Pettigrew's Stores

John Pettigrew emigrated from Scotland in 1850 and arrived in Ipswich in 1852 when he was just 20 years old, opening a general store at the corner of East & Union Streets soon after. He had experience in drapery before emigrating. His Ipswich store had a drapery section and ironmongery including boots, candles, crockery, glassware, locks & bolts, tobacco, and food staples.

John Pettigrew had shops at a couple of different locations (that often existed concurrently),  forming partnerships with a couple of different men at different times. In November 1861 to January 1863 William Robert Twine and Pettigrew partnered under the banner of John Pettigrew & Co. From about 1863 to 1865 Robert Aland and Pettigrew formed an allliance trading under the name of Pettigrew & Aland Ironmongers, selling nails and guns and the like. This partnership was dissolved on 1 January 1866. In 1864 John Pettigrew & Co. had a timber yard in West Street which was mooted to be the first such yard started in Ipswich. 

1863 was a big year for Pettigrew who was  a wholesaler and retailer, importer and exporter of goods. At the beginning of that year Twine retired from their partnership and in February there was a significant flood that inundated his new store in Bremer Street. Happily, the contents of that store were moved before the shop floor was under water. A few months later in June a clearing out sale was held so that major renovations could be made to the premises at the corner of East and Union Streets. At this time, Mr Pettigrew was also an elected council alderman with municipal responsibilities. 

John Pettigrew was well-known in Ipswich, playing significant roles in commerce and politics. He was an alderman in the first Ipswich municipal council in 1860 following the city's incorporation. John Pettigrew was mayor in 1864, MLA for the electorate of Stanley in the 1870s and a Magistrate of the Territory. At one time or another Pettigrew had coal interests, selected a good deal of land in the district, and owned a cotton-ginning establishment in Bremer Street. 

In 1865, Pettigrew issued a large amount of copper coin-tokens, known as "Tommy Dodds" for use at his store. They had a value of a farthing or half-penny, stamped with the Australian Coat of Arms on one side and John Pettigrew & Co., Wholesale and Retail General Merchants Ipswich, on the other. At that time there were two Pettigrew's Stores: the Brisbane Street store stocked corn, bran and dairy whilst the East Street shop sold wine, spirits, beer and timber as well as drapery, groceries, boots & shoes. 

In May 1867 John Pettigrew & Co. opened Telegraph Stores in Brisbane Street, next to the Post and Telegraph offices and opposite Cribb & Foote's drapery warehouse. Here, stock included groceries, flour, maize, alcohol, bran, and footwear. There was both retail and wholesale trade, including a bakery where bread could be purchased for three pence for a two pound loaf. 

Sometime between the late 1860s and 1871, Pettigrew vacated the old store located at the corner of East and Union Streets and local cooper George Livermore moved into those premises. The business progressed until November 1878 when John died at the young age of forty-six. Following his death, Pettigrew's Stores were operated as  Estate of the Late John Pettigrew. In late 1880 Donald McKay (or M'Kay as it was written then) became business manager of the enterprise and remained so until the end of 1884.  At this time, Pettigrew's was located in Brisbane Street next to the Victoria Hotel. In earlier years, T. C. Bishop's drapery shop had stood where Pettigrew's now did. On New Year's Day 1885, Pettigrew's Store  was destroyed by fire, essentially signalling the end of an era for the successful and well-known general store company.  Within a couple of weeks of the fire however, Donald McKay and John Pettigrew ( junior), both employees of the Estate of the Late John Pettigrew,  rented premises in O'Sullivan's new buildings in Brisbane Street near the Queensland Times office and between where Julius Vogler and Thomas Falkiner & Co. would be located some years later. They opened a grocery and general store, ironmongery and drapery together. It was short-lived. The business ran under the title of McKay & Pettigrew for several months then becoming McKay, Pettigrew Byrne & Company as James George Byrne partnered with the other two businessmen to work the ironmongery department. By January 1886 this partnership had run its course and was dissolved by mutual consent with McKay branching out as proprietor of New Station Stores in Nicholas Street. The business then became Pettigrew Byrne & Co. until late 1890 when the company was liquidated.