{{Short description|Defunct Australian department store}} {{Ref improve|date=October 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}} {{Infobox company |name = Boans |industry = Retail |founded = {{start date and age |1895}} |founder = {{ubli |Harry Boan |Benjamin Boan }} |defunct = {{end date and age |1984}} |fate = Acquired by Myer |hq_location_city = Perth |hq_location_country = Western Australia |area_served = Western Australia }}
'''Boans''' was a department store chain that operated in Western Australia from 1895 until 1984.
==History== Harry Boan and his brother Benjamin arrived in Perth in 1895 from Broken Hill. They purchased two {{cvt|1/4|acre|m2|adj=on|order=flip}} blocks facing Wellington Street and Perth railway station, at the edge of a potato swamp.<ref name=hcwa>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015554/http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/incoming/Boans%20Furn%20Factory%20%28P-AD%29.PDF Boans Furniture Factory Assessment documentation] Heritage Council of Western Australia </ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Perth in the 1930s and "The Way We Were" |last=Gervas |first=Stan |year=1994 |publisher=Gervas Books |location=Maylands |isbn=0-646-19124-1 |pages=7 }}</ref> The properties were purchased from WB Woods & Co at a price of £42 per foot, equivalent to {{AUD|{{Inflation|AU|{{#expr:42/0.3048}}|1895|r=0}}|link=yes}} per metre in {{Inflation/year|AU}}, of street frontage.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wabusinessnews.com.au/story.php?/13/27865 | title = Special Report - Boans tells history of Perth retail | work = Business News | author = David Hough | date = 2005-06-16 | accessdate = 2007-05-06 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060828171314/http://www.wabusinessnews.com.au/story.php?%2F13%2F27865 | archivedate = 28 August 2006 | url-status = dead }}</ref> They borrowed £62,000, equivalent to {{AUD|{{Inflation|AU|{{#expr:62000/10^6}}|1895|r=1}}{{nbsp}}million}} in {{Inflation/year|AU}}, and within four months, despite acute labour shortages, had built, stocked and opened a single-storey emporium on the site and named it ''Boan Bros''. The store opened on 7 November 1895, and almost sold out by the end of the first day of trading.<ref>{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |last=Manford |first=Toby |year=1979 |title=Henry Boan (1860–1941) |volume=7 |id2=boan-henry-5274 |access-date=2025-10-19 }}</ref>
In 1901, Benjamin died and Harry assumed sole ownership. Harry purchased adjoining land that spanned the block between Wellington and Murray streets, near Forrest Place. The business was restructured to become a limited company in 1912 as Boans Limited.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gabr.net.au/biogs/ABE1461b.htm | title = Boans Ltd (1912 - 1985) | work = Guide to Australian Business Records | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110217142116/http://www.gabr.net.au/biogs/ABE1461b.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-06 | archive-date = 17 February 2011 }}</ref> In the same year, the original buildings were demolished and rebuilt as a single building between Wellington and Murray streets.<ref name=hcwa/>
Over time, the store became the largest private employer in Western Australia.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1752813 | title = Private Archives Collection | work = State Library of Western Australia | accessdate = 2007-05-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110717003831/http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1752813 | archive-date = 17 July 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
In late 1929 Harry Boan handed control of the Boans store to his son Frank Boan who had been living in England with his mother since 1913.
Like similar businesses, Boans had a mail order catalogue issued from the late 1930s that continued into the 1950s.
The Boans department store in Wellington Street was subject to a major fire in 1979, which closed the store for some weeks. The store reopened, prior to its closure in 1986, after it was sold to Coles Myer to make way for Forrest Chase.
In January 1984, Myer launched a takeover offer.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116386847 Boans board favours Myer bid] ''Canberra Times'' 28 january 1984 page 20</ref> It was successful depite a counter offer from Parry Corporation.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116392611 Myer confirms of WA retailer] ''Canberra Times'' 28 February 1984 page 14</ref> Myer sold the regional stores in Albany, Bunbury and Geraldton to Geoffrey Bingemann in a management buyout. Bingemann who was a director of Boans prior to the Myer acquisition.
Bingemann rebranded these stores as Stirlings, and operated this business as a regional chain until 1996, when Harris Scarfe acquired the business and they became Harris Scarfe stores. Harris Scarfe continued trading until 2001. {{Gallery |align=centre |width=270 |height=160 <!-- |mode=packed --> <!-- |noborder=yes -->
|File:Boans2.jpg |Boans, Wellington Street, Perth store, {{circa|1900–1910}}
|File:Boans1936 WEFretwellCollection.jpg |The Boans Building in Wellington Street in 1936
|File:Boans1.jpg |Boans, {{circa|1938}} }}
==Furniture factory== thumb|Boans Furniture Factory in January 2021 In about 1910<ref name=hcwa/> Boans opened a furniture factory in East Perth to service the shop. It produced bedroom furniture, including mattresses, dining and kitchen furniture. There was also a cane-ware and upholstery section. Imported furniture was also held there.
After World War II, the factory would also house a bakery and butchery, where smallgoods were manufactured. Between 30 and 40 vehicles operated out of the receivals and despatch section, which also included garaging and mechanical services.
After the Perth store closed, the building fell into disrepair for some years, but in 1996 was assessed by the Heritage Council of Western Australia as having historic, aesthetic and social value. As part of the redevelopment of the area by the East Perth Redevelopment Authority, the buildings have now been transformed into upmarket housing and office accommodation.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ntwa.com.au/heritage/convention99-developer.shtml | title = Boans Warehouse | work = National Trust of Western Australia| author = Adrian Fini | accessdate = 2007-05-06}}</ref>
The site is bounded by Brown, Glyde and Saunders Streets, and the building retains the name of Boans painted on its exterior.
==Suburban stores== During the latter part of the twentieth century, the company expanded by opening a number of suburban stores. These included: {{Div col |colwidth=30em}} *Waverley in Cannington, the first suburban branch<ref>{{cite web |title=Rotary Cannington, Reminiscences |url=http://rotarycannington.com.au/about.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019052716/http://rotarycannington.com.au/about.html |archive-date=19 October 2007 |access-date=2007-05-05 }}</ref> *Morley. Opened 1961, destroyed by a fire in 1986. The site has since been redeveloped as the Galleria.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bayswater.wa.gov.au/3/175/1/history_%E2%80%93_part_two__%E2%80%93_present.pm|title=History – Part Two: 1930 – present|publisher=City of Bayswater|accessdate=2013-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409225906/http://www.bayswater.wa.gov.au/3/175/1/history_%E2%80%93_part_two__%E2%80%93_present.pm|archive-date=9 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> *Warwick *Innaloo *Garden City in Booragoon *Peppermint Grove. This store site was later acquired by Harris Scarfe in 1996 and was the foundation Harris Scarfe department store in Western Australia. The store continued trading as a Harris Scarfe store until 2001 *Melville Plaza on the Canning Highway *Medina Shopping Centre, then Kwinana Hub *Karrinyup. A Myer store upon opening. Traded as Boans for two years (1986–1988). Relabelled Myer in 1988. *Fremantle. The Myer store was rebadged as Boans for two years between 1986–1988. Myer had bought out Boans and had intended on using the Boans rather than Myer name on its Western Australia stores. Myer closed this store on 20 January 2013. {{Div col end}}
==Regional stores== Boans operated department stores in Albany, Bunbury and Geraldton.
==References== {{Reflist |30em}}
==Further reading== *{{Citation|author=David Hough|title=Boans for service : the story of a department store 1895 - 1986|publication-date=2009|publisher=The Estate of FT Boan|isbn=978-0-646-50966-2}}
{{coord |region:AU-WA_type:landmark |display=title |format=dec}} {{Subject bar |auto=y |portal1=Western Australia |portal2=Business |portal3=Modern history }}
Category:Companies based in Perth, Western Australia Category:Defunct department stores of Australia Category:Retail companies established in 1895 Category:Retail companies disestablished in 1984 Category:1895 establishments in Australia Category:1984 disestablishments in Australia