Background
John Martin & Co. Ltd, colloquially known as John Martin’s or simply Johnnies, was an Adelaide-based company that ran a popular chain of department stores in South Australia for more than 130 years, from 1866 until its closure in 1998.
Johnnies, owned by the prominent Hayward family for most of its existence, became an Adelaide icon, responsible for the famous Adelaide Christmas Pageant.
John Martin’s was a respected “middle market” retailer, with a reputation for quality, range, and value. For many years, Johnnies claimed that it was the “Big Store” in Rundle Street, Adelaide’s major shopping precinct.
John Martin’s had business links with other major regional department store retailers including Sydney’s Grace Brothers and Tasmania’s FitzGerald’s, with joint ownership of the Intercontinental Buying Group.
This was in an era when Australian department store retailing was largely state-based. John Martin’s also had significant shareholdings in other prominent South Australian companies.
The last John Martin’s store to close was the Rundle Mall flagship store in Adelaide’s city centre.
Despite strong public opposition, the store was closed on 15 March 1998. Soon after, the art deco building was demolished to make way for the Adelaide Central Plaza complex, which was to house a new smaller David Jones store and other retailers and which opened in August 2000.
The previous David Jones building was sold and reconstructed to become the Rundle Mall Plaza complex opening in 2002.
Apartments were built on top of the John Martin’s car park. The John Martin’s Plaza remains but is now known as Charles Street Plaza.
Several attempts were made to have the John Martin’s building heritage listed, but all failed.
REF: John Martin & Co. – Wikipedia
The History of John Martin’s Warehouse
1854 Kent Town was subdivided into streets and allotments
1874 The Rundle Street frontage from Dequetteville Terrace to Young Street (now Parade West) was unable to be developed until after 1874 when Dr Kent’s 13-acre property was subdivided into allotments.
1876 The new Kent Town Brewery and Malting House was erected for Sir ET Smith on the corner of Rundle Street and Dequetteville Terrace.
1878 The horse-drawn tram service to Norwood and Kensington travelled along Rundle Road and Rundle Street to Young Street/Parade West. This street was a busy thoroughfare.
1885 John Martin Jnr bought an allotment in Rundle Street.
1886 “Premises” were erected, which were described as stables and a house. The house was initially occupied by Edwin Huffer, an ostler (a man employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn).
1886 The valuation of John Martins & Co’s premises remained static, described as “house, stables and warehouse” at a greatly increased valuation figure.
1912 The warehouse was now the only remaining building of what became a vast complex of properties acquired progressively (such as the stables for Kithers, a major Adelaide butcher), reaching from numbers 4 to 40 Rundle Street, Kent Town.
1912 The brick building was built on land where the company’s stable shed operated since 1885. Constructed by contractor Mr WH Radoff for approximately £3,000, the building had a frontage of 68 feet and a depth of 160 feet.
1934 A “bulk” store was added to the 1912 warehouse, replacing a shop with dwelling and two houses. The front half of the building was two stories high and there were loading platforms on Rundle Street. The building was constructed by Fricker Brothers of Tapleys Hill Road, Royal Park.
Pageant floats were stored in this area.
1978 This building was demolished for the South Australian Housing Trust “Dr Kent’s Paddock Community Housing Project”.
John Martin’s warehouse building (bulk store on the left, now demolished) and delivery trucks.
