Commercial Travellers' Association's Australia-first legacy in South Australia includes Carols by Candlelight
The Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association building (with balconies) among the North Terrace, Adelaide city, buildings as backdrop to the 1914 opening of state parliament by South Australian governor Day Bosanquet.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
In Adelaide in 1866, a group of commercial travellers (now known as sales or customer service reps and managers) met to discuss difficulties such as poor quality country roads and hotel accommodation in South Australia. This was the first organised group of commercial travellers in Australia.
In 1874, the Commercial Travellers' Association (CTA) was incorporated – the first in Australia. The United Commercial Travellers' Association of Australia in 1895 was founded to affiliate interstate clubs and associations.
On Christmas Eve 1944, the first Adelaide Carols by Candlelight, jointly organized by association and The Advertiser radio station 5AD was presented at Elder Park, attracting about 30,000.
Proceeds were donated to several Adelaide charities. That tradition of community service and patronage by the CTA has continued.
In 1891, members gained their first clubrooms in the Mutual Life Chambers in Grenfell Street and later in the Old Exchange building in Pirie Street, Adelaide city.
The association had various homes from 1903 when it raised money to buy land on the corner of North Terrace and Bank Street, Adelaide city, where a three-storey building opened in 1905. The North Terrace premises were used until 1981 when the building was sold and the Commercial Travellers' Association and The South Australian Club moved to premises in Wakefield Street, Adelaide city.
In 1998, the Ccommercial Travellers' Association moved its social events to the Police Club and opened new offices in Carrington Street, Adelaide city In 2004, the office moved to Union Street, Dulwich.
