Interesting Collectables of New Zealand
Souvenir China, Mineral Water Bottles & history, Antique Telephones.

Thomson's, Dunedin

Butement Bros established this business in 1863 and in 1866 sold to a partnership of  Chase, Shannon & Thomson . Shannon retired in 1874 and the 2 remaining partners moved to Crawford St where Thomson had discovered a spring of mineral waters. In 1883 Chase retired and Thomson was in sole control.

Thomson's expanded throughout NZ:
    Napier - 1879 (Thomson & Gifford)
    Brunnerton, Invercargill - 1887.
    Wellington - 1888 (Thomson, Lewis & Co)
    

       Click on photo to see full size.

The photo to the far left is an 1883 advertisement. It perhaps explains why Alexander Thomson was so keen to expand - he supplied the machinery and equipment to the new venture. The next photo is most unusual in that it is one of the very few taken in this era. Dated 1882 the staff are - from left, Charles Edwards, George Thomson, William Bruce, Tom Gorman, Alexander Thomson, William McDonald, David Porter, Tom McDonald, Tom Hill.

Prior to the turn of the century, and up till the First World War was the great Exhibition era. Soft drink manufacturers would enter their top products - lemonades, ginger ales, soda waters, mineral waters. John Grey received a Gold Medal at the Auckland International Exhibition in 1895 and others similarly won medals from time to time. Thomson's won a total of 27 Golds, unequaled in NZ history.

1880    Melbourne Exhibition                                2 golds
1881    Dunedin Exhibition                                    1 gold
1885    NZ Exhibition, Wellington                          1 gold
1886    Colonial & Indian Exhibition, London       1 gold
1890    NZ South Seas Exhibition                         6 golds
1897    Queensland Exhibition                               4 golds
1898    Otago Jubilee Exhibition                            2 gold
1904    St Louis Exhibition, USA                            2 golds
1906    Colonial Exhibition, Liverpool                    1 gold
1907    Christchurch International Exhibition          7 golds
The last Exhibition at which Thomson's exhibited was in Dunedin in 1926.   

Until the firm was taken over by R Powley & Co Ltd in 1965 Thomson's was the longest surviving family owned soft drink company.