84-543: Bunnings Group Limited , trading as Bunnings Warehouse or Bunnings , is an Australian household hardware and garden centre chain. The chain has been owned by Wesfarmers since 1994, and has stores in Australia and New Zealand. Bunnings was founded in Perth , Western Australia in 1886, by brothers Arthur and Robert Bunning , who had emigrated from England. Initially, a limited company focused on sawmilling , it became
168-896: A Mitre 10 Mega store in Modbury . In 2008 the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) looked into its acquisitions of five Mitre 10 stores, as it deemed the purchases would be anti-competitive. In February 2009, the ACCC allowed the purchases, finding that the acquisition of the Mitre 10 stores did not significantly alter the level of competition in the relevant market. Over time, some smaller-format Bunnings stores have gradually been closed. However, six new stores were opened in Victoria in 2015, mainly in smaller regional markets and inner-suburban areas. Michael Schneider
252-884: A raid on the Queensland Government Printing Office , with the aim of confiscating copies of Hansard that covered debates in the Queensland Parliament where anti-conscription sentiments had been aired. Russian immigration took place in the years 1911–1914. Many were radicals and revolutionaries seeking asylum from tsarist political repression in the final chaotic years of the Russian Empire ; considerable numbers were Jews escaping state-inspired pogroms. They had fled Russia via Siberia and Northern China, most making their way to Harbin , in Manchuria , then taking passage from
336-532: A triumphal arch erected in Queen Street . In May that year, the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V ) laid the foundation stone of St John's Cathedral , one of the great cathedrals of Australia . The University of Queensland was founded in 1909 and first sited at Old Government House , which became vacated as the government planned for a larger residence. Fernberg House , built in 1865, became
420-498: A brick was thrown into the motel room and police took action to clear the road and consequently disproportionate violence was used against demonstrators. In the lead up to the 1980s Queensland fell subject to many forms of censorship. In 1977 things had escalated from prosecutions and book burnings, under the introduction of the Literature Board of Review, to a statewide ban on protests and street marches. In September 1977
504-598: A counterculture focused on the University of Queensland , street marches and Brisbane punk rock music. In 1971, the touring Springboks were to play against the Australian Rugby team. This was met with plans for protests due to the growing international and local opposition to apartheid in South Africa. However, before their arrival Bjelke-Petersen declared a state of emergency for a month, citing
588-626: A cry for "bread or blood", rioted and attempted to ransack the Government store . The City Botanic Gardens were originally established in 1825 as a farm for the Moreton Bay penal settlement , and were planted by convicts in 1825 with food crops to feed the prison colony. In 1855, several acres was declared a Botanic Reserve under the Superintendent Walter Hill , a position he held until 1881. Some trees planted in
672-658: A destination of interstate migration. Some of Brisbane's popular landmarks were lost to development in controversial circumstances, including the Bellevue Hotel in 1979 and Cloudland in 1982. Major public works included the Riverside Expressway , the Gateway Bridge , and later, the redevelopment of South Bank . Starting with the monumental Robin Gibson -designed Queensland Cultural Centre , with
756-486: A fictional hardware shop in the animated television series Bluey . The series' creators were inspired by Bunnings when making the fictional shop. Since the development of the Bunnings Warehouse stores, three general operational formats exist: Bunnings Small-format Store (SFS), Bunnings Warehouse (WH) and Bunnings Trade Centre (TC). The smaller "Bunnings" stores stock a more limited range of hardware, whereas
840-637: A former B&Q store in Folkestone to be the fifth Bunnings store in the UK. On 25 May 2018, after mounting losses, Wesfarmers sold the UK and Ireland Bunnings/Homebase operation to Hilco for a nominal sum of £1. The 24 stores already rebranded as Bunnings reverted to the Homebase name, with some later closing under an agreed company voluntary arrangement . The failure of Bunnings in the UK and Ireland has been called "the most disastrous retail acquisition in
924-406: A government building contract, which led to the founding of a group of building companies which later became Bunning Bros Pty Ltd. They purchased their first sawmill the following year in the south west of Western Australia , and over the next few years, they concentrated more on sawmilling and timber distribution and less on building. In 1928, Robert Bunning's son Charles and Tom began working in
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#17327910858031008-547: A hire shop, spare parts enquiry, colour matching, key cutting, pool water testing and gas swapping. Bunnings also provides gardening, craft, and woodwork do it yourself (DIY) workshops for children in-store, as well as for other groups in schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. The Bunnings staff are available to community groups for assistance with DIY projects. On weekends (and weekdays at some sites), Bunnings outlets regularly host sausage sizzles and cake stalls for community groups and causes. It has become an intrinsic part of
1092-471: A permit. You won't get one. That's government policy now." In response to this, protesters came up with the idea of Phantom Civil Liberties Marches where protesters would gather and march until the police and media arrived. They would then disperse, and gather together again until the media and police returned, repeating the process over and over again. The end of the Bjelke-Petersen era began with
1176-467: A popular mode of public transport until the network was closed in 1969, in part the result of the Paddington tram depot fire . Between 1968 and 1987, Queensland was governed by Bjelke-Petersen, whose government was characterised by social conservatism , police corruption , and the brutal suppression of protest and has been described as a police state . However, during this time Brisbane developed
1260-848: A public company in 1952 and subsequently expanded into the retail sector, purchasing several hardware stores. Bunnings began to expand into other states in the 1990s and opened its first warehouse -style store in Melbourne in 1994. As of 2022, the chain has 381 stores and over 53,000 employees. Bunnings has a market share of around 50 percent in the Australian do it yourself hardware market, with competing chains including Mitre 10 , Home Hardware and various independent retailers around Australia. Bunnings runs community events outside or in its stores, including sausage sizzles and do it yourself workshops. In 1886, brothers Arthur and Robert Bunning left London to settle in Perth , and soon gained
1344-464: A spike ' , referencing the shape of the Brisbane River along the area that Brisbane CBD now straddles. A contemporary Turrbal organisation has also suggested it means ' the place of the blue water lilies ' . Local Elder Gaja Kerry Charlton posits that Meanjin is based on a European understanding of ' spike ' , and that the phonetically similar Yagara name Magandjin — after
1428-447: A substantial settlement of brick and stone buildings, complete with school and hospital. He formed additional outstations and made several important journeys of exploration. Logan became infamous for his extreme use of the cat o' nine tails on convicts. The maximum allowed limit of lashes was 50; however, Logan regularly applied sentences of 150 lashes. During this period raids on maize fields were conducted by local Aboriginal groups in
1512-544: A tent and often landed ashore, thus bestowing upon the future Brisbane City the distinction of being the only Australian capital city visited by its namesake. Chief Justice Forbes gave the new settlement the name of Edenglassie before it was named Brisbane . The penal settlement under the control of Captain Patrick Logan (Commandant from 1826 to 1830) flourished, with the numbers of convicts increasing dramatically from around 200 to over 1,000 men. He developed
1596-461: Is also known as Meanjin , a Turrbal word that originally referred to land on which parts of the city are built, or as Magandjin , a Yagara word referring to the tulipwood tree . Aboriginal Australians have lived in coastal South East Queensland for at least 22,000 years, with an estimated population between 6,000 and 10,000 individuals before European settlement in the 1820s. Aboriginal groups claiming traditional ownership of
1680-672: Is also known for its extensive parks and outdoor attractions including the City Botanic Gardens , Victoria Park , Roma Street Parkland , New Farm Park , the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens , the Brisbane Riverwalk , Moreton Bay , Moreton Island and D'Aguilar National Park . Brisbane is named after the Brisbane River , which in turn was named after Sir Thomas Brisbane , the governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. The name
1764-655: Is derived from the Scottish Gaelic bris , meaning ' to break or smash ' and the Old English word ban meaning ' bone ' . Popular nicknames for Brisbane Brissie , Brisvegas , "Brizzie" and the River City . Brisbane sits on indigenous land known also as Meanjin , the name used in the Turrbal language of one group of traditional owners . Meanjin means ' place shaped as
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#17327910858031848-1099: Is the most visited tourist landmark in Australia, with over 14 million visitors every year. Other major landmarks and precincts of the city include the Queensland Cultural Centre (including the Queensland Art Gallery , the Gallery of Modern Art , the Queensland Museum , the State Library of Queensland and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre ), Brisbane City Hall , the Story Bridge , Howard Smith Wharves , Queen's Wharf , St John's cathedral , and Mount Coot-tha Lookout . Much of Brisbane's inner-city neighbourhoods are also characterised by its historic Queenslander architecture . Brisbane
1932-480: Is typically sold in hardware stores . This tool article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Brisbane Brisbane ( / ˈ b r ɪ z b ən / BRIZ -bən , Turrbal : Meanjin ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Queensland and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania , with a population over 2.7 million. Brisbane lies at
2016-599: The Brisbane City Council . A significant year for Brisbane was 1930, with the completion of Brisbane City Hall , then the city's tallest building and the Shrine of Remembrance , in ANZAC Square , which has become Brisbane's main war memorial. These historic buildings, along with the Story Bridge which opened in 1940, are key landmarks that help define the architectural character of the city. Following
2100-637: The Corn Field Raids of 1827-1828 . These groups destroyed and plundered the maize fields in South Bank and Kangaroo Point , with the possible motive of extracting compensation from the settlers or warning them not to expand beyond their current area. Between 1824 and 1842, almost 2,400 men and 145 women were detained at the Moreton Bay convict settlement under the control of military commandants. However, non-convict European settlement of
2184-664: The Fitzgerald Inquiry of 1987 to 1989, a judicial inquiry presided over by Tony Fitzgerald investigating Queensland Police corruption . The inquiry resulted in the resignation of Premier Bjelke-Petersen, the calling of two by-elections, the jailing of three former ministers and the Police Commissioner Terry Lewis (who also lost his knighthood ). It also contributed to the end of the National Party of Australia 's 32-year run as
2268-624: The Flybuys Loyalty program to allow customers to collect points at both stores. In 2022, Bunnings sought to expand its commercial business by doubling the number of frame and truss processing plants it owns from three to six by 2024. In 2023, Bunnings expanded its pet care and cleaning product ranges, reflecting the company's repositioning as a home improvement destination. In early 2024, Bunnings temporarily rebranded one store in each Australian state and in New Zealand to "Hammerbarn",
2352-548: The Gallery of Modern Art in 2006, and the Kurilpa Bridge in 2009, the world's largest hybrid tensegrity bridge. Brisbane also hosted major international events including the final Goodwill Games in 2001, the Rugby League World Cup final in 2008 and again in 2017, as well as the 2014 G20 Brisbane summit . Population growth has continued to be among the highest of the Australian capital cities in
2436-771: The Howard Smith Group , including BBC Hardware (previously Nock & Kirby ) and big-box offshoot Hardwarehouse . This supplemented the Bunnings national network by several dozen stores, many of them large Hardwarehouse stores in Sydney, Brisbane and New Zealand. Hardwarehouse had been dominant in New South Wales and Queensland, but the purchase complemented Bunnings' prior domination in Victoria , where Hardwarehouse had only seven stores to Bunnings' twenty at
2520-568: The Queensland Government introduced a ban on all street protests, resulting in a statewide civil liberties campaign of defiance. This saw two thousand people arrested and fined, with another hundred being imprisoned, at a cost of almost five million dollars to the State Government. Bjelke-Petersen publicly announced on 4 September 1977 that "the day of the political street march is over ... Don't bother to apply for
2604-725: The Queensland Parliament built in 1867. The 1880s brought a period of economic prosperity and a major construction boom in Brisbane, that produced an impressive number of notable public and commercial buildings. John James Clark was appointed Queensland Government Architect in 1883, and continuing in Tiffin's design for public buildings, asserted the propriety of the Italian Renaissance, drawing upon typological elements and details from conservative High Renaissance sources. Building in this trace of intellectualism, Clark designed
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2688-715: The Red Flag riots , were waged throughout Brisbane. The most notable incident occurred on 24 March 1919, when a crowd of about 8,000 ex-servicemen clashed violently with police who were preventing them from attacking the Russian Hall in Merivale Street, South Brisbane , which was known as the Battle of Merivale Street. Over 20 small municipalities and shires were amalgamated in 1925 to form the City of Brisbane, governed by
2772-733: The Taylor and D'Aguilar mountain ranges . It sprawls across several local government areas , most centrally the City of Brisbane . The demonym of Brisbane is Brisbanite . The Moreton Bay penal settlement was founded in 1824 at Redcliffe as a place for secondary offenders from the Sydney colony , and soon moved to North Quay in 1825 on the banks of the Brisbane River, so named for British army general and Governor of New South Wales Sir Thomas Brisbane . German Lutherans established
2856-723: The Treasury Building in 1886, and the Yungaba Immigration Centre in 1885. Other major works of the era include Customs House in 1889, and the Old Museum Building completed in 1891. Fort Lytton was constructed in 1882 at the mouth of the Brisbane river, to protect the city against foreign colonial powers such as Russia and France , and was the only moated fort ever built in Australia. The city's slum district of Frog's Hollow , named so for its location being low-lying and swampy,
2940-401: The most liveable cities . Brisbane has hosted major events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games , World Expo 88 , the 2001 Goodwill Games , the 2014 G20 summit , and will host the 2032 Summer Olympics and Paralympics . Brisbane is one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations and is Australia's most biodiverse and greenest city . South Bank and its extensive parklands
3024-563: The Brisbane region commenced in 1838 and the population grew strongly thereafter, with free settlers soon far outstripping the convict population. German missionaries settled at Zions Hill, Nundah as early as 1837, five years before Brisbane was officially declared a free settlement. The band consisted of ministers Christopher Eipper (1813–1894), Carl Wilhelm Schmidt , and lay missionaries Haussmann, Johann Gottried Wagner, Niquet, Hartenstein, Zillman, Franz, Rode, Doege and Schneider. They were allocated 260 hectares and set about establishing
3108-552: The Bunnings Warehouse brand, and iconic in Australian culture. Bunnings reported AU$ 16.871 billion in revenue for the fiscal year 2020–2021, which was a 12.5% revenue growth from the 2019–2020 fiscal year, where Bunnings reported AU$ 14.999 billion in revenue. In February 2016, Bunnings' parent company Wesfarmers bought the United Kingdom-based hardware chain Homebase for £340 million. The chain's 265 stores in
3192-565: The Duke of York's clan in Victoria Park in 1846 and 1849 by British soldiers of the 11th Regiment , however the clan had been wrongfully targeted as the attacks on Brisbane had not been committed by the Turrbal themselves but other tribes farther north. In 1855, Dundalli , a prominent leader during the conflict, was captured and executed by hanging at the present site of the GPO . In 1862,
3276-538: The Gardens were among the first of their species to be planted in Australia, including the jacaranda and poinciana . Charles Tiffin was appointed as Queensland Government Architect in 1859, and pursued an intellectual policy in the design of public buildings based on Italianate and Renaissance revivalism , with such buildings as Government House , the Department of Primary Industries Building in 1866, and
3360-607: The Pineapple rebellion. During World War II, Brisbane became central to the Allied campaign, since it was the northernmost city with adequate communications facilities. From July 1942 to September 1944, AMP Building (now called MacArthur Central ) was used as the headquarters for South West Pacific Area under General MacArthur. MacArthur had previously rejected use of the University of Queensland complex as his headquarters, as
3444-517: The UK and 15 in Ireland were intended to be rebranded with the Bunnings name within five years. The first Bunnings store in the UK was opened at the end of January 2017 in St Albans , four months later than planned to ensure the adopted format was suited to the UK public. The company planned to use that store as a test model prior to fine-tuning and expanding in that region. In April 2017, they bought
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3528-473: The UK ever". House brands of Bunnings include: Household hardware Hardware (some types also known as household hardware ) is equipment, generally used in machines or in construction , that can be touched or held by hand such as keys , locks , nuts , screws , washers , hinges , latches , handles , wire , chains , belts , plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, tools , utensils , cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware
3612-526: The United States Army. Brisbane is a global centre for research and innovation and is a transportation hub, being served by large rail , bus and ferry networks, as well as Brisbane Airport and the Port of Brisbane , Australia's third-busiest airport and seaport. A diverse city with over 36% of its metropolitan population being foreign-born, Brisbane is frequently ranked highly in lists of
3696-529: The Woolstore precinct as well as the development of South Bank Parklands . Brisbane was impacted by major floods in January 2011 and February 2022 . The Brisbane River did not reach the same height as the previous 1974 flood on either occasion, but caused extensive disruption and damage to infrastructure. The Queensland Cultural Centre was also expanded, with the completion of the State Library and
3780-564: The area include the Yagara , Turrbal and Quandamooka peoples. A website representing a Turrbal culture organisation claims that historical documents suggest that the Turrbal peoples were the only traditional owners of Brisbane when British settlers first arrived. Archaeological evidence suggests frequent habitation around the Brisbane River, and notably at the site now known as Musgrave Park . The rivers were integral to life and supplied an abundance of food included fish, shellfish, crab, and prawns . Good fishing places became campsites and
3864-427: The bay, which he named after James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton , misspelled as "Moreton". Matthew Flinders initially explored the Moreton Bay area on behalf of the British authorities. On 17 July 1799, Flinders landed at present-day Woody Point , which he named Red Cliff Point after the red-coloured cliffs visible from the bay. In 1823 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, gave instructions for
3948-477: The business, eventually becoming directors after their father's death in 1936; Charles was a qualified engineer and Tom a chartered accountant. The company secured several major contracts in the 1930s, including for timber fittings on major Perth buildings, timber supply contracts on the Eastern Goldfields , and railway sleeper contracts in Ceylon and South Africa. Further expansion occurred during World War II, where Bunnings co-operated with its rival Millars , and in
4032-459: The capital. Old Government House was constructed in 1862 to house Sir George Bowen's family, including his wife, the noblewoman Diamantina, Lady Bowen di Roma . During the tenure of Lord Lamington , Old Government House was the likely site of the origin of Lamingtons . During the War of Southern Queensland , Indigenous attacks occurred across the city, committing robberies and terrorising unarmed residents. Reprisal raids took place against
4116-420: The centre of South East Queensland , an urban agglomeration with a population of approximately 4 million which includes several other regional centres and cities. The central business district is situated within a peninsula of the Brisbane River about 15 km (9 mi) from its mouth at Moreton Bay . Brisbane is located in the hilly floodplain of the Brisbane River Valley between Moreton Island and
4200-452: The city which helped shake this stigma. In 1955, Wickham Terrace was the site of a terrorist incident involving shootings and bombs, by the German immigrant Karl Kast . Despite steady growth, Brisbane's development was punctuated by infrastructure problems. The state government under Joh Bjelke-Petersen began a major program of change and urban renewal, beginning with the central business district and inner suburbs. Trams in Brisbane were
4284-419: The country. In April 2021, Bunnings announced it would acquire tile retailer Beaumont Tiles. The ACCC ruled that the purchase of Beaumont Tiles outlets would not reduce competition as Bunnings was not currently in the field in a big way. Bunnings has said it will continue to run Beaumont Tiles the way it has been and with the same management team. In November 2021, both Bunnings and Officeworks partnered with
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#17327910858034368-433: The current city heart: Barambin or York's Hollow camp (today's Victoria Park ) and Woolloon-cappem ( Woolloongabba / South Brisbane ), also known as Kurilpa . These camping grounds continued to function well into colonial times, and were the basis of European settlement in parts of Brisbane. In 1770, British navigator James Cook sailed through South Passage between the main offshore islands leading to
4452-490: The death of King George V in 1936, Albert square was widened to include the area which had been Albert Street, and renamed King George Square in honour of the King. An equestrian statue of the king and two Bronze Lion sculptures were unveiled in 1938. In 1939, armed farmers marched on the Queensland Parliament and stormed the building in an attempt to take hostage the Queensland Government led by Labor Premier William Forgan Smith , in an event that became known as
4536-402: The development of a new northern penal settlement , and an exploration party commanded by John Oxley further explored Moreton Bay in November 1823. Oxley explored the Brisbane River as far as Goodna , 20 km (12 mi) upstream from the present-day central business district of Brisbane. He also named the river after the governor of the time. Oxley also recommended Red Cliff Point for
4620-487: The distinctive bends in the river at St Lucia could have aided enemy bombers. Also used as a headquarters by the American troops during World War II was the T & G Building . About one million US troops passed through Australia during the war, as the primary co-ordination point for the South West Pacific. Wartime Brisbane was defined by the racial segregation of African American servicemen, prohibition and sly grog , crime, and jazz ballrooms . In 1942, Brisbane
4704-466: The end of 1840, Robert Dixon had begun work on the first plan of Brisbane Town, in anticipation of future development. The Roman Catholic church erected the Pugin Chapel in 1850, to the design by the gothic revivalist Augustus Pugin . Letters patent dated 6 June 1859, proclaimed by Sir George Ferguson Bowen on 10 December 1859, separated Queensland from New South Wales, whereupon Bowen became Queensland's first governor, with Brisbane chosen as
4788-420: The first free settlement of Zion Hill at Nundah in 1838, and in 1859 Brisbane was chosen as Queensland's capital when the state separated from New South Wales . By the late 19th century, the city had grown into a major port and centre of immigration. During World War II , the Allied command in the South West Pacific was based in the city, along with the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur of
4872-405: The first stage the Queensland Art Gallery completed in 1982, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in 1985, and the Queensland Museum in 1986. Brisbane hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games and World Expo 88 . These events were accompanied by a scale of public expenditure, construction, and development not previously seen in the state of Queensland. Brisbane's population growth far exceeded
4956-415: The first sugarcane plantation in Queensland was established near Brisbane by Captain Louis Hope and John Buhôt . In 1864, the Great Fire of Brisbane burned through the central parts of the city, destroying much of Queen Street. The 1860s were a period of economic and political turmoil leading to high unemployment, in 1866 hundreds of impoverished workers convened a meeting at the Treasury Hotel , with
5040-490: The first two decades of the 21st century, and major infrastructure including the Howard Smith Wharves , Roma Street Parklands , Queens Wharf , the Brisbane Riverwalk , the Queen's Wharf casino and resort precinct, the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, the Clem Jones , Airport Link , and Legacy Way road tunnels, and the Airport , Springfield , Redcliffe Peninsula and Cross River Rail railway lines have been completed or are under construction. Brisbane will host
5124-461: The focus of group activities. The district was defined by open woodlands with rainforest in some pockets or bends of the Brisbane River. Being a resource-rich area and a natural avenue for seasonal movement, Meanjin and the surrounding areas acted as a way station for groups travelling to ceremonies and spectacles. The region had several large (200–600 person) seasonal camps, the biggest and most important located along waterways north and south of
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#17327910858035208-421: The governing political party in Queensland. In 1973, the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in the city's entertainment district , was firebombed that resulted in 15 deaths, in what is one of Australia's worst mass killings . The 1974 Brisbane flood was a major disaster which temporarily crippled the city, and saw a substantial landslip at Corinda . During this era, Brisbane grew and modernised, rapidly becoming
5292-405: The importance of the tour. This did not stop the protest however with violent clashes between protestors and police erupting when several hundred demonstrators assembled outside a Brisbane motel on Thursday, 22 July 1971, where the Springbok team was staying. A second protest saw a large number of demonstrators assembled once more outside the Tower Mill Motel and after 15 minutes of peaceful protest,
5376-407: The larger "Bunnings Warehouses" contain a more comprehensive hardware range and garden supplies, including plants. The big box format accounts for 167 stores of the network of 280. Bunnings Warehouse offers a variety of additional services, both in-home and in-store. The in-home services are mainly installations, assembling, quotes and consultancy for multiple products. The in-store services include
5460-494: The loss of 145 jobs as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic . This left Bunnings with 41 New Zealand stores, including 12 in Auckland. In Australia, Bunnings unsuccessfully lobbied the Victorian state government to exempt its 168 stores from closure during the second Melbourne lockdown . However the company was allowed to continue fulfilling online orders, and subsequently its online business expanded and grew due to continuing demand despite various periods of restrictions around
5544-500: The managing director of Bunnings. This was quickly followed by the opening of three more Bunnings Warehouse stores in Melbourne. Since then, new stores have been opened across Australia approximately every three months on average. Development in Sydney and Brisbane proved more difficult than in other areas, as large blocks of land in the metropolitan area were limited. In 1997, the remaining smaller-format McEwans stores were renamed as Bunnings stores. In August 2001, Wesfarmers bought
5628-428: The merchandising and sawmilling operations of Hawker Siddeley , which "almost doubled the size of the company". In 1983, it bought out Millars and, in 1990, the Alco Handyman hardware operations. In 1993, Bunnings bought a company that operated Harry's and Lloyd's in South Australia, Campbell's in Queensland, and McEwans in Victoria and New South Wales. (This company had been spun off from Harris Scarfe in 1989.) Many of
5712-491: The mission, which became known as the German Station. Later in the 1860s many German immigrants from the Uckermark region in Prussia as well as from other German regions settled in the areas of Bethania , Beenleigh and the Darling Downs . These immigrants were selected and assisted through immigration programs established by Rev Dr John Dunmore Lang and Johann Christian Heussler and were offered free passage, good wages, and selections of land. Scottish immigrants from
5796-418: The national average in the last two decades of the 20th century, with a high level of interstate migration from Victoria and New South Wales. In the late 1980s Brisbane's inner-city areas were struggling with economic stagnation, urban decay and crime which resulted in an exodus of residents and business to the suburban fringe, in the early 1990s the city undertook an extensive and successful urban renewal of
5880-414: The native tulipwood trees ( magan ) at Gardens Point — is a more accurate and appropriate Aboriginal name for Brisbane. Aboriginal groups claiming traditional ownership of the area include the Yagara , Turrbal and Quandamooka peoples. Brisbane is home to the land of a number of Aboriginal language groups, primarily the Yagara language group which includes the Turrbal language . The city
5964-399: The new colony, reporting that ships could land at any tide and easily get close to the shore. The convict settlement party landed in Redcliffe on 13 September 1824 formally establishing the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement that would become Brisbane. The party was under the command of Lieutenant Henry Miller and consisted of 14 soldiers (some with wives and children) and 29 convicts. However,
6048-563: The port of Dalian to Townsville or Brisbane, the first Australian ports of call. Following the First World War , conflict arose between returned servicemen of the First Australian Imperial Force and socialists along with other elements of society that the ex-servicemen considered to be disloyal toward Australia. Over the course of 1918–1919, a series of violent demonstrations and attacks known as
6132-477: The post-war period which saw the creation of a workshop in Manjimup and timber mills in south-west Western Australia and north Queensland. In 1952, Bunnings became a public company, Bunning Timber Holdings Pty Ltd, expanding into retailing and purchasing several hardware stores. Charles and Tom Bunning became joint managing directors in 1956, with Charles becoming chairman two years later. In 1970, Bunnings bought
6216-641: The remaining Hardwarehouses were renamed Bunnings Warehouse. The Howard Smith Group purchase also included Benchmark Building Supplies, a New Zealand chain of 32 stores, including nine Auckland stores. These were also closed or rebranded as Bunnings by 2003. Until then, Bunnings had just three New Zealand stores. By 2008, it had 14 large warehouse stores in the country. From 2004 to 2008, Bunnings purchased and re-branded Mitre 10 stores in Griffith , Kempsey , Randwick and Wodonga , Magnet Mart in Griffith and
6300-399: The same year, with the city receiving more than a year's rainfall during February 1893, leaving much of the city's population homeless. In 1896, the Brisbane river saw its worst maritime disaster with the capsize of the ferry Pearl , between the 80–100 people on board there were only 40 survivors. When the colonies federated in 1901, celebrations were held in Brisbane to mark the event, with
6384-558: The settlers abandoned this site after a year and moved to an area on the Brisbane River now known as North Quay, 28 km (17 mi) south, which offered a more reliable water-supply. The newly selected Brisbane region was plagued by mosquitoes at the time. After visiting the Redcliffe settlement, Sir Thomas Brisbane then travelled 45 km (28 mi) up the Brisbane River in December 1824. Governor Brisbane stayed overnight in
6468-470: The ship Fortitude arrived in Brisbane in 1849, enticed by Lang on the promise of free land grants. Denied land, the immigrants set up camp in York's Hollow waterholes in the vicinity of today's Victoria Park , Herston , Queensland. A number of the immigrants moved in and settled the suburb, naming it Fortitude Valley after the ship on which they arrived. Free settlers entered the area from 1835, and by
6552-464: The slogan in Australia. New Zealand ads and stores continue to use the slogan at present. After the acquisition, the first Bunnings Warehouse was opened on August 24, 1994 in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine . Present at the official opening were the Victorian premier Jeff Kennett , American actor Richard Karn who played Al Borland on the television sitcom Home Improvement , and Joe Boros,
6636-407: The stores acquired were subsequently closed, with only the best-performing sites being retained. Bunnings Limited was bought out by Wesfarmers in 1994 for $ 600 million. In late-1995, the 'Red Hammer' symbol was introduced and is still in use today. In June 1996, the company's trademark slogan "Lowest Prices Are Just The Beginning" was introduced. In February 2020, the company discontinued the use of
6720-513: The temporary residence in 1910, and later made the permanent government house. In 1912, Tramway employees were stood down for wearing union badges which sparked Australia's first general strike , the 1912 Brisbane General Strike , which became known as Black Friday, for the savagery of the police baton charges on crowds of trade unionists and their supporters. In 1917, during World War I , the Commonwealth Government conducted
6804-534: The time of the buy-out. At the time of purchase, the market leader was Mitre 10 with a 12% market share, but the inclusion of the Hardwarehouse and BBC Hardware stores brought Bunnings market share to 13.5%. Hardwarehouse and BBC Hardware stores retained their branding for a year, while television advertisements were tagged with each of Bunnings Warehouse, Hardwarehouse and BBC Hardware during this transition period. Lower-volume stores were closed and, in 2002,
6888-705: Was appointed Managing Director, Bunnings Group in May 2017 following his appointment as Managing Director, Bunnings Australia & New Zealand in March 2016. In October 2019, Bunnings acquired specialist tool retailer Adelaide Tools. At the time, the business had five retail outlets, a mower centre and an online store. The business was rebranded as Tool Kit Depot. In mid-May 2020, Bunnings announced it would close seven stores in New Zealand in Ashburton , Hornby , Hastings , Cambridge , Rangiora , Te Awamutu , and Putāruru with
6972-594: Was both the red light district of colonial Brisbane and its Chinatown , and was the site of prostitution , sly grog , and opium dens . In 1888, Frog's Hollow was the site of anti-Chinese riots, where more than 2000 people attacked Chinese homes and businesses. In 1893 Brisbane was affected by the Black February flood , when the Brisbane River burst its banks on three occasions in February and again in June in
7056-513: Was the site of a violent clash between visiting US military personnel and Australian servicemen and civilians, which resulted in one death and hundreds of injuries. This incident became known colloquially as the Battle of Brisbane . Post-war Brisbane had developed a big country town stigma, an image the city's politicians and marketers were very keen to remove. In the late 1950s, an anonymous poet known as The Brisbane Bard generated much attention to
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