Rigby Limited
| Company type | Private company (formerly limited liability company) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1859 in Adelaide, Australia |
| Founder | William Charles Rigby |
| Headquarters | Adelaide , Australia |
| Products | Books (primarily Australian-themed, non-fiction) |
Rigby Limited was an Australian publishing firm headquartered in Adelaide, primarily focusing on works related to Australian themes, with a strong emphasis on non-fiction authored by local writers and artists.
Founder
William Charles Rigby (March 1834 – 14 July 1913) originated from London. Though initially destined for a career as a hatter, he shifted his path toward bookselling, completing an apprenticeship with Parker & Sons in London and Oxford. During this time, he worked alongside future Melbourne booksellers George Robertson and Samuel Mullen.
In 1853, Rigby sought opportunities on Victoria's goldfields and acquired the 48-ton lugger Gem, departing Southampton with his family and crew. The challenging journey lasted 18 weeks, including an incident where the vessel was driven ashore, possibly near Kangaroo Island, before finally reaching Port Phillip Bay. Rigby planned to utilize the Gem on the Yarra River but found it unsuitable and subsequently sold it at auction.
After enduring six years without profit at the goldfields, Rigby relocated to Adelaide and in 1859 established a bookshop at 53 Hindley Street with inventory valued at £229 16s 7d. His astute insight into Adelaide’s literary demand contributed to the business’s prosperity. By 1875, he leased land at 74 King William Street and erected a new building featuring revolving oil paintings as decoration.
In 1901, Rigby secured ownership of the King William Street property for £4,000. He retired in 1909 at age 75, transferring the business to a limited liability company that maintained his name.
Rigby passed away at his residence "St Heliers," East Adelaide, and was interred at the West Terrace Cemetery.
Family
William Rigby married Harriet Caple in Greenwich, UK, in 1852. Before emigrating to Australia, they had one child born in London; six additional children were born after their arrival. Three of these children—Harry, Charles, and Ada—died during infancy. The surviving offspring included:
- William James Rigby (1853–1894), born in London; he worked within his father’s stationery enterprise, married Laura Cutchett in 1885 but had no children, and died before his father.
- Mary Rigby (1848–1940), born in Melbourne; she married Alexander Ringwood in 1883 and had four children.
- Ada Rigby (1866–1939), Adelaide-born; married Friedrich Von Einem in 1913 with no children.
- Lillian Rigby (1871–1926), also born in Adelaide; married Max Meth in 1890 and had two children, including Max W. Rigby-Meth who became an actor based in England.
Harriet Rigby (née Caple) died on 28 November 1872.
Rigby Ltd
J. M. Bath became part of Rigby Ltd in September 1912. Initial plans by the owners to sell the leasehold and merge with George Fraser of Sands & McDougall were interrupted by World War I. On 1 May 1917, Fraser sold his shares to Bath, who secured a 30-year lease on the King William Street premises. In 1924 Bath sold both the building and lease to Army and Navy Stores, Ltd., while expanding operations using Sandford's warehouse on Imperial Place.
By 1932 Bath had acquired Herbert Small's Electrolux store at 16 Grenfell Street along with the Rundle Street branch of Cole's Book Arcade.
Following Bath’s death in 1946, V. M. Branson assumed the role of managing director. Under Branson’s leadership, Rigby began producing textbooks tailored for South Australian schools as well as general interest books centered on Australian topics. The company broadened its reach during the 1950s by opening branches in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, establishing a distribution center at James Place in Adelaide and launching an office in Perth by 1962.
In 1965 Rigby merged with Horwitz, becoming the largest publishing house in Australia.[1] Michael Fitzgerald Page joined as Publishing Manager in January 1967. Ownership changed hands by 1973 leading to Branson’s departure; employee numbers increased from 44 to over 200 while annual title releases expanded significantly.
In 1977 the Paul Hamlyn Group, through its subsidiary Octopus Books, acquired a 10.48% stake from "the Adelaide-based Motors Group," owned by entrepreneur W. H. Hayes—an acquisition met with resistance from other Australian publishers.[2] By that time, Rigby held the position as Australia's largest book publisher.[3]
Between 1978 and 1979 the Hamlyn Group RCI (James Hardie Ltd) took control of Rigby.[4] By 1984 all employees had been let go; the company briefly continued as a division under Reed Elsevier.[5]
People
John Morley Bath (circa 1880 – 3 June 1946) held the position of company secretary beginning around 1917 and advanced to managing director approximately in 1934.
Vernon Mostyn Branson (1908 – 21 June 1992) assumed the role of manager in 1946 and served as managing director from 1950 until 1973. His published works include:
- The Art of Ivor Hele (1966)
- The Rigby Saga (1976)
- The Golden Years of Apex 1956–1981 (1981)
- Lead with a Watchful Eye: The Silver Jubilee of Guide Dogs in Australia (1982, co-written with W. B. C. Rutt)
- Kooyonga 1923–1983, the Story of a Golf Club (1983)
- Landmarks of Adelaide, A Sketchbook (1988, co-authored alongside Trevor Goulding)
- Sketches of Murray Bridge (1979, created with Douglas Luck)
In addition, he developed multiple regional sketchbooks such as Clare and District, Victor Harbor and District, and Southern Vales.
Further reading
- Michael Page, "Case-study: Rigby Limited", in: Craig Munro and Robyn Sheahan-Bright, editors, Paper Empires: A History of the Book in Australia, 1946-2005, University of Queensland Press, 2006, pp. 41-43.
External links
- Rigby Limited, Publishers - BRG 12 Series List hosted by the State Library of South Australia archival collections