D. & J. Fowler Ltd.

D. & J. Fowler Ltd. was a wholesale grocery company founded in Adelaide, South Australia.

History

The company was founded by two brothers born in Kilrenny, Fife, Scotland, sons of James Fowler (ca.1794 – 9 December 1872), who kept a general store in Anstruther or Cellardyke^[1] in Fifeshire. James Fowler (ca.1830 – 13 February 1858) and his sister Margaret migrated to South Australia on the Anna Maria, arriving in November 1850.^[2] With financial assistance from his father,^[1] he opened a grocery store in Rundle Street, Adelaide near Pulteney Street. He was joined by elder brother David (ca.1826 – 11 November 1881), who arrived in the Fop Smit in 1854.^[2] Shortly afterwards they moved operations to 54 King William Street on a 14 months' lease.^[1] James, who was responsible for all the book-keeping, died in 1858 after a long period of ill-health. The third brother George Swan Fowler, who had been associated with their father's business, emigrated shortly after, arriving in Adelaide by the steamer Indus in July 1860 with sister Margaret, who had returned to Scotland after the death of James.^[2] He was made a partner in the firm,^[3] while retaining the name of D. & J. Fowler. In 1863 they purchased the King William Street premises they had been renting.^[1] By 1865 business had grown to such an extent that they opened a branch office in London, run by David, and a new head office building, completed in 1867, in King William Street,^[4] of which George had control. In 1865 they divested themselves of the retail side of the business, selling it to Finlayson & Co. (employees William Finlayson jun. and George Brookman). In 1873 they took over rented premises at McLaren Wharf, Port Adelaide and two warehouses on Vincent Street, but these proved inadequate and in 1881 a large warehouse was built on Santo Parade, opposite New Dock, with storage for 30,000 tons of merchandise.

Branches were opened in Fremantle, where Fowler's Warehouse is a local landmark, Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie. They acquired the dealership for Shell products and set up a shipping agency to handle not only their imports but exports of wool, wheat, meat, flour butter and other materials.^[2]

Manufacturing

They built the "Paou Chung Factory" on King William Road and took over Barnfield & Turner's London Condiment Company at Phillis Street Maylands and H. B. Hanton's^[5] Fullarton, renamed it the "Lion Preserving Company" and expanded their range of canned fruits, jams and pickles. A new factory for "Lion" canned fruit was set up at Nuriootpa (later sold to R. McEwin and Sons of "Glen Ewin" fame). They took over the factory of Henry Harford (ca.1834 – 7 July 1886) in Mill Street, Adelaide, which became the Lion Confectionery Works.^[6]

Around 1882 Fowlers contracted farmers in the south-east of South Australia to grow chicory, which was used to make "Lion" brand coffee and chicory essence.^[7]

They took over the bankrupt Adelaide Milling Company's flour mill and numerous others beside.

Fowlers was the first to market packaged tea in South Australia, with their "Paou Chung" brand in 1883 and "Amgoorie' in 1896.^[7] Other items they produced were "Maori" and "Clan" brands of oatmeal.

In 1888 a fish preserving factory was set up in Port Lincoln, but was relinquished three years later, having found the unreliability of supply made the business unworkable.^[1]

A new building, the "Lion Factory", where their "Lion" brand of self-raising flour and other goods were packaged,^[8] was opened on North Terrace in 1907.

Management changes

David died in England in 1881, leaving George as the senior partner.

In 1899 D & J Fowler was converted to a limited liability company, with 2,000 shares being allocated to the firm's employees, held by three trustees. James Robert Fowler was the company's first chairman of directors, retiring in 1932,^[9] succeeded by W. Murray Fowler.

See also

Contemporary wholesale grocers in Adelaide included:

• G. Wood, Son & Co.

The family

James Fowler (ca.1794 – 9 December 1872), store owner of Anstruther, Scotland had three sons:

• David Fowler (ca.1826 – 11 November 1881) married Janet ( – 22 June 1899)

• James Fowler (ca.1860 – 5 December 1916) married Mary Harriet Morgan ( – 14 November 1915) youngest daughter of Sir William Morgan on 17 June 1891
• Grace Fowler married Dr. Carl Roder on 13 April 1881

• James Fowler (ca.1830 – 13 February 1858)
• George Swan Fowler (9 March 1839 – 1 October 1896) married Janet "Catherine" Lamb (ca.1839 – 7 April 1922) on 1 June 1864. Among their children were:

• James Richard Fowler M.A. (25 May 1865 – 17 December 1939) married Esther Tinline Murray on 17 November 1892. Esther was third daughter of William Murray (ca.1820 – 18 October 1901) of "Sea View", Glen Osmond. Purchased "Sunnyside" from Milne estate in 1895.^[10]

• W(illiam) Murray Fowler (26 August 1895 – ) married Florence Lorna Borradaile Richardson. As Major Fowler he was awarded the Military Medal during World War I.

• David Murray Fowler (3 June 1922 – ) was RAAF pilot during World War II.
• John Murray Fowler (6 April 1928 – ) was advertising manager, 5AD in 1958, later director, Television Broadcasters Ltd. then general manager, Reg Grundy Productions (1976– )

• Marion Anderson Fowler ( – 5 August 1947) married Ernest Allnutt on 5 October 1893
• Laura Margaret Fowler M.B., Ch.B. (3 May 1868 – September 1952) married Charles (Henry) Standish Hope B.A., M.D., Ch.B. on 4 July 1893. Laura, later to become a noted missionary in India, was in 1893 the first female to graduate in medicine and surgery from the University of Adelaide.^[11]
• David Fowler (9 April 1870 – 12 May 1932) married Kitty Martin. He was actively involved in gold extraction from tailings using the Macarthur Forrest cyanide process, and was head of David Fowler Ltd., Durban, South Africa, where he died.

References

External links

• Australian Dictionary of Biography
• SA History Hub – David Fowler