Hordern family aggregated collection of papers and photographs

fonds

1810-2014

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Prints, Clippings, Ephemera, Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Objects

9661176

7.07 metres of textual material (38 boxes, 4 outsize boxes, 2 folders)
1 album (42 photographic prints) - albumen and gelatin silver - visible image 9 x 5 cm
19 photographs (1 box) - albumen and gelatin silver - 34 x 26 cm and smaller
193 negatives - 6 x 6 cm
68 negatives - glass

In 1882, Edward Carr Hordern (1853-1940), along with his brothers John Lebbeus Hordern (1848-1910) and Alfred James Hordern (1859-1932), established the retail firm of Hordern Brothers with a capital of 32,000 pounds. Over the next 28 years the business expanded from a one-room shop to one of the largest retail stores in Sydney. The store was located at 259 Pitt Street, and from 1922-1959 at 203-207 Pitt Street, Sydney. From 1922, the management of the business rested exclusively with Edward Carr Hordern’s family, with three of his sons on its Board.

In 1926, Anthony Hordern and Sons was sold to a group of private investors for 3 million pounds. In 1959 Anthony Hordern and Sons bought Hordern Brothers, which at the time was the last Hordern family-owned store in the city of Sydney.

Edward Carr Hordern acted as an overseas buyer for Hordern Brothers. He married Frances Lillie Dryland in St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London, on 14 October 1885. Between 1885 and 1905 the couple lived between Sydney and London, staying several years in each city and living in rented properties. They had six children – Olive Carr (1886-1969) ; Edward Dryland (1887-1958) ; twin boys Maurice Bridgman (1889-1981) and Frederick Hugh (1889-1975) ; Cowra Stewart (1891-1970) ; and Edytha Lillie Howard (1901-1987).

Returning to Sydney in 1905, Edward Carr Hordern bought a house in Centennial Avenue, Chatswood, which the family named Chiselhurst (now demolished). He also owned Wensleydale, a property at Colo Vale, near Mittagong, N.S.W..

Frederick Hugh Hordern (1889-1975), the son of Edward Carr and Frances Lillie Hordern, married Iris Mary White (1891-1972), daughter of Walter David White and Mary, nee Hodge, on 12 November 1914. The couple had six children – Mary Lillie (1916-2000) ; Iris Noel (known as Noel) (1917-2019) ; Hugh David Carr (1920-2008) ; Marsden Carr (1922-) ; John Norman Carr (1924-2013) ; and Ian Ramsay Carr (1930-?).

Iris Noel Hordern married Arthur Darling of Battery Hill, Gunnedah, in January 1940. They lived on the property Battery Hill, on the Breeza Plain near Gunnedah, N.S.W.. They had two daughters, Jill and Robin.

Hunter and Ross Hordern, grandsons of Edward Carr Hordern, established a family business under the name of Horden Brothers in Windsor, which operated until at least 1986.

Marsden Hordern (1922-) is the grandson of Edward Carr Hordern, one of the founders of Hordern Bros Ltd. He joined the Royal Australia Navy in World War II, became Lieutenant and commanded a patrol boat in the Pacific. During his time in the Navy, Hordern also studied part-time to complete an arts degree at the University of Sydney. After the war, he established a fine art print gallery, Hilton Hordern, which he directed for 38 years (1958-1996). He also competed in the early Sydney to Hobart yacht races as navigator of the schooner Mistral II. He is the author of 'Mariners are Warned' (1989), 'King of the Australian Coast' (1997) and 'A Merciful Journey: Recollections of a World War II Patrol Boat Man' (2005).

References:
Children of one family : the story of Anthony and Ann Hordern and their descendants in Australia, 1825-1925 / Lesley Hordern. Sydney : Retford Press, 1985; The Ryerson Index. http://ryersonindex.org/index.htm (accessed 6 May 2019)
Australians at War Film Archive. “Marsden Hordern.” Accessed 3 May 2023.
https://australiansatwarfilmarchive.unsw.edu.au/archive/2277

COLLECTION 01:
Hordern family papers, mainly correspondence, 1820-1830, 1868-1872, with newscuttings, 1904-1923, relating to Anthony Hordern and Sons

COLLECTION 02:
Hordern family further papers, 1837-ca. 1871

COLLECTION 03:
Hordern further family correspondence, 1875-1877, 1883

COLLECTION 04:
Hordern family further papers, 1853-1990

COLLECTION 05:
Hordern family papers, ca. 1810-1989

COLLECTION 06:
Hordern family further papers 1909-1914, concerning the estates of Anthony Hordern and Samuel Hordern

COLLECTION 07:
Marsden Hordern papers, ca. 1899-1993

COLLECTION 08:
Marsden Hordern papers, concerning the research and writing of “Mariners are warned", and Hordern family documents, 1979-1990

COLLECTION 09:
Hordern family further papers, 1920-1998, together with the papers of Walter D. White, 1881-1941

COLLECTION 10:
Marsden Hordern further papers, 1870-2014

COLLECTION 11:
Marsden Hordern further papers, 1888-2019

COLLECTION 12:
Marsden Hordern family photographs, 1865-1954