| Brief Description |
Black and white photograph of Warnock's travelling van, 1937.
Warnock's Drapery Ltd was opened in 1910 in Victoria Avenue, Whanganui, by Thomas Warnock. He had worked in a drapery partnership with Mr Atkins and Mrs Kelly from 1885to 1910 in Lambton Quay in Wellington when Mrs Kelly retired and Mr Atkinson moved to Horowhenua.
Warnocks Dapery Ltd flourished and in the 1930s a business opportunity was seen in the isolated saw-milling settlements of the King Country and a travelling van, featured in the photograph, was created (likely by Owen Warnock or his father Thomas).
Peter Warnock, his grandson, remembers that the van had neat fixtures which housed a range of clothing and manchester, mainly sheets, blankets and towels. The man standing confidently by the van is Lionel Page, the driver and salesman, who became a well-known face in his sparsely populated sales region.
The van operated for about four years until it was requisitioned by the army and used for transporting troops. It was a large vehicle and war-time petrol rationing would have made it difficult for Warnocks Drapery Ltd to continue its service.
Warnocks Drapery Ltd operated until 1947 when it was bought out by McDuffs. It did not do well and was sold to a consortium of local people. It was finally bought out by Hallensteins in the 1950s.
In the meantime Owen Warnock, son of Thomas, had taken over the mens and boyswear side of the trade from McDuffs when he had sold the business and traded as Owen Warnock Ltd. In 1954 Owen purchased a property at 95 Victoria Avenue which was the Bon Ton Milkbar site. The old Warnocks Drapery Ltd staff went with Owen to the new business. Edgar Madder worked for the Warnocks businesses for over 40 years and became the senior buyer. Still trading under the name of Warnocks, the business went into partnership with R Hannah and Co in 1982 and was liquidated in 1992.
Owen’s son, Peter, went to work after school in 1943 as the parcel boy and started working full-time at the end of 1946. He progressed to Managing Director and retired in 1986. Edgar Madder taught Peter much of the trade.
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