Sunday Selections # 119



Welcome back to Sunday Selections!

This once-a- week-meme was originally begun by Kim of Frog Ponds Rock, as a way to showcase some of the many photos we all take, but don't get around to showing on our blogs.

The rules are very simple:-
1. post photos of your choice, old or new, under the Sunday Selections title
2. link back to me, River, somewhere in your post
3. leave me a comment so that I know you've joined in and can come over and see what you've posted.
4. hop on over to The Elephant’s Child to see more of her wonderful photos.

Kath and Andrew often join in as well.

I usually go with a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week I'm featuring a building.
A very particular building.

Kath, stop reading and get a box of tissues before continuing.

Our old Harris Scarfe Department Store building. This is the Grenfell Street facade.


built in 1922.  Rundle Mall facade.
I wasn't around back then, but I'm sure this store was the very finest in shopping experiences of the day.

Wide, but not overly tall, the store had four levels,
basement: hardware, small electrical, pet shop
ground floor: menswear, kitchenware, handbags and jewellery, books and stationery
first floor: manchester, kids clothing,  women's clothing, babywear and baby goods
second floor: white goods, toys, accounts office


Jut look at that detailing, nicely done without being ostentatious. A fine looking building.
This is the top floor of the Rundle Mall facade.

The store featured lovely wide staircases next to the elevators for those who preferred to ride up, and in later years escalators were also installed.
I used to love the old, old floorboards on the upper levels.

The central set of doors in the Grenfell Street entrance.  This faced a bus stop and the steps were a popular resting place for school kids and bags as they waited for their buses after school.

Another of the Grenfell Street entrances.

One of the Rundle Mall entrances. See all the balloons? The piles and piles of boxed goods?
Sale! Sale! Sale!

Another of the Rundle Mall entrances, with more balloons.

Over the years there had been a couple of modernisations, upgrades, until the store had a variety of styles, none of which really married well with each other.
This didn't stop people from shopping there of course, many loyal patrons continued to buy their sheets and towels, their fine evening dresses, kitchenware, their kids Christmas toys at our
South Aussie icon, Harris Scarfe.

Here is the reason for the Sale! Sale! Sale!
the store was on the move...

the store was closing down.

Stock was 40% off, later things were marked at 50% off, 75% off.....and more.....stock was practically walking out the door. People bought and bought.
As the sale continued and prices were reduced even further, all floors became very crowded with bargain shoppers. Checkout lines were longer than the Murray River! Staff did their best to see that customers were served as quickly as possible with minimal fuss and you know what? All customers, without fail, were calm and patient while waiting in those long, long, lines. These were loyal Harris Scarfe shoppers and they were supporting their store. And grabbing a bargain or four too, of course.
Just like me.

Stock was moved to a small upper level section of another Rundle Mall store, a limited selection of goods in a much smaller area.

A few short weeks later, there was just an empty space where this wonderful old building once stood.
A surprisingly small empty space........

........to be continued








Comments

  1. You have inspired me next time I go to town I will take the camera and take photos of The Queen Victoria Building simular history but this one had a happy ending, they restored it and now it looks wonderful.
    Merle......

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  2. Sorry didn't know I did it twice.
    Merle....

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  3. I've only been to Harris Scarf here in Melbourne a couple of times, years ago. It is a long way from town and never really caught on well here, but I liked it.

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  4. WHAT?!!!!! They demolished a beautiful 90 yo building, without even preserving the facade?
    No one protested?!!!
    What is wrong with your Adelaide council??!!!!
    Very disappointing!!!!

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  5. How truly sad. The history that building could have shared... very sad indeed.

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  6. What a pity they had to demolish a beautiful building and history itself It has happened too much in Perth as well and yet Fremantle seems able to keep most of its historical buildings.
    We once had Harrris Scarfe in Hay Street and it then became Harris Scarfe and Sandover. It was a wonderful store where if I remember rightly sold a huge range of goods.
    I think Mr Sandover was the one the Aussie Rules Sandover Medal (won in the WAFL) was named after.
    Look forward to the rest of the story.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Merlesworld; you're forgiven and I'll delete one of those. Yes please take photos of the Queen Victoria building, I'd love to see it.

    Andrew; it's a family friendly type of store rather than glitzy and glamorous.

    mm; there may have been good reasons for demolishing, but I too wish the facade could have been preserved. The site now houses a huge building with many more stores than just the one. stay tuned...

    Cindi; I'm sure the store's history is documented somewhere for those that wish to find it.

    Mimsie; I didn't know there had been a Harris Scarfe in Perth. Like I said to mm^ there may have been good reasons for the demolition, I know the upper floors were a bit rickety, with different levels of floorboards etc, I'd say the wiring was very old too and needed replacing.

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  8. That looked like a lovely building. What a shame it was demolished. From what you say it sounds a bit like Hobart's old Myer store with the rickety floors & old wiring - it burnt down in 2007 and we are still waiting for a new building.

    Our town lost one of its older buildings in a fire just over 12 months ago. It's really sad to see the empty corner there now with nothing.

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  9. Oh and I finally got my act together to do a Sunday Selections post again. It's been a long time. I'm glad you're keeping this going River :-)

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  10. sleepydwarf; it was lovely on the outside, but a bit confusing stylewise on the inside with with the older parts fitted in around more modern upgraded sections. If they could have gutted the interior and rebuilt from that base they would have maybe, but there were plans for a much more extensive basement area as well as bigger, newer upper floors.
    Nice that you've done a Sunday Selection, I'll hop over and have a look.

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