PART TWO - ABOUT TOM HARRISONAccording to author
Mark Palmer in his definitive
Made To Last (the story of Clarkes Shoes) Thomas Harrison
emigrated from Stockton-on-Tees in 1910 and set up business in Adelaide as a boot maker. He later founded
Alma Shoes Limited and when he died in
1936, his sons took over the business. When that company was facing
financial troubles it would be the English shoe manufacturer Clarks who agreed to take the majority equity
in the Alma Company. It was, in part, this acquisition that led to the formation of
Clarks Australia Limited in
1948.
Tommy Harrison's address was at
60 Currie Street when Scott first moved to
Bloor Court. In other words,
Harrison's factory was within
100 metres of Scott Bonnar's Bloor Court premises. Here is my Bloor-Court Story
Mud Map showing the respective locations:-
By the time
Scott Bonnar occupied his Bloor Court premises
Tom Harrison was, more correctly,
"in the boot trade", not as a retail boot maker, but as a
wholesale component supplier to the boot
trade. Harrison's were '
solesewers', a specialist trade in the manufacture of boots.
TO BE CONTINUED ...