All this is a very long way from the days when the Power Reticulation Authority in Brisbane known as City Electric Light Company decided to start retail trading through its 15 branch offices. The company’s policy was quite simple – market the best available range of electrical products to the public. Accordingly it wanted to include the excellent Frigidaire made by General Motors but GM stipulated exclusivity in its retailers.
The impasse was resolved by creating an exclusive dealer to buy Frigidaire and conform to General Motors policy. The dealer was then in turn permitted to sell Frigidaire to the City Electric Light Company’s 15 branches.
By 1953 the need for major expansion by the City Electric Light Company was evident and it acquired several contracting and wholesale businesses all under the corporate structure of Queensland Industries Pty Ltd.
This gave rise to the almost unique situation in which a private company was running a major power reticulation authority – and it was a situation destined to change.
The City Electric light Company became known as the Southern Electric Authority of Queensland and as a result the Frigidaire Franchise business was registered as City Electric Light Trading Company. Not surprisingly these names led to great confusion and the hunt was on to find a new name for the Frigidaire section.
Determined to find a name which linked with their history, researchers found that the original founders were two gentlemen called Barton & White. The initials ABC appealed to them as an abbreviated name and they already had Company to make the “C”.
A rather dour board member gave them the name Andrew on the grounds that it was a fine Scottish name with solid and respectable connotations. That was accepted and the business has been known ever since as Andrew Barton & Company.
Andrew Barton was one of the operations of the corporate structure known as Queensland Industries Pty Ltd. In 1958, along with several other operations, Andrew Barton & Co was up for sale as a going concern.The Company was purchased and incorporated as a privately owned enterprise by Phil Mathers and a group of shareholders for 30,000 pounds, together with a new board of directors, they started a dynamic program of expansion.
The first showrooms were in Elizabeth Street, then at 69 Ann Street with a branch in Adelaide Street, Brisbane. At this time the first steps were taken into commercial areas, particularly in refrigeration.
The 1960’s saw the company growing and re-organising in many areas but when General Motors decided to move their operations out of Australia to New Zealand. This led to the decision to concentrate on commercial rather than domestic areas.
During the next 40 years Andrew Barton & Co Pty Ltd was to diversify into many commercial areas including Refrigeration, Shopfitting, Air Conditioning, Laundry Equipment, Heating Equipment and became a large part of the Mathers family.
After more than 30 years association with Andrew Barton, his son Neal Mathers has acquired the company name and set about bringing that commercial experience back to the home appliance market by carefully choosing exclusive retailers who will represent the products professionally and provide a level of personal service expected by the public.
So in 2008 when the opportunity arose to represent the Eurolec brand and working in conjunction with our sourcing partners with themselves over 45 years of home appliance industry experience. We were excited at the concept of venturing back into the home appliance market that started the company all those years ago.
A bit of a back to the future story.
Commissioned by Andrew Barton & Co Pty Ltd, photo credits are as follows:
1956 Frigidaire Winner - Camera Craft Pty Ltd, Andrew Barton Showroom - WA Jones & Co, Balaclawe Street Premises and Holden Fleet - Geoff Dauth