The Rhodesian Study Circle is a philatelic website for the areas of Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, British Central Africa and Nyasaland, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
G North and Son Limited was established in 1869. The company was incorporated in Kenya in 1963 and has more than 50 years experience in importing and supplying of high end technologies in the fields of Agriculture, Irrigation and Hospitality.
Currently G. North & Son is a market leader in the supply of Irrigation Solutions, Agriculture Machinery and Hospitality Equipment.
Salisbury
Originally a vehicle franchise, Puzey & Payne Ltd (later Puzey & Diss (Pty) Ltd) became the sole sales and service agent for a variety of vehicle brands including DKW, Rolls Royce, Dodge, Leyland, Wolsey, Austin, Amyl, Hudson, Morris, Cord, BSA, Morgan, Jaguar, Ford, Star, Mazda, Mini and VW through numerous dealerships in northern and southern Rhodesia.
Bulawayo
The Palace Theatre was first built in 1911, rebuilt in 1931, renovated a few years ago and finally pulled down recently to make way for a modern office block. It was also used for silent films, so that at times, rehearsals were conducted in dressing rooms behind the screen while the films were showing.
Bulawayo/Salisbury
Mark Friend Radio Co were an electrical and refrigeration business that began by selling radio and sound equipment.
W. M. Cuthbert & Co., Ltd, Johannesburg, was a shoe merchant established in 1882. The business traded as Cuthbert’s Shoe Stores, and it’s head office for Rhodesia was located in the Charter Buildings, Bulawayo.
Additional branches were located in Salisbury, Gatooma and Umtali.
Umtali
Hodgson & Myburgh Ltd was a clearing, forwarding, commission and transport agent based in Umtali, Rhodesia. They owned EMCO Creamy and Mills.
The business was established by Cooper Hodgson (1867-1905) in 1896. Hodgson came to Rhodesia at the age of about twenty years (pre-pioneer column) from West Cumberland.
He started by setting up a business in Salisbury but moved to Umtali when he was part of Hodgson and Van Riet (lessees of The Umtali Tramway Ltd). He died suddenly of Blackwater fever at the age of 38.
The business was later changed to Hodgson & Myburgh.
Bulawayo
Owen Ellis Allen was born in Cambridge, England in 1867. From Cambridge he emigrated to Cape Town, South Africa, where he joined the old established firm of booksellers and newsagents, Messrs Maskew Miller & Company.
In 1897, when his employers decided to open up a branch of their business in Rhodesia, he took the opportunity to move to Bulawayo. Coming from Cambridge, he was friends with Percy Clark. Allen, Clark and Harold Smart all studied at Cambridge and were associates in Rhodesia. By coincidence, Maskew Miller’s shop was next to Harold’s Smart & Copley‘s shop on the corner of 8th Avenue and Fife Street, Bulawayo.
In the early 1900’s, Ellis Allen set up in business on his own account from a rented shop in Willoughby’s Building (Built 1902), below Blackler’s clock. He remained in this shop until death in 1930.
In 1905, he contributed to the book Mediaeval Rhodesia by providing drawings and copied plans for the publication to David Randall. Smart & Copley also developed a large number photographic negatives for the publication. By 1907, he acquired his house at Hillside, Bulawayo where he lived with Clark.
In an advertisement in the 1908 Bulawayo Directory the business description was that of “General, Commercial and Legal Stationer”. In addition, “Photographic views of country and native studies” were also available. It is unlikely that postcards were published after 1914 as Ellis Allen’s P.O. Box number had changed by then to 54 (previously Box 204).
Ellis Allen died on 4 May, 1930 at his home in Hillside, Bulawayo. The business was sold to T. Drayton, and the printing plant to S. Carver.
Bulawayo/Beira
Smart & Copley’s chemist’s shop was located the east side of Main Street between 8th and 9th Avenues was opened in 1899. The business was a partnership consisting of two qualified chemists, Harold William Smart and William Dawn Copley.
Harold Smart was born in Cambridge, England in 1873 and arrived in Bulawayo in 1896, having travelled by rail and coach from Port Elizabeth. William Dawn Copley was born in Long Clawson, Leicestershire, England in 1871. He arrived in Cape Town in 1895 and, after 15 months, travelled up to Bulawayo. It was in Bulawayo that those two men later met.
Their first Wholesale and Retail Chemist’s shop was opened in August 1897, at premises situate corner of 8th Avenue and Fife Street, Bulawayo. In 1899 they moved to larger purpose built premises in Main Street, on land they had purchased that same year.
In 1900 they set up a Photographic Department which was believed to be the most advanced in Bulawayo at that time. Both Smart and Copley were keen amateur photographers which, no doubt, added impetus to this expansion of their chemist’s business. Consequently, a few years later, when picture postcards came into vogue as a means of communication, they were well placed to publish their own photographic products.
In 1910, Smart left the partnership to establish Smart & Co. W.D. Copley stayed on in Bulawayo to continue successfully the business.
Copley died in August 1951. The business remained in those premises until the mid-1970’s when they moved across the road to new premises in Sagit House. Smart & Copley is now part of the Q V Group.
It is not known when Smart & Copley first started publishing postcards but it was probably sometime in 1905, as this is the year in which the earliest used postcards have been recorded. The subject views of their postcards were wide-ranging with those of Victoria Falls being published in greatest numbers, given the anticipated demand by tourists visiting the “Falls” following the opening of the railway bridge in 1905.
Smart & Copley also went on photographic safari into Bechuananland Protectorate as evidenced by postcards recorded. Many images used were taken on hunting expeditions ran by J E Hughes.
“Greetings” type postcards were also published. Surprisingly, postcards with views of Beira (Mocambique) had been published – until it was discovered that Smart & Copley operated a business there for a short period prior to 1910.
Inyanga
Built by Major Alfred Herbert MacIlwaine, a keen trout fisherman, in 1951 Troutbeck Resort comprises a country hotel (previously known as Troutbeck Inn) and adjacent time share chalets. It has a distinct mountain resort feel with a 9 hole golf course, bowling greens, volleyball, horse riding, tennis and squash courts, swimming pool, canoeing, children’s playground and a deep blue trout lake.
Troutbeck has been well maintained and visitors seeking to explore the scenic beauty off Nyanga are warmly welcomed. Thankfully some things never change and the fire in the deep set fireplace in the entrance hall, which has been burning since 01 March 1951, still burns bright thus embodying the spirit of Troutbeck and all it stands for.
Bulawayo/Salisbury
Barry Grey Lennon, an Irish chemist and nephew of the Governor of Cape of Good Hope, Sir George Grey, settled in Cape of Good Hope on suggestion of his uncle. In 1850 he opened a chemist and druggist in Port Elizabeth as B. G. Lennon and Co. Ltd. Their shops were to be found in most major towns in Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal.
It was, therefore, only logical that their business interests be extended to Matabeleland (Bulawayo) and Mashonaland (Salisbury) to cater for the expected influx of settlers into those new territories.In 1894 they became the first commercial pharmacy in Bulawayo.
On 29th December, 1898, Lennon Limited became a registered company.
By 1930, the business had become the largest pharmaceutical business in the southern hemisphere. During the 1950-60’s, Lennon Limited was one of a number of pharmaceutical companies that amalgamated in an effort to consolidate the pharmaceutical industry. In 1968, the South African Druggists group, which now included Lennon Limited, was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
In 1975 the company opened a Research and Development Department to develop and register generic products. This was in response to the Medicines and Related Substances Act of 1965. By 1988 they had become leaders in their field.
In 1999, Aspen acquired South African Druggists through a hostile R2.4billion takeover. Aspen Holdings continues to trade today.