New Zealand’s First Department Store Opened – 1854
In 1920, New Zealand’s first department store – that had been in the ownership of the Ballantyne family since 1872 – was formed into a company named J.Ballantyne and Co. It was 1854 when Esther Clarkson, her husband David and sister-in-law Elizabeth arrived in Christchurch. They settled in a small cottage on Cashel Street and …
