Crust and Crust

This is 20 Manse Street, Dunedin
Crust and Crust is in part named for Henry Crust who along with Duncan Campbell established Crust and Campbell in 1867 In 1883 Mr Campbell died and Mr Crust took over as sole owner. I am willing to speculate that the second Crust was Henry's son who is mentioned at one point managing the Invercargill branch.

Crust and Crust were described as "The property of the firm consists of the business offices and eight sample rooms in Manse Street, five large sample rooms in Dowling Street in premises adjoining Messrs Sargood, Son and Ewen's warehouse; seven sample rooms in Stafford Street; commodious furniture store, stables, etc., also in Stafford Street; and complete working plant of lorries, furniture vans, spring drays and express waggons." in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand 1905 http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc04Cycl-t1-body1-d2-d45-d7.html

The Manse Street address was refered to as Head Office and was potentially the most modest of the buildings associated with the firm. The same entry above mentions that the firm was "trading with" a list of various other firms throughout New Zealand under the banner of the The New Zealand Carrying Company.

At some point a sister company was created The New Zealand Express Company Limited and in 1895 it become a public company although the Cyclopedia of 1897 Wellington edition refers to Crust & Crust and NZ Express as if they were the same company and I am unclear on exactly what the relationship was but will settle for Parent and Child.

The New Zealand Express Company is still going and there web site here http://www.nzexpress.co.nz/history.htm gives some more history and pictures. This one took my attention as it depicts the Dunedin Head Office Building

The building depicted is still there, being Bond Street, here it is today

While it doesn't have a name on it this building does have its own claim to fame being worthy of recognition by the Institute of Engineers per this plaque and although it refers to it as the NZ Mutual Funds Building (the name at the time the plaque was placed) further down on the second plaque you can see the reference to NZ Express.