page_title: Harris Scarfe
section_title: Early history
hierarchical_section_title: Harris Scarfe / History / Early history
caption_attribution_description: English: Newspaper advertisement for a portable steam engine, such as might be used to power a large saw. This appliance was sold by the Adelaide firm of Harris, Scarfe, and incongruous when compared with the company's later offerings
context_page_description: Harris Scarfe is an Australian retailer that sells bed linen, kitchenware, homewares, electrical appliances and apparel. Its headquarters are in Melbourne. It has a growing e-commerce retail presence in Australia and is considered a multi-channel department store retailer.
  Founded in 1849, Harris Scarfe currently operates 66 retail stores nationally in two formats including "Harris Scarfe" department stores and "Harris Scarfe Home" homewares and kitchenware stores.
  In December 2019, Harris Scarfe entered into voluntary administration after 170 years in operation. As of June 2020, 23 of its 66 stores have closed from its peak at 66 stores, from September 2019 - June 2020.
context_section_description: Harris Scarfe traces its history to 10 February 1849, when George Peter Harris and John C. Lanyon, arrived in Adelaide, South Australia on the ship Candahar and established a hardware and ironmongery business on Hindley Street. Lanyon left the partnership on 22 February 1855 and returned to London, where he opened a buying house for Geo. P. Harris and other businesses in South Australia. Additional partners, George Scarfe and Richard Smith, joined the business in 1866 and the business name "Geo. P. Harris, Scarfe & Co." was adopted in December that year.
  They had premises on the east side of Gawler Place, midway between Rundle and Grenfell streets, where Allan's building now stands (58-60 Gawler Pl).
  A new four-storey building, on a 70 by 70 feet (21 m × 21 m) freehold property between Rundle and Grenfell streets, was erected behind their old (leased) property in 1929.
  Harris Scarfe grew to become a major supplier of a broad range of household, agricultural and industrial items.  Besides conducting its retailing businesses, Harris Scarfe manufactured leather goods, including saddlery and luggage, as part of a wholesaling operation. Notably, during World War II, when the Australian Government enforced price controls, it used the Harris Scarfe catalogue as the price guide.
caption: Harris, Scarfe advert October 1881
exif: {"Image Tag 0x0301": "20000/9091", "Image Tag 0x5110": "1", "Image Tag 0x5111": "3779", "Image Tag 0x5112": "3779"}