Trittons - Gold Medal Manufacturer (1910 – 1930)

Guest blogger: Mary Howells - 2022 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame Fellow

The construction of Tritton’s new factory at South Brisbane in 1908, allowed for a rapid expansion of the business, which necessitated a significant extension to the factory in 1911.

In June 1914, Coupon Furniture Proprietary Limited (Woolloongabba) was registered. Fred Tritton converted his lease on the George Street site, to freehold, in June 1915. F Tritton Proprietary Limited was registered in April 1917. Tritton acquired two adjoining land parcels to the rear of the store, facing North Quay, in August 1917. (1)
 
The South Brisbane factory produced goods for both Trittons and Coupon. Trittons had expanded their range of locally made and imported goods providing everything a new homeowner could need in the one place – The Right Place. For example, newlyweds Ernest and Mary Dewar, furnished their Manly home with one visit to Trittons in 1918.

The Influenza pandemic spelt tragedy for the family in 1919 with the deaths of the two eldest Trittons; Lillian in September and Charles on Christmas Eve. (2)

The family’s spirits were lifted with the 1921 marriage of daughter Ivy to architect (Roy) Ashley Shaw. (3) Younger son (Arthur) Roy joined the firm in 1923.(4)

The 1920s provided consolidation and expansion of the business. The freehold acquisition of the George Street site, and the adjoining land to North Quay initiated an expansive building program. The first project was the enhancement of the shop front to George Street, including an island display window reputedly the largest in Australia at the time. Delays to the construction to North Quay were overcome when a settlement was reached over Brisbane City Council’s attempt to resume all of Trittons property to extend Adelaide Street through to North Quay. Tritton’s new construction along North Quay began late in 1921. (5)

Trittons procured a number of high-profile furnishing contracts, including the new Wintergarden Theatre in Queen Street in 1924. It manufactured seating for 2000 patrons in maple and leather, in addition to providing the featured carpet in the foyer. By 1925, Trittons claimed to have the largest despatch room of any furnishing company in Queensland. (6)

The Wintergarden Theatre hosted an event attended by the Duke and Duchess of York in April 1927. Trittons proudly advertised that it had furnished the Royal Box in the theatre, as well as providing furnishings for Government House where the royals stayed. (7)

In July 1926, Fred and Eliza Tritton accompanied by Ivy and Ashley Shaw, embarked on an extensive overseas trip, touring the UK, Canada, and America. Fred was particularly impressed with the operations of Henry Ford’s Toronto factory. While in London, Ivy Shaw attended the wedding of her sister Nelle, to Russian baritone Nikolai Nadejin. (8)

The following year, Fred and Eliza visited northern and western Queensland, travelling by train to Townsville, then driving to Hughenden and Winton, and through to Charleville. Trittons had recently furnished the Tattersalls Hotel in Longreach and the Winter Garden Theatre in Townsville. Their trip served the dual purpose of promotion, as well as networking with potential clients to ascertain their specific requirements in the harsher climate of Western Queensland. (9)

Business in Brisbane was booming, and Ashley Shaw called for tenders for brick extensions to Tritton’s warehouse along North Quay in August 1927. Concurrently, Trittons began offering either lay-by or finance at 6% interest. Shaw also designed extensions to Coupon Furniture, facing Ipswich Road, for which tenders were called in January 1928. (10)

Fred Tritton was a supporter of the Queensland Preference League, established in 1927, which promoted the sale of Queensland made goods over those made with non-European labour. He hosted furniture displays in his store and tours of his South Brisbane factory to show that Queensland could produce goods equal in quality to overseas products, at a competitive price. Queensland furniture manufacturers who participated in this program were Carricks Ltd, John Hicks and Co and Bell Brothers. (11) The aims of this organisation reflected part of the Factories and Shops Act Amendment Bill (1916), which required furniture to be stamped, indicating that European labour was used in its manufacture. (12)

On a further overseas trip, departing in April 1928, Fred Tritton visited England, eastern Europe, and Scandinavia. He claimed that through his personal efforts in sourcing the newest ideas and the best methods of production, he manufactured soundly constructed, artistically designed, international styled furniture for his Queensland clients. (13)

Fred Tritton’s commitment to excellence was recognized with Gold Medals in the Royal National Shows of 1928 and 1929, for exhibits by Queensland furniture manufacturers.

The company’s 1929 display was described as innovative in demonstrating the best of ‘modern art furnishing’, including a variety of colour and textures. Trittons did not reproduce period furniture from England, as was done by other companies. A Trittons display allowed clients to imagine what the furniture would look like in their home, along with other decorator items also available from the store. (14) Trittons Gold Medal Furniture became the company’s hallmark from that time on.

Mary Howells

The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame is an initiative of QUT Business School, State Library of Queensland.

Other blogs by Mary Howells

• Fred Tritton - From Second-hand Dealer to Furniture Manufacturer (1886-1910)

• What Depression? Trittons prosper during the early 1930s

• Fred Tritton: Renaissance man

• From Austerity to Prosperity: Trittons in the 1940s.

• Trittons: Flourishing through the fifties

• Tritton’s Legacy
   

References

1. Company Registration index, Coupon Furniture 1914 p.95; Trittons Furniture 1917, p.387, Queensland State Archives; Certificate of Title 11312107, Allot 5, Section 13; Certificate of Title 10402140, Allots 6,7, Section 13, Qld Titles Registry.
2. Queensland birth death and marriages indexes; ‘Death of Miss L M Tritton’ Daily Mail, 20 September 1919, p.10; ‘Death of Mr. Charles Tritton,’ Brisbane Courier, 24 December 1919, p.8; Death Certificate Charles Tritton in Will File #2823302, Will # 291, Death Certificate Lillian May Tritton, Will File 2822999 Will #918, Queensland State Archives. – note Charles Tritton left a pregnant wife Nora and young son. Nora remarried W P Rowland in 1929.
3. Queensland births deaths and marriages indexes; ‘Weddings’, Telegraph, 17 September 1921, p.12.
4. ‘Bridge Tea’, Telegraph, 16 July 1926, p.3; ‘The Romance of Trittons’, Brisbane Courier, 29 August 1931, p.11; ‘Pre-Wedding Party’, Brisbane Courier, 28 January 1928, p.22.
5. ‘Trittons Ltd. Improvements’ Daily Standard 11 December 1919, p.2; ‘Adelaide Street, proposed extension, Mr Tritton’s Offer’, Daily Mail, 6 September 1920, p.4; ‘Trittons Extensions’, Brisbane Courier, 3 August 1921, p.8.
6. ‘Wintergarden, Brisbane’s luxurious theatre open to-night’, Daily Standard, 1 August 1924, p.5; ‘Local and General’ Longreach Leader, 24 December 1925, p.16.
7. ‘A Labour of love’, Telegraph, 14 April 1927, p.12.
8. ‘Women’s Sphere, Social Notes’, Telegraph, 29 June 1926, p.18; ‘Society Wedding’ Brisbane Courier, 10 February 1927, p.20; ‘A Brisbane Businessman on Tour’, Bowen Independent, 11 June 1927, p.7; ‘Society Wedding, Miss Nelle Tritton the bride’, Brisbane Courier, 10 February 1927, p.20; article ’The House of Tritton’ in Beaudesert Times, 4 September 1942, p.5 indicates that Tritton visited Henry Ford’s factory in Toronto, not in the USA.
9. ‘F. Tritton Limited’ Longreach Leader, 1 October 1926, p.24; ‘Mr Tritton-well known furniture manufacturer to leave for Europe and America’, Beaudesert Times, 20 April 1928, p.3
10. ‘Tenders’, Brisbane Courier 9 August 1927 p.8; 'Make Trittons Your Bankers’, Daily Standard, 11 August 1927, p.9; ‘Make Trittons Your Bankers’, Catholic Advocate, 27 October 1927, p.2; ‘Tenders’, Brisbane Courier, 17 January 1928, p.8.
11. ‘Factories and Shops’ Telegraph, 12 October 1916, p.4; ‘Legislative Assembly’ Telegraph, 2 November 1916, p.4; ‘Bills assented to’, Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton), 28 December 1916, p.7; Queensland Preference League, Directory of Queensland Manufacturers, 1925-1930.
12. Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette, 12 October 1916, p.3; Telegraph, 2 November 1916, p.4; Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton), 28 December 1916, p.7; Telegraph, 12 October 1916, p.4.
13. ‘Well known furniture manufacturer to leave for Europe and America’, Beaudesert Times, 20 April 1928, p.3
14. ‘Gold Medal for Trittons’, Brisbane Courier, 12 October 1928, p.8; ‘Exhibition Gold Medal won by Trittons’, Truth, 25 August 1929, p.11.