Swanny
The Tasmanians need something to hang on to. It seems that the Wilmot store had nothing to do with THE George Coles other than he may have worked there for his dad, George Snr, for a short period. His dad owned several stores and the boys were brought up in the trade. He was obviously a good businessman allowing George and his brothers to go to good schools and later travel overseas.
If they want to include the father's stores in the G.J. Coles story they need to go back 30 years before the Wilmot acquisition in 1910.
Coles official history lists George Jnr (G.J.) opening of the city store in Collingwood in Melbourne in 1914 as his first start-up venture. His first personally owned store was in St James (Near Benalla in Victoria) where he bought his father's existing store. This was at the time his father bought Wilmot so one would presume he was busy running his own first operation without going to Tasmania to help his dad.
It was the "revolutionary" 5 and 10 cent style super store in Collingwood accompanied by slick American style advertising and marketing promotions that launched George Jnr onto the business stage, so different from his father's traditional style existing at the time.
Sir George James Coles (1885-1977), businessman and philanthropist, was born on 28 March 1885 at Jung Jung, near Murtoa, Victoria, second of ten children and eldest son of George Coles, storekeeper, and his first wife Elizabeth, née Scoular, both Victorian born. The family moved frequently, establishing several stores; George was educated at various state schools and as a boarder at Beechworth College.
In 1910, after working in Melbourne and in the country, George bought his father's store at St James. Three years later he decided to travel to the United States of America and Britain to observe the methods and style of retailing. He was greatly impressed by what he saw, particularly in the '5 and 10 cent stores', common in the U.S.A. In April 1914, in partnership with his brothers Jim and (Sir) Arthur, he opened a store in Smith Street, Collingwood.
Here is the full biography - very interesting.
adb.anu.edu.au/biography/coles-sir-george-james-9788
