Waltons (department store)

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Waltons' was an Australian department store chain, founded by Sir John Robert Walton. [1]

Contents

[edit] History

Walton bought a menswear store in 1951, located in George St, Sydney, opposite the Queen Victoria Building and Sydney Town Hall and close to Town Hall railway station.

In 1955, he formed an alliance with the American retail giant Sears and Roebuck. In the early 1960s he formed a finance company in partnership with Citibank, and also moved into insurance. [2]

With the changes in the retail scene in Australia in the 1960s Waltons Limited bought out Marcus Clark & Co.,[3] and then took over the famous Anthony Hordern & Sons Palace Emporium and promptly closed it down. Next they acquired McDowell's Holding Ltd in 1971, the owners of McDowell's department stores. By 1972, the Waltons chain had expanded to 96 department stores before Walton retired as executive chairman. Sir John severed his ties with the company in 1976, when his son John took over. Waltons Ltd., was sold to Alan Bond in 1981. The Waltons name disappeared when Bond sold the company in 1987.

The flagship Waltons department store in George Street, Sydney, was demolished and replaced by the Citibank office tower which includes the Galeries Victoria retail space.

[edit] Store Locations

[edit] Australian Capital Territory

[edit] New South Wales

[edit] Queensland

[edit] References

  1. ^ COMMERCE - Sir John Walton
  2. ^ Dinkum Aussies
  3. ^ Railway Square