MEET Daniel.... GRACE Bros.

... we went into the Sydney Retirement, Lifestyle & Travel Expo held each year to see what was doing!

The joys of retirement - do what you want when you want!!

Anyway, there were a few things to make it all worth while, in particular discussed with a travel agent re the travel to New Zealand next April for the Blipmeet as organised by Walking Wombat on 25th April.

Whilst there thought Daniel's stand looked pretty good with the old horse drawn cart from "back when". He was there representing his company Grace Removals.

Have put some interesting history here if you wish to read.....

This in fact goes back to it's original origins in Australia when two brothers (Joseph Neal Grace and Albert Edward Grace) in England went looking for adventure. A.E Grace went to USA and J.N. Grace arrived in Sydney Australia in 1883, with then a population of 268,797 people.

After working for one week with Farmer & Co. decided there was not a challenge so set about the streets selling with a basket of "Bric-a-brac. Working hard soon earned enough for a horse and cart. He also wrote his brother in Boston and suggest Australia had potential. The brother arrived in 1885 and soon after they had bought a shop at 203 George St Sydney. Within two years they had moved to larger premises in Broadway and had become recognised as merchants of substance, Grace Bros. as the company was known (and still is) grew quickly and took on extra premises to house their growing business.

By 1910, the company had grown to a quite formidable organisation and at this time in 1909 became interested in transport. An employee Mr Slater suggested it worth expanding into storage and transport and by 1911 they found and purchased a furniture removalist and storage company in Camperdown a suburb in Sydney.
Soon after a second business evolved near by on the corner of Parramatta road and Ross st. Having these bases setup, and two carriages like this one in todays Blip they were away on their business endeavours. By 1913 they were advertising house to house removals, and were becoming recognised due the quality name Grace Bros had already built in the retail business.

One interesting detail of the info from Daniel, was a removal to my home area of Penrith 60 kilometres west of Sydney took 5 days round trip.

After the two world wars in 1947, the company had moved into petrol driven vehicles and brought a former British army officer out to manage the business. It was now 20 vehicles and 52 employees, quite large for those times but nothing compared todays business size.

Their slogan "Across the street , Across the world" came to fruit, and by 1950 opening in other States in Australia.

By 1983 it had grown so well had been taken over by the large Brambles business and went world wide.

All from this little horse drawn carriage..... any wonder Daniel looks so proud to allow my Blip today.

Enjoy, and have a look in LARGE, and enjoy your week end.