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The Nelson Photo News

 

34

An Old Name Dies

The years 1852 and 1961 have a special significance for Nelson business interests. It was in the former that Edmund Buxton established a business which has served the community well under the name of Buxtons until August 1, 1961, on which date the business was taken over by Wright Stephenson and Co, who will carry it on under their name. The history of Buxtons is a fascinating one, which if recorded in full would more than fill this page. Mr Buxton carried on the firm until August 188l, when it was bought by Mr Francis Hamilton and was carried on by the Hamilton family until sold recently. There was little that Buxtons did not stock in the earlier days—everything, in fact, from a needle to an anchor could be bought in the Trafalgar street premises. The firm was a large buyer of hops and barley, the latter being made into malt for breweries. It is also a little-known fact that it was Buxtons which pioneered the export of apples from the Nelson district in 1910, when 4500 cases were shipped to London and in the following year 600 cases went to South America. By 1914, 60,000 cases were being shipped to South America. The firm has grown considerably in those 109 years and now has branches at Motueka and Takaka.

In these four pages we have gone back through the years in an attempt to record photographically a small period of the history of this well-known Nelson firm.

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The founder, Edmund Buxton

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Second owner, Francis Hamilton

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The old shop in Trafalgar Street, photographed in an unknown year

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The present Nelson premises

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Manager, Mr J.K.Robbie

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Mr I.D.Hamilton, chairman of directors

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Secretary, Mr A.Currie

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Mr W.Chisnall, shipping manager, 46 years with the firm

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The S.S.Kaitoa loading export apples for Buxtons at Motueka in 1910-14 period. Times certainly have changed.

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Thriving Port Nelson, complete with cattle pens, makes a background for this shipment of hops from Motueka for Buxton's

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The Takaka shop was first to trade under name of Wright Stephenson

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Takaka manager, Mr T.M.Green

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Produce manager, Mr O.K.Frost

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Hardware manager, Mr R.J.Fulford

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Mr N.Whitwell.... 44 years' service

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Drapery manager, Mr E.W.Marr

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The Buxton Girl, from way back, featuring many of the commodities stocked by Buxtons during the period.