The story of Kodak in South Australia is largely a story of the retail and wholesale outlets in Adelaide.

South Australia had a Baker & Rouse presence in 1887, with a photographic store opening at 69 Rundle Street, Adelaide. This was Baker & Rouse's first branch outside Melbourne, and was possibly chosen because Thomas Baker had grown up in Adelaide and had contacts there.

In 1903 Baker & Rouse moved to 37 Rundle Street, where the store remained through the company's amalgamation with Kodak. Longstanding Baker & Rouse employee Mr H. H. Wight took up a post as Kodak branch Manager there in 1908, which he retained until 1929 (Beale, p.48). In fact, this property remained a Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd retail store until 1983, with a significant external refit and modernisation in the 1950s.

Kodak-owned branches in South Australia were all based in Adelaide except for a brief period circa 1910 - 1914 when a Broken Hill branch in New South Wales reported to the South Australian office due to its closer proximity. The Broken Hill branch was sold to S. H. Middleton in 1918 (Beale, p59). Middleton remained a Kodak dealer but didn't come directly under Kodak retail branch administration.

Local developing and printing services were part of the Adelaide service from very early on, with a developing and printing works close to the Rundle Street store. In 1928, a new developing and printing facility was opened at Synagogue Place. In 1956, a large distribution centre, warehouse, and wholesale headquarters was opened on North Terrace as part of the company's nationwide expansion.

There is limited South Australian material available in the Kodak Heritage Collection, so further research needs to be done to provide a more detailed picture of Kodak's network across the State.

References:

Beale, N. The History of Kodak in Australia, Coburg, 1983

Melbourne Punch, 22 Dec 1887, p.12

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