Manton’s, 226-236 Bourke Street, C.1937
Melbourne and shopping have been hand in glove since the 1880s, and at its peak the city flaunted more than a dozen department stores. Today only the Big Two, Myer and DJs, remain, having weathered the economic downturns and threats posed by online shopping – so far. Since the 1950s and ’60s there have been a swag of departures from the retail scene – Ball & Welch, Buckley & Nunn, Foy & Gibson, Mutual Store to name just a few. And more recently, who now remembers Daimaru in its former Melbourne Central home? Seasoned shopaholics still lament the loss of Georges in 1995, but few tears are shed for Manton’s, once Melbourne’s favoured drapers.
Manton’s was established in 1925, specialising in fabrics and fashion, and catering to middle-class shoppers with its somewhat downbeat logo ‘It’s smart to be thrifty’. Manton’s main competitor was Myer, and specialities included mantles, ribbons, corsets, laces, underclothing, millinery, hosiery, haberdashery, gloves and that lovely-sounding all-rounder, fancy goods. The store was noted for its window and interior fashion displays, and lively print advertising campaigns orchestrated by the firm’s iconic advertising manager, Lallah Dredge. Stylish designs in pencil and watercolour were produced by Olga Farnsworth, Hertia Winter and, notably, by Lallah. You’ll find heaps of Manton’s haute couture creations from the 1920s in our catalogue.
Today, Manton’s is best known as the ghost department store that lurks behind Target’s beige facade at 236 Bourke Street. The history of this site is extraordinary, beginning with the Theatre Royal, one of Melbourne’s first entertainment venues, established here in 1855. Manton’s abutted the theatre, which it acquired and bulldozed in 1934. By 1937 the site was home to a strikingly modern six-storey art deco building designed by Jazz Age architect Harry Norris (of the Nicholas Building fame). Manton’s fortunes had waned by the 1950s, and in 1955 the firm was bought out by G.J. Coles & Co to the tune of £2 million. The site went on to became Coles’ Number-One Variety Store.
Manton’s, 226-236 Bourke Street