Cynthia Brooks KSM
Marlborough Historical Society
Standing at the entrance to Brayshaw Heritage Park is a building which celebrates a long history of drapery from the 1870s to the present-day Farmers Store. It’s a replica of William Baker Girling’s “Hall of Commerce” which opened on Grove Road in 1872.
Girling had recently arrived from England, via Australia and started as manager of the new enterprise. Just two years later he bought the flourishing business and soon after built a much larger building in Market Place on the site of today’s Farmers.
The business was very successful, but sadly Girling died aged just 45, leaving his widow, three daughters and a young son William James. A manager was put in place until William turned 21, when despite his ambition to be a lawyer he became the owner and operator of the ongoing Girling business. He then married Ella McKenzie whose father owned stables on Alfred Street and the couple produced a further five Girling children as the business grew with branches in Picton and Havelock.
In 1931 the old wooden building was demolished and a new one built. Although now nearly 100 years old that building still forms part of the current Farmers store. In 1955 a further extension increased the footprint of the store with Miss Hardings Jewellers and the Singer Sewing Company as tenants and Hospital Board offices upstairs.
In 1961 the business was sold to Hays of Christchurch and in 1970 became Haywrights. It was sold again to become Farmers Department Store after a devastating fire in January 1979 destroyed the original Farmers on Queen Street.
In its heyday Girlings employed a large staff and was “the” place to shop for clothing, haberdashery, manchester, drapery and furnishings. Many Marlburians remember the Christmas window displays, the Santa grotto and the vacuum pneumatic tubes which took payments to the cashiers on the first floor, where there was also a grand “Malplaque” tearooms.
William J Girling became a well-respected businessman, serving as MP for Wairau for four years from 1922 and as Mayor of Blenheim Borough Council from 1946 to 1950. He passed away aged 91 in 1973.
Marlborough Quilters have recently assumed guardianship of the replica building where they will create an exhibition of the good old days of haberdashery and demonstrate their quilts and skills on Open Days.
