Dalgety & Company Ltd
Date established
1848
Date closed
1961
History
DALGETY & COMPANY LTD 1948-1961
Dalgety & Co Ltd was found by Frederick Gonnerman Dalgety, a Canadian born of Scottish stock, who emigrated to Australia in 1833 at the age of 16. He began work in Sydney as a merchant's clerk and by 1842 was a residnet manager of a new firm in Melbourne. He was admitted as a partner in 1844 and gave his name the next year to the reorganised firm, Dalgety Gore and Co. The business included importing and selling merchandise to farmers, purchasing wool, wool scouring, shipping, insurance and short-term loans.
In 1848 he founded Dalgety & Co in Melbourne and became domiciled in London in 1851 as a woolbroking and general merchant firm. The 1851 gold rush liberated Dalgety from direct colonial management and he was able to set up a London headquarters in 1854-56.
In 1858 he extended his operations to New Zealand and through his brother, Richard, and George Buckley opened an office in Lyttleton on September 17, trading as Dalgety Buckley and Co. In 1863 they moved their operations to Christchurch. Later Richard Dalgety was replaced by Edmund Dalgety.
In 1860 Dalgety moved into the Dunedin region when J Rattray, on behalf of FG Dalgety, established Dalgety Rattray & Co, merchants and agents. Soon it was trading freely in wool and other farm produce and acting as shipping agents. In 1861 the firm became an important shipping agent and its merchandise sales rose to 20,000 pounds a month. It established sub-branches and in Oamaru issued Dalgety Rattray pound notes to assist farmers in their transactions.
The company made its first shipment of frozen meat to London in June 1882.
In 1884 the Dalgety companies in Australia, New Zealand and London were incorporated as a limited liability company, Dalgety and Company Ltd, with FG Dalgety as Chairman until his death in 1894.
Dalgety's activities were confined to the South Island until 1889 when it established a branch in Napier. Gisborne and Dannevirke were opened as sub-branches of Napier.
A Wellington branch was opened in 1903 with, in the next few years, sub-branches in Masterton, Palmerston North, Wanganui and Blenheim. Auckland branch opened in 1908, with Hamilton as a sub-branch, and other branches followed.
Branch managers in Christchurch were as follows: 1858-1860 Richard B Dalgety 1861-1867 Edmund S Dalgety 1867-1875 HH Hennah 1875-1877 FH Moore 1877-1882 FF Knox 1883 JE Pounds 1883-1898 Hon EW Parker 1898-1910 FA Archer 1910-1916 WD Stewart 1916-1931 JG Herdman 1931-1944 HS Lawrence 1944-1956 HR Williams 1956-1971 B de C Thomson
In 1961 Dalgety & Company Ltd & New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Company Ltd merged to create Dalgety & NZ Loan Ltd
Dalgety & Co Ltd was found by Frederick Gonnerman Dalgety, a Canadian born of Scottish stock, who emigrated to Australia in 1833 at the age of 16. He began work in Sydney as a merchant's clerk and by 1842 was a residnet manager of a new firm in Melbourne. He was admitted as a partner in 1844 and gave his name the next year to the reorganised firm, Dalgety Gore and Co. The business included importing and selling merchandise to farmers, purchasing wool, wool scouring, shipping, insurance and short-term loans.
In 1848 he founded Dalgety & Co in Melbourne and became domiciled in London in 1851 as a woolbroking and general merchant firm. The 1851 gold rush liberated Dalgety from direct colonial management and he was able to set up a London headquarters in 1854-56.
In 1858 he extended his operations to New Zealand and through his brother, Richard, and George Buckley opened an office in Lyttleton on September 17, trading as Dalgety Buckley and Co. In 1863 they moved their operations to Christchurch. Later Richard Dalgety was replaced by Edmund Dalgety.
In 1860 Dalgety moved into the Dunedin region when J Rattray, on behalf of FG Dalgety, established Dalgety Rattray & Co, merchants and agents. Soon it was trading freely in wool and other farm produce and acting as shipping agents. In 1861 the firm became an important shipping agent and its merchandise sales rose to 20,000 pounds a month. It established sub-branches and in Oamaru issued Dalgety Rattray pound notes to assist farmers in their transactions.
The company made its first shipment of frozen meat to London in June 1882.
In 1884 the Dalgety companies in Australia, New Zealand and London were incorporated as a limited liability company, Dalgety and Company Ltd, with FG Dalgety as Chairman until his death in 1894.
Dalgety's activities were confined to the South Island until 1889 when it established a branch in Napier. Gisborne and Dannevirke were opened as sub-branches of Napier.
A Wellington branch was opened in 1903 with, in the next few years, sub-branches in Masterton, Palmerston North, Wanganui and Blenheim. Auckland branch opened in 1908, with Hamilton as a sub-branch, and other branches followed.
Branch managers in Christchurch were as follows: 1858-1860 Richard B Dalgety 1861-1867 Edmund S Dalgety 1867-1875 HH Hennah 1875-1877 FH Moore 1877-1882 FF Knox 1883 JE Pounds 1883-1898 Hon EW Parker 1898-1910 FA Archer 1910-1916 WD Stewart 1916-1931 JG Herdman 1931-1944 HS Lawrence 1944-1956 HR Williams 1956-1971 B de C Thomson
In 1961 Dalgety & Company Ltd & New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Company Ltd merged to create Dalgety & NZ Loan Ltd
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