Red Arcade

A predecessor of present day discount variety stores, the Red Arcade was originally located in Nicholas Street, Ipswich. The Red Arcade was the Ipswich branch of the Royal Red Arcade, Brisbane.  It opened on Saturday 1^st December 1894 offering a large variety of household goods for sale including toys, basketware, books, stationery and fancy goods. Owners Russell Wilkins & Sons Ltd. were direct importers of crockery, glassware, holloware, enamelware and ironmongery.

In 1897 the Red Arcade was located opposite E. Harding's Horse Bazaar in Nicholas Street.

In August 1904 the Red Arcade moved into F. Smith's former shop on the corner of Brisbane and Nicholas Streets. This spot was locally known as Greenham’s Corner (and later as Nolan’s Corner). 

Two years later the Red Arcade was sold to Mr. Arnold Georgeson who employed William Hughes as store manager. Hughes was a local man living in North Ipswich.

At the beginning of 1909 Hughes became proprietor and soon after the location of the store moved “opposite Cribb & Foote’s new sweet shop.” This was still in Brisbane Street but near the Australian Joint Stock Bank (A.J.S.), soon to be renamed Australian Bank of Commerce (A.B.C.). Almost immediately business appears to have gone downhill resulting in bankruptcy. Advertisements for a large clearing sale appeared in October the following year (1910) describing the Red Arcade as “the shop painted red, opposite the A.B.C. Bank” which was situated on the corner of Brisbane & Bell Streets. Bacelie Martoo acquired some of the bankrupt stock and offered it for sale at his own establishment.