John Flavelle joined Samuel Brush in an optician and jeweller's business, Flavelle and Brush, at 87 King Street, Sydney in 1846. Towards the end of the decade the partners moved more towards the jewellery, rather than optometry end of their business.

Brush left the business in 1850 and Flavelle brought in his brother Henry, renaming the business to Flavelle Brothers. The new partners moved the business to 203 George Street, Sydney. By 1858 the brothers were sufficiently prosperous to extend their premises and open a branch in Brisbane. Numismatist Tom May believes that this was roughly the time that they issued their tokens. In the same year, the company's Sydney address changed to 354 George Street following a renumbering of the street.

In 1868 the brothers were joined in partnership by John Roberts and the company became known as Flavelle Bros & Roberts. The partners' sons were also involved in the business and the premises were expanded to take in shops on either side of number 354. In 1885 the street was again renumbered and the premises became 340-344 George Street.

By 1891 the company had renamed to Flavelle, Roberts and Sankey, Ltd. after then-managing director Robert Sankey became a partner.

Flavelle's expanded to include a store in Rockhampton in 1894, and by the turn of the 20th century the business was both well-known and well respected as manufacturer of jewellery.

Notable achievements for the company included exhibiting at the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition in London, and producing medals commemorating the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The business survived the Great Depression, and finally closed in 1949.

In addition to the Sydney business described above by May, in the 1860s Flavelle Bros. had stores in Brisbane, London and Paris according to an advertisement in Pugh's Queensland Directory and Almanac for 1866. Flavelle Bros. appear to have been active advertisers in the Queensland press during the 1860s. In the 1866 Pugh's Directory they took out a total of three and a half pages of advertisements highlighting different aspects of their business such as: Spectacles; 'First Class London-made Jewellery'; 'Tann's Patent Reliance Safes'; English Watches; Clocks; and 'Electro-plated ware'. A photograph of the premises of "Flavell Jewellers, Queen Street" [sic] is held by the Brisbane City Council Library, dated 1864.


References:

May, T. (1988). 'Tokens of George Street.' Australian Numismatist, (Special Bicentennial Edition). pp. 21-36.

Samson's National Directory of New South Wales, for 1867-1868.

Pugh's Queensland Directory and Almanac for 1866.

Unknown. Photograph. 1864.

'Flavell Jewellers, Queen Street.' BCC-B54-847, Brisbane City Council Library: https://library-brisbane.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/search/asset/19889/0

Classified Advertising (1870, January 31). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1308293

STATE'S FIRST GEM FIRM LEAVES TRADE (1949, May 7). Brisbane Telegraph (Qld. : 1948 - 1954), p. 7.

(LAST RACE). Retrieved June 29, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article212269793

FLAVELLE, ROBERTS & SANKEY, LTD. (1900, September 22). Queensland Country Life (Qld. : 1900 - 1954), p. 29. Retrieved June 29, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101452717

Douglas, J., & Douglas, Y. (2021). Australian motifs on royal Worcester: Flavelle brothers' association with Ellis Rowan. Queensland History Journal, 24(11), 1057-1065. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.163945846537220

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