Harrold Brothers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Merchant, Shipping |
| Founded | 1848 in Adelaide, South Australia |
| Founder | Joseph Harrold, Daniel Harrold, Henry C. Harrold |
| Fate | Insolvency and bankruptcy in late 19th century |
| Headquarters | Adelaide , Australia |
Area served | South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, England |
Key people | Joseph Harrold, Daniel Harrold, Arthur Lucas Harrold, Ernest Eyston Harrold, Leonard Frederick Harrold |
| Products | Shipping services, Merchandise, Pastoral interests |
Number of employees | Not specified |
Harrold Brothers operated as a merchant and shipping enterprise in South Australia during the latter half of the 19th century. The company was initially led by siblings Joseph, Daniel, and possibly Henry Harrold, with leadership later passing to Joseph’s sons Arthur, Eyston, and Ernest.
Foundation
Joseph Harrold (22 October 1822 – circa 5 April 1891), originally from Olney, Buckinghamshire, first visited South Australia in January 1844. He emigrated permanently along with his brother Daniel (1828 – 22 August 1873) aboard the Royal Archer, arriving in Adelaide in January 1848. By June of that year, Joseph had taken ownership of Thomas Barnes' grocery business located at 24 Hindley Street. By November, this enterprise had expanded to include both grocers and ironmongery services. In 1850, Joseph entered into a partnership with John Slatter to create Slatter and Harrold, a milling and wheat merchant firm operating the "Adelaide Steam Mills" on Mill Street near Victoria Square. However, a conflict in late 1852 led to Slatter’s departure from the partnership.
Their brother Henry C. Harrold arrived from London in August 1850 and established an ironmongery called "Harrold and Co." at 18 Hindley Street. From 1863 until his bankruptcy in 1866, he partnered with Charles Jenkins.
In 1857, Joseph returned to England with his family and launched a London branch close to Liverpool Street station at Great St. Helens, while Daniel took charge of operations in Adelaide.
The company also held pastoral interests through a partnership with Walter Duffield under the name Duffield, Harrold and Company. They owned Weinteriga Station (situated between Menindee and Wilcannia, New South Wales) in 1859 and acquired Outalpa Station (located between Mannahill and Olary, South Australia) around 1865. Overseer William Hurd later became part of this partnership.
Second generation
Following Daniel’s death in 1873, Joseph’s sons Arthur and Ernest—both educated in England—returned to Adelaide in 1875 to oversee the company alongside their brother Leonard who was based in London. The firm gradually divested its pastoral assets; Outalpa was sold to William Hurd and Henry Foote in 1876, while the Weinteriga properties were transferred to George Riddoch around the same period.
Harrold Brothers grew to become one of the colony’s foremost shipping agencies, maintaining substantial warehouse facilities at Port Adelaide, Port Augusta, and Port Pirie. Additionally, they operated branches in Broken Hill, Sydney, Melbourne, and London.
Shipping
The company founded the "Adelaide Line," later known as the "Harrold Line," which specialized in transporting passengers and freight between London and Adelaide as well as along coastal Australian routes. Their fleet comprised owned or chartered vessels such as:
- Channel Queen (1865–1870)
- Clodian (1866–1884)
- St. Vincent (1868–1886), a clipper ship
- City of Adelaide (1869–1886), also a clipper
- SS Glenelg (1875–1881), notable as the first regularly scheduled steamer on the London-Adelaide route
- SS Karaweera (1882–1898)
- SS Port Stephens (chartered in 1894), which was used for an innovative live sheep export trial
Besides representing numerous other shipowners, they operated on the River Murray with the paddle steamer Wentworth during 1865–66.
In 1882, Harrold Brothers participated in forming the Adelaide Milling Company through a consortium that included John Hart & Co., W. Duffield & Co., James Cowan & Co., and William Dening Glyde—then recognized as South Australia’s largest registered company.
By 1894, they had successfully pioneered live sheep exports using the steamer Port Stephens, opening new profitable avenues for trade.
Failure
Arthur Harrold secured the South Australian House of Assembly seat for North Adelaide in April 1896. At that period, it became evident that the financial situation of Harrold Brothers was precarious, although Arthur resisted pressure to step down from his parliamentary role. The company's downfall was initiated by creditors such as G. & R. Wills, who filed lawsuits over outstanding debts, followed by claims from George Scarfe and A. M. Simpson. Insolvency proceedings extended over three years, with legal representation including C. C. Kingston for Arthur and C. M. Muirhead for his brother Ernest. Leonard Frederick Harrold, who managed the London branch, was initially not subject to creditor claims and voiced dissatisfaction about being excluded from updates regarding the insolvency.
Both Arthur and Ernest Harrold were ultimately declared bankrupt. Arthur faced significant criticism for deliberately obscuring the company's actual financial condition by hiding liabilities, overstating assets, and misusing trust funds. Commissioner Russell imposed a two-year prison sentence on Arthur.
Family
- Joseph Harrold (22 October 1822 – 5 April 1891) wed Sarah Jane Lucas (1818–1901) in England in 1853; together they had three sons and two daughters:
- Arthur Lucas Harrold (18 December 1854 – July 1908) married Eva Annie Morgan (died 5 October 1931) on 25 February 1879
- Evelyn Mary Harrold (19 November 1879 – 6 December 1946), resided in North Adelaide
- Eyston Harrold (born 23 January 1883) married Margaret Campbell Pyers on 11 August 1917
- Ernest Eyston Harrold (22 October 1856 – 18 February 1907) married Florence Eugenie Burt on 16 March 1887; they had three sons and lived at Largs Bay
- Leonard Frederick Harrold (1858–1924) married Josephine Booth on 18 April 1888
- Daniel Harrold (1828 – 22 August 1873) married Mary Ann Church
- Henry Charles Harrold (circa 1830 – 7 February 1883) married Catherine Peake in April 1858