1951 to support Australia's 1956 Olympic Games
equestrian
team. Because of quarantine
restrictions, these events were held in Stockholm, Sweden rather than the Olympic host city, Melbourne
.
He was on the board of the Victorian Hospitals and Charities Commission from 1935.
He was on the board of the National Bank
He was an active member of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club
and the Peninsula Golf Club (including a four-year term as president), the Athenaeum Club
, the Victoria Racing Club
and the Melbourne Cricket Club
.
Coles Group
Coles Group Limited was an Australian public company that operated numerous retail chains. It was Australia's second-largest retailer, behind Woolworths Limited...
shopping empire, the largest chain store group in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Born in Jung Jung (now Jung, Victoria) to shopkeeper George W. Coles (d. 1932) and Elizabeth Mary Coles (née Scouler - other sources have Scoular, Souter)(d. 1900), the first of ten children, and educated at Beechworth
Beechworth, Victoria
Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
College. His mother died following the birth of her eleventh child in 1900.
His father married Ann Cameron "Annie" Topp of Buninyong
Buninyong, Victoria
Buninyong is a place in Victoria, Australia. The town is on the Midland Highway, south of Ballarat on the road to Geelong. It's known locally as the drug smuggling capital of the South West region. Local Dealers are said to import the majority of their cannabis supply from farmers in Durham Lead...
on 20 August 1902 and sold his shop (measuring 20ft by 18ft (6m x 5.4m).) in the Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n country town of St James
St James, Victoria
St James is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moira Local Government Area, north of the state capital, Melbourne.St James was the location of the first business of G.J Coles, founder of the Coles Group...
to eldest son George in 1910 for £4500, then moved to Wilmot, Tasmania, where he opened yet another shop.
In 1914, with brothers Jim and Arthur and capital of £2000, he opened his first shop in Smith Street, Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
(he gave his address as 28 Smith Street - above the shop?) with the slogan "Nothing over a shilling", which in the early 1930's became "Nothing over 2/6d"
Brother Arthur enlisted with the AIF
AIF
AIF may refer to:*AIF , refer List of role-playing games by name*Accredited Investment Fiduciary*Adult Interactive fiction, a game genre*American India Foundation*Anti-Iraqi Forces*Apoptosis inducing factor...
shortly after Australia joined the "Great War" (World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
). He was twice wounded and was repatriated in 1916. George enlisted with the 60th Battalion of the AIF in March 1917. Brothers Jim and David were killed during the conflict. Their uncle Jim helped manage the store during their absences.
The Brothers
- George James "G.J." Coles (1885 – 1977). Principal subject of this article.
- James Scouler "Jim" Coles (July 1888 – 10 August 1916) helped brother George with his first store, served in France with the 4th Field Artillery Brigade during World War I and was killed in action.
- Arthur William "A.W." Coles (6 August 1892 – 2 April 1985) joined the 6th Battalion in August 1914. He was twice wounded in action (at GallipoliGallipoliThe Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
and in France) and was repatriated in 1916. He momentarily displaced George as chairman in 1936 in a coup and was made managing director. He was elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne in 1938 and re-elected twice. He was appointed to a number of highly public organizations and was knighted in 1960.Barber, Stella M., 'Coles, Sir Arthur William (1892–1982)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/coles-sir-arthur-william-12334/text22157, accessed 27 July 2011.
- David Henry Coles (July 1894 – 20 October 1917) had little to do with the business; he moved to Wilmot, Tasmania with his father after George took over the business. He served in Belgium with 10th Field Artillery Brigade during World War I and died of wounds.)
- (Kenneth) Frank "K.F." Coles (19 April 1896 – 2 April 1985) was knighted in 1957, henceforth known as "Sir Kenneth". He retired from the board in 1976
- Edgar Barton Coles "E.B." (3 June 1899 – 19 February 1981) first secretary of G. J. Coles Ltd, drove much of the company's expansion and entry into television advertising. He was knighted in 1959.
- Norman Cameron "N.C." Coles (10 September 1907 – 24 November 1989) was born to George (senior)'s second wife Ann Cameron, née Topp, in Victoria but was mostly educated in TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. He joined G. J. Coles & Coy. Ltd in 1924 and became Managing Director 1967 – 1975. He was chairman of the board from 1968, and deputy chairman of K-mart (Australia) Ltd. from 1967. He was knighted in 1977.
Post-War Expansion
In 1924 they opened the store in Bourke Street, Melbourne. Brothers Edgar, Kenneth and Norman had joined the Company.In 1927 they had nine stores, all in Victoria. In that year they first offered shares to the public.
In 1938 G. J. Coles & Co. Ltd. had 86 stores across Australia and 168 in 1953.
In 1976 G. J. Coles & Co. Ltd. had 576 stores and a staff of over 36,000
See Coles Group
Coles Group
Coles Group Limited was an Australian public company that operated numerous retail chains. It was Australia's second-largest retailer, behind Woolworths Limited...
for a fuller history of the company, particularly its later developments.
Away from Business
He was managing director of G. J. Coles & Co from 1923 to 1931, when, after some illness he handed the leadership role to Arthur, but remained as chairman of the board (despite very public opposition to his autocratic style) until 1956. He maintained membership of the board until 1976, when he retired.With his role in the company reduced, he was able to devote his time and energies to philanthropic and political causes. He was on the board of the Alfred Hospital and from 1933 its honorary treasurer.
He was an active member of St John's Anglican Church in Toorak
Toorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
.
He was an active member of Rotary
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
and president of its Melbourne club in 1934.
He helped found the Institute of Public Affairs
Institute of Public Affairs
The Institute of Public Affairs is a public policy think tank based in Melbourne, Australia. It advocates free market economic policies such as privatisation and deregulation of state-owned enterprises, trade liberalisation and deregulated workplaces, climate change skepticism , and the...
, and was its president in 1965. He expounded on his philosophies in an interview in the January 1966 issue of their newsletter.
With fellow businessmen R. M. Williams
R. M. Williams
Reginald Murray Williams AO, CMG was an Australian bushman and entrepreneur who rose from a swagman, to a millionaire. Widely known as just 'R.M.', he was born at Belalie North near Jamestown in the Mid North, 200 kilometres north of Adelaide, into a pioneering settler family working and training...
and Sam Hordern he helped found the Equestrian Federation of Australia in 1951 to support Australia's 1956 Olympic Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
team. Because of quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
restrictions, these events were held in Stockholm, Sweden rather than the Olympic host city, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
He was on the board of the Victorian Hospitals and Charities Commission from 1935.
He was on the board of the National Bank
He was an active member of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a golf club located in Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia with two courses. Royal Melbourne has hosted numerous national and international events, including the 1959 Canada Cup , and the 1970 World Cup...
and the Peninsula Golf Club (including a four-year term as president), the Athenaeum Club
Athenaeum Club, Melbourne
The Athenaeum Club is a private gentlemen's club situated in Melbourne, Australia.The club has been in operation since 1868.- External links :*...
, the Victoria Racing Club
Victoria Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual “race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup, which was first contested in 1861.From its...
and the Melbourne Cricket Club
Melbourne Cricket Club
The Melbourne Cricket Club is a sporting club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is regarded as the oldest sporting club in Australia....
.
Recognition
- He was awarded the CBE in 1942 and was knighted in 1957.
- His portrait, by W. B. McInnes hangs in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG)National Portrait Gallery (Australia)The National Portrait Gallery of Australia is a collection of portraits of prominent Australians that are important in their field of endeavour or whose life sets them apart as an individual of long-term public interest...
in CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. The NPG also holds portraits of Sir Arthur, Sir Edgar, Sir Kenneth and Sir Norman by William DargieWilliam DargieSir William Alexander Dargie CBE was an Australian painter, known especially for his portrait paintings. He holds the record for the most Archibald Prize wins; eight. He was an official Australian War Artist during World War II.- Biography :William Dargie was born in Footscray, Victoria, the first...
.