Bing Harris and Co Ltd

This is High Street, Dunedin

While no longer the home of Bing Harris it is nice to see that after a recent restoration the current owners thought the name of the firm of sufficient interest to paint it so that it displays proudly.

These days the name Bing Harris is likely to have Sargood added onto the end of it and a future entry will cover this triple barrelled version of the firm.

The following is an edit version of the 1897 entry in the Wellington Cyclopeida of New Zealand. The full entry is to be found here http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc01Cycl-t1-body-d4-d53-d8.html 

In the year 1852, Mr. Harris moved to Dunedin, and joined Mr. Bing. The united firm entered on a prosperous career as general merchants and importers. Commencing in what would now be considered a small way, Messrs. Bing and Harris persevered in those early days, and though opposition was not wanting, they soon stepped out beyond competition and became considerable importers. The firm has expanded with the development of the colony, and as the demand for goods steadily increased the amount of business transacted went on by leaps and bounds. Messrs. Bing, Harris and Co., notwithstanding the fact that they are large importers, believe in encouraging local industry in every possible manner. They have established considerable factories in Dunedin, adding the manufacture of goods, as they found these industries could be profitably conducted. The chief articles made by the firm consist of clothing, shirts, boots, hosiery, etc. The head office of this large firm in Dunedin is an imposing three-story building of stone, brick, iron and wood, having one hundred and twenty feet frontage to High Street, and containing little less than 20,000 square feet of floor space.

The total stock held by the firm in the colony is not less than £150,000 worth. At their various factories several hundreds of hands are employed, whose wages amount to a large sum per annum. The salaries for warehouse employees represent a total of £20,000 per annum.

The registered brand, the “Arrow,” represented by three arrows in a circle, is very popular throughout the Colony. Messrs. Bing, Harris and Co. have twelve travellers regularly on the road, interviewing their customers in the cities, towns, and country districts.

The firm of Bing, Harris and Co. ranks with the leading soft goods houses of the Colony, and is very popular with the retailers. The firm is greatly respected by its employees, and it is seldom any of them leave, unless personally to enter into business.