Millers Ltd.
Biography
Millers was founded in 1924 by Leslie Beaumont Miller in Greymouth on the west coast of New Zealand. By 1928 Millers had expanded to Christchurch with two retail sites. Seeking to expand his drapery business further in Christchurch, Leslie Miller acquired a site at 163-173 Tuam Street. George Alfred James Hart was hired to design the building Miller wanted and Campbell and Morrison were employed as the engineers.
The building Hart designed was the first in New Zealand to feature beamless concrete floor slabs. These were supported by hexagonal columns which were set apart at length to create a spacious retail environment.
The escalator was designed by Carl Flohr and Co. of Berlin, constructed in England and assembled in Christchurch. It was the first to be installed in the South Island and the longest escalator in New Zealand.
The ground floor and the first floor of the building were dedicated to retail and office space. The ground floor also featured a milk bar with a tea lounge set on an upper gallery. The second and third floors of the building were for manufacturing. The fourth floor was for staff recreation. This floor housed a cafeteria, dining room and provided space for games such as indoor bowls, ping pong, tennis and basketball. The roof also was used for staff recreation and housed a custodian’s apartment.
The building was completed in 1939. Later in that year, with the declaration of war, the company was responsible for the manufacturing of military uniforms for the New Zealand Army. After the war, Millers expanded, opening stores throughout the South Island of New Zealand.
Leslie Miller died in 1960 and his son Reginald ran the business, opening their flagship factory on Wairekei Road in 1970. They introduced the Dial A Curtain service in 1980, with van-based furnishing consultants. In 1993 Reginald’s son Geoff took the reins as Managing Director working with his wife Jill. As of 2022 Millers Ltd operates as a custom curtain and blind business.
Found in 64 Collections and/or Records:
Millers Ltd. collection
Millers Ltd. company history photograph captions, 1970-1980
Typescript list of 39 captions for photographs relating to Millers Ltd history.
Note that only the captions are in this file, not the photographs to which they correspond.
Millers Ltd. histories, 1960-1995
Various written histories and notes on the history of Millers Ltd. Includes a 3 page document titled 'History of Millers Limited, Christchurch' and a photocopy of a thesis titled 'The Worker's Friend' Aspects of the History of Millers Ltd, Christchurch 1939-1969' by Diana Cookson.
Also includes a document titled 'Aranui Worsted & Woollen Mills Ltd, Christchurch 1952-1976' with two black and white photographs showing exterior shots of the Aranui Mill.
Millers Ltd negatives, 1950-1960
Negatives of Millers Ltd. factory machinery as well as aerial shots and exteriors of Millers Tuam Street building.
Millers Ltd. souvenir booklet, 1939
Printed booklet detailing the early history of Millers Ltd. to commemorate the opening of the new building at Tuam Street, Christchurch in 1939. Includes one hardback copy with Leslie Beaumont Miller's initials embossed on the cover and one paperback copy.
The booklet contains a number of interior and exterior photographs of the building.
Millers Ltd Tuam Street store exteriors, Circa 1950
Black and white exterior photographs of Millers Ltd. Tuam Street store by Robin Smith Photography.
Millers People Places Points of View on Parade, 1965-1966
Internal Millers Ltd. company booklets titled 'Millers People Places Points of View on Parade'. The booklets includes articles on international trips members of senior staff have taken and details of staff celebrating 25 years working for Millers.
Includes articles on past and present events relating to the Company and its operations such as articles with photographs relating to extensive queues outside Millers for towels in 1944 and of the Santa Parade 1965.
Millers staff panoramic photograph, 18 September 1934
Black and white panoramic staff photograph titled 'Head Office of Millers Ltd. Ch'Ch'.
Millers staff panoramic photograph, close-up, 18 September 1934
Black and white panoramic staff photograph titled 'Head Office, Millers Ltd. Ch'Ch'.
This is the same photograph as Arch 1270/4/3 but has been enlarged to focus on the staff members.
Millers staff photographs, 1929-1940
Group photographs of staff of Millers Ltd. from 1929-1940. Also includes a black and white portrait of L. B. Miller by photographer V.C Browne.
Also included is an aerial photograph showing the location of L.B. Miller's house in Cashmere and of crowds watching the Miller's prize winning float, a replica of the Tuam Street store for the New Zealand Centennial Celebrations 1940 by photographers Green & Hahn.