In the 1930s Sydney’s great department stores were among the city’s largest employers. Anthony Horderns, Curzons, David Jones, Farmers, Grace Bros, Hordern Bros, McDowells, Marcus Clarke, Mark Foys, Snows and Waltons were all household names, but a few exploited the religious prejudices of the time – Anthony Horderns employed only Protestants and Mark Foys employed only Catholics. We look at the story of the rise and fall of these wonderful emporia, as well as some of their rival suburban stores, and consider why only two of them survive, and are struggling. The story is enlivened with a Powerpoint presentation which will revive many memories.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

COURSE OUTLINE

• The history of Sydney’s great emporia
• Browsing through the catalogues – what to buy and how much
• Sharing personal shopping experiences
• The postwar decline and fall of the department store

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Identify the social and economic factors which led to the rise and fall of the city and suburban department stores.
2. Formulate the factors which made these stores so important to so many families.
3. Share their personal experiences of shopping and relaxing in these stores.