Australia's Lost Department Stores VI (The Mutual Store, Autumn & Winter 1938)

Finally, I'm escaping Sydney. I'm heading to Melbourne this post to visit The Mutual Store.  

As its name indicates, it began as a cooperative store.   It was founded in 1873 to provide members (who had to hold at least three shares) cheap provisions and household goods.  It got off to a somewhat rocky start, with members of the public writing to the papers to complain about the quality of the goods (or were they rival retailers trying to discredit the competition?)  However, it soon grew to be something much larger and very different.

19W1.  Fur Trimmed Coat in newest Angora coating, with luxurious collar of American Opossum.  Perfect fitting, fully lined, unique trimmed sleeve effect.

26W1.  Young Matron's Hat, in Fur Felt, new season's style, in all colours and fittings.

23W1.  Maid's Light Woollen Frock, smartly cut, with belt and button trimming, pleats in skirt back and front.  Green tea (as photo), Fawn or Rose.

26W2.  Maid's Felt Tam Hat, smart, attractive style, in all colours and fittings.

30W1.  Men's Pure Wool Tweed Overcoat, in neat check and overcheck designs in fawn, brown and grey shades—single breasted (as photo) or double breasted style in all men's fittings.

29W1.  Men's Hats.  The M.S. "Melolite"—a fine pure fur felt Australian Hat in brown, steel, rust, self.

By 1882 The Mutual Store had an annual turnover of £104,000 and it moved to multi-storey premises on Flinders Street.  It dedicated the entire first floor to clothing (sandwiched between the ground floor containing ironmongery, groceries, wines and spirits, and the second floor dedicated to selling furniture).  The future looked bright.  However, on New Year's Day in 1891:

The Mutual Store, a well-known building in Flinders Street, just opposite the Flinders Street Station and one of the most extensive and prosperous institutions in the city was destroyed by fire at an early hour on New Year's morning...

How the fire occurred no one knows, and when it first arose is only a matter of conjecture.  At half-past 6 o'clock on New Year's eve Mr. Scott, the locker, left the place, every one of the 800 persons employed there having previously departed, all appeared perfectly safe... Shortly before 4 o'clock next morning a man passing down Flinders street had his attention attracted by the smell of burning, and ... he saw thick volumes of smoke issuing from one of the windows of the store.  Whilst he was looking a boy came up and the two concluding that the Mutual Store was on fire set off in different directions to give the alarm...

Finally, just about 5 o'clock, the roof of the building fell in with a mighty crash and carried down with it the top floor... The only part of the building which had to up to this moment escaped the flames was the cellar, in which a large quantity of spirits was stored, and that part of the ground floor near the street...

The loss by the destruction of the stock and the building is almost, if not entirely, covered by insurance...

The Australasian, Jan. 3, 1891

The proprietors of the Mutual Store moved into temporary accommodations, but were back in their rebuilt premises by November the 30th that year.  It was in Queen Anne style, with the latest improvements in fire-proofing and a hydraulic lift.  

By 1902 The Mutual Store had ceased trading as a co-op, a fact it recognised when it reorganised itself to "set beyond all doubt the right of the company to trade with persons who are not members".  As the store moved into the twentieth century it continued to grow and developed a reputation as a place where high-class goods could be obtained at reasonable prices.  These high-class goods included fashions, and fashion journalists began writing about the latest things available at the Mutual Store.  Judging by the reportage from before the First World War it had particularly elegant ladies' suits and millinery! 

During the war the Mutual Store began a series of improvement.  In 1918 it opened modernised show rooms, a new electric lift for customers, and revamped its basement as a saleroom for provisions.  Expansion continued after the war, with a distribution warehouse being completed in 1924.

Given Melbourne's modern coffee culture, it's interesting to note that the Mutual Store opened a coffee room in 1935!

The Mutual Store remained a source for quality fashion between the wars, with buyers making regular journeys to Paris and the store hosting fashion parades.

At first the Second World War didn't make much impact.  However, by 1942 the directors of the Mutual Store were reporting that they were experiencing "exceptional difficulties" including "the forced reduction ... of sales of wearing apparel" (i.e. rationing) and "petrol restrictions".  The latter difficulty forced the store to return to making deliveries by horse and cart!

Postwar, the story was very similar to the stories of other stores—an initial boom as customers unleashed their pent-up spending power, and a slow bust as they moved to the suburbs (and to new suburban shopping centres).  The Mutual Store was first taken over by Peter Kaye Consolidated in 1961, then by Checkheaton Ltd. (Yorkshire), who finally closed the store in 1965.  By the end of the year "Cake Decorating Schools of Australia" were advertising from the 5th floor of the Mutual Store Building.

That wasn't the end of the building of course.  It still stands today, having first been home to the Council of Adult Education, then converted into apartments.

The Mutual Store left behind fading memories of glamour and nostalgia.  As one writer put it:

I would have all the old stores, Mutual Store, Craig Williamson, Robertson & Moffat; yes and Ogg's Pharmacy. These would have their old awnings and splendid verandahs.  The the stores would have fair dinkum counters with people really serving behind them and when you went in you could ask for what you wanted and these people would go away and get it for you.

Keith Dunstan: "Cashing in on Nostalgia".  The Bulletin, 11 July 1978.