James Inglis and Co. - records, together with further papers of James Inglis, 1882-1982

MLMSS 7511/Boxes 1-4
MLMSS 7511/5-6X

fonds

1882 - 1982

Textual Records, Photographs

421014

6 boxes - 0.85 Meters
Textual Records
Textual Records - (typescript)
Photographs
Textual Records - (printed)

When the Garden Palace Exhibition in Sydney opened in 1879 Calcutta tea merchants were keen to be represented. They formed an association with Indian tea planters and appointed James Inglis to represent their interests at the Exhibition. From 1880 to 1881 he was India's Executive Commissioner at the Melbourne International Exhibition. In 1883 James Inglis formed a partnership with William Pitt Brown and they traded as Inglis, Brown & Company with offices in Charlotte Place, Sydney. The product 'Billy Tea' was created in 1886. The partnership was dissolved in 1887 and James Inglis & Co. was formed with the company's offices located at 4-6 Dean's Place. The laneway Dean's Place ran between George and Hamilton Street, it was closed in 1964 and now lies underneath Australia Square. In 1892 a branch of James Inglis & Co. opened in Brisbane and shortly after moved to premises at 159-161 Adelaide Street. Soon after agencies in New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia were set up. By 1893 James Inglis & Co. was selling over 600,000 lbs. of tea per year under their trademark 'Billy Tea', and over one million lbs. of packaged tea. The company is credited with founding the packet tea trade in Australia. In 1899 James Inglis & Co. became a limited liability company and on 25 March 1901 moved to larger premises at 60-62 York Street. James Inglis & Co. Limited also had a printing plant, allowing retailers to order their business name printed on packets of tea to personalise their products. In 1911 James Inglis & Company Limited became Inglis Limited. Bushells took over the company in 1955.
In 1900 Andrew (Banjo) Paterson sold 'Rio Grande' s Last Race and Other Verses', in which the verse 'Waltzing Matilda' appeared, to Angus & Robertson. In 1902 James Inglis bought a number of Australian lyrics from Angus & Robertson and from these chose 'Waltzing Matilda'. He asked Marie Cowan, the wife of his accountant, to set music to this verse and had copies printed as sheet music.
In 1884 James Inglis bought 'Craigo' a large house in The Boulevarde, Strathfield. It was located between Carrington Avenue and Strathfield Avenue, on the Strathfield Avenue corner and next to the property 'Glen Luna'. James Inglis died at 'Craigo' in 1908 and after his death the house was sold and renamed 'Dalmeny'.

Date unknown; Photographs including: sepia photograph showing a head and shoulders portrait of James Inglis. At the bottom of the photograph is printed, J. Hubert Newman, 12 Oxford Street, Sydney; sepia photograph showing a head and shoulders portrait of James Inglis. At the bottom of the photograph is printed, Kerry and Jones; sepia photographic portrait of twelve unidentified businessmen; sepia photograph showing six men in business suits in a room with an open door with the inscription 'Tea Room' on the door. Lettering behind the men at the table, underneath a window reads 'BILLY TEA' (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/1)
1898-1907; Postcards to James Inglis from Australia and overseas, with a significant group of postcards from Scotland (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/1)
1900; Photograph album of exterior shots of James Inglis's home 'Craigo', The Boulevard, Strathfield. Photographs (38) are identified and include images of the exterior of the house and garden. (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/1)
1982; Strathfield District Historical Society Newsletter giving exact location of 'Craigo', April 1982 (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/1)
1906-1907; Photographs (2), one labelled 'Major Nicholas Erkbank'; the other labelled 'George [indecipherable name] Ashburton 1st January 1907' (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/1)
1900-1902; Publications by James Inglis writing under the pseudonym of 'Maori': 'The Locusts' and 'The Commonwealth'. Publications by James Inglis under his own name: 'The Story of the Tea Trade' and 'Coronation Day Ode' (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/1)
1886-1976; James Inglis & Co. advertising material and newspaper clippings, including material concerning 'Billy Tea' and scrapbooks (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/1-2)
1903-1972; James Inglis & Co. records relating to the Company's use of 'Waltzing Matilda' promoting 'Billy Tea' (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/3)
1900-1909; James Inglis & Co. company newsletter, 'Our Little Messenger' (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/3)
1882-1913; James Inglis & Co. records including: letter books (4), 1882-1898; 'Directors', 1899; 'Journal', 1909-1912; 'Ledger', 1909-1913 (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/3)
1899-1979; James Inglis & Co. records (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/4)
Date unknown; James Inglis papers including play script 'The Courier of Lyons'; Highland Society of NSW menus and greeting cards (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/4)
1897-1909; Scrapbook (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/5X)
Date unknown; Glass plate positive advertisement for 'Billy Tea' (Call No.: MLMSS 7511/6X)

This collection was listed in 2005 as part of the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government in NSW 1856-2006 Project.
A Guide to this collection is available in the Mitchell Library Reading Room
See also James Inglis - papers, 1879-1920, located at MLMSS 6239