Ballantynes Ltd
Date of birth
1854
Place of birth
Biography
Ballantyne’s Department Store was founded in 1854 by David Clarkson, his wife Esther and his sister Elizabeth Clarkson. The shop was named after Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. The family ran the business with the help of a few partners until 1872 when John Ballantyne purchase Dunstable House and renamed it Ballantyne’s. John Ballantyne was born in Selkirk, Scotland in 1825 and he emigrated in 1952. After purchasing Ballantyne’s in 1872 he ran the business until 1879 when he retired. The company was run by a series of partners which included his three sons at one point. In 1883 the company expanded setting up a store in Timaru.
On 18 November 1947 disaster struck the store. A fire broke out in the store causing 41 people to lose their lives. Disaster struck again on 22 February 2011 when a major earthquake hit Canterbury. Thankfully no lives were lost this time. The store closed for 8 months while repairs for made and when the store reopened it became the anchor for the shipping container mall on Cashel St.
On 18 November 1947 disaster struck the store. A fire broke out in the store causing 41 people to lose their lives. Disaster struck again on 22 February 2011 when a major earthquake hit Canterbury. Thankfully no lives were lost this time. The store closed for 8 months while repairs for made and when the store reopened it became the anchor for the shipping container mall on Cashel St.
Share
Made by this person
Find out more about the people and the organisation behind Canterbury Museum. See what jobs are currently available and how to hire the Museum as a venue for your event.