John Martin's stores, woven into Adelaide fabric since 1866, finally unstitched in 1998 by the Adsteam splurge

John Martin's , "The big store" (at right),  in Rundle Street, Adelaide, in 1910. Next door is the King of Hanover hotel that was bought to expand Johnnies.

John Martin & Co. Ltd, starting as a drapery store, operated in Adelaide city for more than 130 years: 1866 to 1998. Johnnies became a chain of stores, owned by the Hayward family, with its Rundle Street/mall store an Adelaide icon and focus of the famous Christmas Pageant and sponsor of the Beatles’ 1964 visit. 

John Martin’s opened as Peters and Martin in Rundle Street in 1866. Otto Peters left the partnership a few years later. Martin bought adjoining shops with new partners Edward Hayward and Richard Martin, and a staff of 500.

After Martin died (from “excess and debauchery”) in 1898, a two-storey rebuild on Charles Street corner was destroyed in a 1901 fire. The King of Hanover Hotel purchase in 1902 brought more frontage and in 1934 the central section was rebuilt to seven storeys.

Linked to Sydney’s Grace Brothers and Tasmania’s FitzGerald’s under International Buying Group, Johnnies in the 1970s developed Venture discount chain. In the 1980s, Johnnies’ competitors expanded nationally and, with more credit cards, John Martin’s distinctive orange purchase card lost value.

Problems grew when it was bought by David Jones, controlled by Adsteam Group and its doomed takeovers splurge. David Jones pushed John Martin's into the aggressive discount sector against Harris Scarfe. 

Johnnies’ Elizabeth and Westfield Arndale stores were sold to Harris Scarfe in 1997 and its Marion and West Lakes Mall shops were rebadged as David Jones in 1996. Last to go was the Rundle Mall flagship art-deco store in 1998, demolished for a small David Jones store and other retailers in 2000.