Bennett & Fisher
| Company type | Public company (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Livestock sales, wool and produce brokerage, land and insurance agency services |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Founder | Gabriel Bennett, Benjamin Fisher |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Fate | Acquired and restructured as R. M. Williams Holdings Ltd. |
| Headquarters | Adelaide , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Hugh Davis (managing director, 1919), Alfred S. Cheadle (board member), T. S. Cheadle (board member), A. G. Rymill (chairman), K. D. Bowman (board member), A. A. Scarfe (board member), Tony Summers (former managing director) |
| Products | Livestock sales, wool brokerage, produce brokerage, land agency, insurance agency |
Bennett & Fisher, Limited was a prominent enterprise based in South Australia, widely acknowledged as a leading Australian firm specializing in livestock sales, wool and produce brokerage, as well as land and insurance agency services.
History
In July 1889, auctioneer and livestock salesman Gabriel Bennett joined forces with accountant Benjamin Fisher at Bennett's office located on Currie Street, Adelaide. Fisher retired approximately in 1910. As their operations expanded, the company moved to the Bowman Buildings on King William Street.
By 1919, Bennett & Fisher had established a commanding presence in the sales of cattle, lambs, and calves at the Metropolitan Abattoirs Market. That same year saw the creation of Bennett & Fisher Limited, formed to take over assets from both Bennett & Fisher and Cheadle, Crase & Co., a wool and hide brokerage. Hugh Davis assumed the role of managing director, with board members including Alfred S. Cheadle, T. S. Cheadle, A. G. Rymill (chairman), K. D. Bowman, and A. A. Scarfe. The company expanded its footprint by opening branches in Broken Hill, Burra, Peterborough, Quorn, and Strathalbyn, alongside constructing new wheat and wool storage facilities at Port Adelaide.
In 1920, the firm acquired Alfred C. Catt & Son and relocated its main office to 54 Currie Street at the intersection of Currie and Leigh Streets. A Georgian-style building was commissioned in 1960 at the corner of Currie Street and Gilbert Place, with the company moving into this new headquarters in 1961.
Growth continued as Bennett & Fisher took over Anchor Foods and Ditters' fruit and nut operations before purchasing the R. M. Williams clothing and footwear brand for $14 million in 1988. The company divested Anchor Foods to CSR Limited in 1987 despite its profitability.
In 1992, after managing director Tony Summers was dismissed amid investigations costing $214,000, Bennett & Fisher encountered severe financial difficulties including a $4 million overvaluation of property connected to Summers' spouse. The firm experienced losses consecutively from 1990 through 1993, leading creditor banks to place it into receivership.
By 1995, a consortium led by Kerry Stokes and Ken Cowley acquired Bennett & Fisher Limited and restructured it under the name R. M. Williams Holdings Ltd.