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 Store, Greymouth exterior, 1923
Black and white photograph of the exterior of Millers store on Boundary Street in Greymouth.
Millers store restaurant advertisement, 18 March 1971
Typescript draft text for an advertisement in The Christchurch Star advertising lunch and tea at Millers 1st Floor Restaurant. Includes details of the menu and the pricing for each of the meals.
Also includes a photocopy of the final printed advertisement in The Christchurch Star.
Millers Tuam Street photographs, 1939-1969
Black and white photographs of store interiors, window displays and of shoppers at the Millers Ltd. Tuam Street store. Includes those of staff including those attending staff meetings. Also includes a series of photographs featuring models posing in Millers clothing in various Christchurch locations.
Photographs by V.C.Browne, Jack Lang Industrial Photographs, Del-mar Studios, Martin Barriball and E.A. Phillips.
Millers Tuam Street store aerials, 1938-1940
Aerial photographs showing the proposed location for the Millers Ltd. store on Tuam Street. These aerial shots also feature key other central city streets and landmarks.
Photographs by V.C Browne.
Millers Tuam Street Store exterior, Circa 1950
Black and white photograph of the exterior of Millers Ltd. Tuam Street store with a portrait shot of L. B. Miller attached to the top right hand corner.
Millers Tuam Street store operational photographs, 1940-1979
Millers Wholesale Limited photographs, 1960-1980
New Zealand Home & Building Journal, March 1974
New Zealand Home & Building journal March 1974 edition featuring an article on Miller's Wholesale Limited - Manufacturing plant on 6 acres on Wairakei and Woolridge Roads, Christchurch (pg. 28-29). The article focusses on the architectural design of the site as part of the Canterbury Branch NZIA Merit Award for 1973.
New Zealand Textile Journal, January 1963
New Zealand Textile Journal January 1963 edition. Features an article titled 'A Household Word' (pg. 13-15 and 73-74) on the development of Millers Ltd in Christchurch, how the Aranui factory operates and features of Millers head office. Includes, as part of the article, printed photographs of the factory and head office buildings.
News clippings book, July 1963-December 1965
Bound volume of newspaper clippings, largely from The Christchurch Star and The Press, featuring various advertisements for Millers Ltd.