On 20 June 1974, Mitre 10 announced its formation as a New Zealand–owned cooperative, bringing the ‘Mitre 10’ brand name across the Tasman with the blessing of the Australian company of the same name.
The funny thing is, I remember hearing the announcement on the radio. I was 16 at the time, working as a hammer hand for Keith Hay Homes – another iconic Kiwi company – so why that stuck with me for all these years, I do not know. However, 50 years on, Mitre 10’s celebration as the cornerstone of Kiwi DIY and the home improvement go-to has grown from an initial buying-and-selling cooperative of eight stores to 84 in 2024.
In this, the first of two articles, we’ll go back to the hardware stores of the late 19th century, across the Tasman to a Melbourne pub called the Mitre Tavern, and then trek through the history of post-war retail in Aotearoa New Zealand.
There are retail stores that go back further than Mitre 10; Ballantynes was established in 1854, Briscoes in 1862, Whitcoulls in 1888, and Farmers in 1909, while, at around the same time as Mitre 10, Barkers was established in 1972, Noel Leeming in 1973, Resene in 1975, and Toy World in 1976. One of the major differences between those and Mitre 10, however, is the latter’s cooperative nature – a factor that lies at the core of its unique agility, resilience, and success.
Australian origin
The history of the company has two strands.
