Letter 12 - Myer Department Store
Myer Department Store
- Myer began far from the grandeur of Bourke Street. Sidney Myer and his brother Elcon opened their first store in Bendigo in 1900, after Sidney arrived in Australia as a Russian Jewish immigrant with little money and little English. By 1911, Sidney had moved into Melbourne retailing, buying the Bourke Street drapery business of Wright & Neil.
- In July 1914, the Myer Emporium opened in Bourke Street — an eight-storey department store inspired by the great American emporiums. Its appeal came from more than scale. Myer displayed goods openly, held regular sales, offered services for women and families, and sold almost everything a household might need: fashion, furniture, hardware, fine china, food, gifts and everyday necessities.
- By Isabel’s Melbourne of 1924, Myer had become a city within the city. Its counters, lifts, windows and departments promised modern convenience, aspiration and spectacle. For a woman like Isabel, who understood service, display and careful presentation, Myer would not simply be a shop. It would be Melbourne’s new theatre of desire — bright, orderly, persuasive, and full of things people hoped might improve their lives.
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