Burns Philp, Charters Towers, Archive
James Burns established a general store in Townsville in 1872, employing Robert Philp in 1874. They later became partners. Philp went into partnership with Isidore Lissner, a businessman in Charters Towers and in 1883 Burns and Philp merged their assets in New South Wales and Queensland to form Burns, Philp and Company Limited. In 1886 the company established its own insurance fund, the North Queensland Insurance Co. Ltd.
The Charters Towers branch sustained losses between 1883 and 1886 during the recession and drought but in 1889 Burns Philp was a large profitable company. The drought and Australia-wide recession of 1889-1895 hit the company hard. Despite the continued high level of gold production in Charters Towers, the population of the town declined.
The collection contains records of the business of the Charters Towers branch from 1878 to 1900.
Archive Location: 293L - 320L
Series listing
Letter books, contains handwritten copies of outgoing letters and accounts payable. (Many are in poor condition)
Day books, record the details of goods purchased and purchaser.
Debtors' ledgers, records the accounts held with Burns Philp by individuals and companies.
Hall's Weekly Mercantile Gazette
Detailed Listing
Invoice Books - contain orders sent out
BPCT/IB/1 December 1886 - October 1887
BPCT/IB/2 January 1887 - January 1889
BPCT/IB/3 October 1891 - June 1892
BPCT/IB/4 July 1892 - April 1893
BPCT/IB/5 March 1893 - February 1894
BPCT/IB/6 March - December 1894
BPCT/IB/7 January - September 1895
BPCT/IB/8 October 1895 - March 1896
BPCT/IB/9 May 1896 - January 1897
BPCTIIB/10 December 1897 - April 1898
BPCT/IB/11 July 1898 - February 1899
BPCT/IB/12 February - June 1899
BPCT/IB/13 May - November 1899BPCT/IL/1 June - August 1888
BPCT/IL/2 October - November 1888
BPCT/IL/3 December 1888 - lanuary 1889
BPCTJIL/4 February - March 1889
BPCT/IL/5 April - May 1889
BPCT/IL/6 May - July 1889
BPCTIIL/7 July - September 1889
BPCT/IL/8 September - November 1889
BPCT/IL/9 September 1889 - January 1890
BPCTJIL/10 January - March 1890
BPCT/IL/1 1 April - May 1890
BPCT/IL/12 May - July 1890
BPCT/IL/13 July - September 1890
BPCT/IL/14 September - October 1890
BPCTJIL/15 October - December 1890
BPCT/IL/16 December 1890 - February 1891
BPCT/IL/17 December 1890 - March 1891
BPCT/IL/18 January - April 1891
BPCT/IL/19 April - June 1891
BPCT/IL/20 April - July 1891
BPCT/IL/21 July - September 1891
BPCT/IL/22 August - October 1891
BPCT/IL/23 October - November 1891
BPCT/IL/24 November 1891 - January 1892
BPCT/IL/25 December 1891 - January 1892
BPCT/IL/26 January - March 1892
BPCT/IL/27 March - April 1892
BPCT/IL/28 March - June 1892
BPCTIIL/29 May - June 1892
BPCT[IL/30 June - July 1892
BPCT/IL/31 August - September 1892
BPCT/IL/32 August - October 1892
BPCT/IL/33 September - December 1892
BPCT/JL/34 December 1892 - January 1893
BPCT/IL/35 December 1892 - March 1893
BPCTIIL/36 January - April 1893
BPCT/IL/37 March - June 1893
BPCT/IL/38 May - July 1893
BPCTIIL/39 June - August 1893
BPCT/IL/40 August - September 1893
BPCT/IL/41 September - November 1893
BPCT/IL/42 September 1893 - January 1894
BPCT/IL/43 December 1893 - June 1894
BPCT/IL/44 January - February 1894
BPCT/IL/45 February - April 1894
BPCTIIL/46 May - July 1894
BPCT/IL/47 May - September 1894
BPCT/IL/48 June - October 1894
BPCTJIL/49 October - December 1894
BPCT/IL/50 November 1894 - February 1895
BPCT/IL/51 November 1894 - October 1896
BPCT/JL/52 January - April 1895
BPCT/IL/53 January - July 1895
BPCT/IL/54 June - September 1895
BPCT/IL/55 June - October 1895
BPCT/IL/56 September - November 1895
BPCT/IL/57 October 1895 - January 1896
BPCT/IL/58 January - March 1896
BPCT/IL/59 March - May 1896
BPCT/IL/60 April - June 1896
BPCT/IL/61 June - July 1896
BPCT/IL/62 June - September 1896
BPCT/IL/63 October - November 1896
BPCT/IL/64 November - December 1896
BPCT/IL/65 December 1896 - January 1897
BPCT/IL/66 January - March 1897
BPCT/IL/67 March - April 1897
BPCT/IL/68 April - May 1897
BPCT/IL/69 May - June 1897
BPCT/IL/70 June - July 1897
BPCT/IL/71 July - August 1897
BPCT/IL/72 August - September 1897
BPCT/IL/73 September - October 1897
BPCT/IL/74 October - November 1897
BPCT/IL/75 November - December 1897
BPCT/IL/76 December 1897 - January 1898
BPCT/IL/77 January - February 1898
BPCT/IL/78 February - March 1898
BPCT/IL/79 February - April 1898
BPCT/IL/80 March - April 1898
BPCT/IL/81 March - May 1898
BPCT/IL/82 May - June 1898
BPCT/IL/83 May - August 1898
BPCT/IL/84 August 1898
BPCT/IL/85 September - November 1898
BPCT/IL/86 October - November 1898
BPCT/IL/87 October - December 1898
BPCT/IL/88 December 1898 - January 1899
BPCT/IL/89 December 1898 - March 1899
BPCT/IL/90 March - May 1899
BPCT/IL/91 May - June 1899
BPCT/IL/92 July - September 1899Letter Books - contain handwritten copies of outgoing letters and accounts payable. Many are in poor condition.
BPCT/LB/1 June - December 1888
BPCT/LB/2 January - July 1889
BPCT/LB/3 August - January 1891
BPCT/LB/4 March - July 1892
BPCT/LB/5 July - December 1892
BPCT/LB/6 December 1892 - May 1893
BPCT/LB/7 March - September 1893
BPCT/LB/8 August 1893 - April 1894
BPCT/LB/9 September 1893 - September 1895
BPCTILB/10 October 1896 - -April 1897
BPCT/LB/11 May - November 1897
BPCT/LB/12 June - September 1897
BPCT/LB/13 November 1897 - June 1898
BPCT/LB/14 March - May 1898 -
BPCT/LB/15 June 1898 - July 1899
BPCT/LB/16 February - May 1899Day Books - record the details of goods purchased and purchaser. Concurrent books were kept for Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday.
BPCT/LEDGERS/DB/1 April - September 1887
BPCT/LEDGERS/DB/2-3 September 1887 - March 1888
BPCT/LEDGERS/DB/4-5 March - October 1888
BPCT/LEDGERS/DB/6 December 1889 - June 1890
BPCT/LEDGER5/DBp February - May 1891
BPCT/LEDGER5/DB/8 February - July 1892
BPCT/LEDGERs/DB/9 March - October 1892
BPCT/LEDGERS/DB/10 October 1892 - May 1893
BPCT/LEDGERS/DB/11 June - September 1900
Debtors Ledgers - record the accounts held with Burns Philp by individuals and companies.BPCT/LEDGERS/DL/1 December 1882 - December 1883 (weekly accounts)
BPCT/LEDGERS/DL/2 January 1883 - August 1888 (listed by item)
BPCT/LEDGERSJDL/3 1884 - 1885 (listed by item)
BPCT/LEDGERS/DL/4 June 1886 - July 1888
BPCTILEDGERS/DL/5 July 1886 - June 1887
BPCT/LEDGERS/DL/6 April 1887 - March 1889 (monthly accounts)
BPCT/LEDGERS/DL/7 June 1887 - December 1888 (listed by item)BPCT/LEDGERS/ML/1 Accounts rendered. No date.
BPCT/LEDGERS/ML/2 Bank and cash transactions, March 1878 - August 1886
BPCT/LEDGERS/ML/3 Petty cash book, April 1888 - October 1895
BPCT/LEDGERS/ML/4 Rough diary of transactions, 1896
BPCT/LEDGERS/ML/5 Cash sales book, January 1895 - May 1898
Hall's Weekly Mercantile Gazette Volume 1, Number 1, 1 October 1891 to Volume 24, Number 22, 25 November 1899 (incomplete). Lists of Writs issued for this period are also held.Note: The Townsville branch of Hall’s Mercantile Agency was established on 20 August 1891. The Agency provided information as to the commercial standing of traders in all parts of the world, acted as proxy in insolvency or liquidation proceedings, collected debts and instituted proceedings where necessary to recover debts. The Weekly Gazette, published and distributed locally, contained extracts from records of the Supreme Court of Townsville and Brisbane. (See front of item BPCT/MG/1 for full details).
BPCT/MG/1 October 1891 - August 1892
BPCT/MG/2 August 1892 - February 1893
BPCT/MG/3 November 1893 - June 1894
BPCT/MG/4 June - December 1894
BPCT/MG/5 December 1894 - May 189~
BPCT/MG/6 June - December 1895
BPCT/MG/7 July 1896 - February 1897
BPCT/MG/8 February - August 1897
BPCT/MG/9 August - December 1897
BPCT/MG/10 November 1897 - April 1898
BPCT/MG/11 July - November 1898
BPCT/MG/12 November 1898 - March 1899
BPCT/MG/13 March - June 1899
BPCT/MG/14 July - November 1899BPCT/RECEIPTS/1 August - October 1888
BPCT/RECEIPTS/2 June - December 1891
BPCT/RECEIPTS/3 December 1891 - May 1892
BPCT/RECEIPTS/4 December 1892 - May 1893
BPCT/RECEIPT5/5 June - December 1893
BPCT/RECEIPTS/6 January - July 1894
BPCT/RECEIPTS/7 August 1894 - February 1895
BPCT/RECEIPTS/8 March - August 1895
BPCT/RECEIPTS/9 August 1895 - February 1896
BPCTIRECEIPTS/10 February - September 1896
BPCT/RECEIPTS/11 September 1896 - February 1897
BPCT/RECEIPTS/12 February - July 1897
BPCT/RECEIPTS/13 July - November 1897
BPCT/RECEIPTS/14 December 1897 - March 1898
BPCT/RECEIPTS/15 April - July 1898
BPCT/RECEIPTS/16 August 1898 - January 1899
BPCT/RECEIPTS/17 January - May 1899
BPCT/RECEIPTS/18 June - October 1899BPCTIT/1 November 1890 - July 1891
BPCT/T/2 July 1891 - January 1892
BPCT/T/3 September 1892 - July 1893
BPCT/T/4 July 1893 - June 1894
BPCT/T/5 August 1898 - May 1899
Archive Location
BPCT/IB/1-13 Invoice Books 293L - 294R
BPCT/IL/1-92 Incoming Letters 295L - 307L
BPCT/LB/1-16 Letter Books 307R - 310R
BPCT/LEDGERS/DB/1-11 Ledgers / Day Books 311L - 312L
BPCT/LEDGERS/DL/1-7 Ledgers / Debtors’ Ledgers 312R - 313R
BPCT/LEDGERS/ML/1-5 Ledgers / Misc. Ledgers 314L
BPCT/MG/1-14 Mercantile Gazette 314R - 316R
BPCT/RECEIPTS/1-18 Receipts 317L - 319L
BPCT/T-1-5 Telegrams 319R - 320L
