G. & R. Wills & Co. Ltd. was a major softgoods wholesaler in South Australia. Its fully owned subsidiary George Wills & Co., a wholly owned subsidiary, was a shipping agent also based in Adelaide.
History
Richard Wills emigrated to South Australia in May 1849 and was soon joined by his brother George Wills (ca.1824 – 6 December 1906) who brought with him a quantity of drapery, and set up shop in Rundle Street, Adelaide. Two other brothers,John and Henry, also emigrated but died soon after and were buried in West Terrace cemetery along with Richard, who died in 1862. George returned once to England to be married, then again, permanently, to take charge of the company's purchasing house in 1959. I
R. A. Tarlton (1828–1918) and Charles Rischbieth (died 1893) were brought into the company as partners to oversee its development. Later guiding lights were George Arthur Jury, who helped establish the Perth and Melbourne branches, Howard, W. E. J. Brocksopp, H. Venables and C. F. Rischbieth.
Hermann Oelmann (1840–1889), a fine tenor, was commercial traveller for the company 1863–1876 then after death of C. G Balk made a partner 1876–1882.
Around 1882 W. Herbert Phillipps was given the task of establishing the subsidiary shipping firm of George Wills & Co.; Phillipps retired in 1902.
By 1922 the company also had establishments in Melbourne, Perth, Fremantle, Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill as well as agencies in Sydney and Brisbane. The Adelaide headquarters occupied the block bounded by Rundle Street, Gawler Place, North Terrace and Fisher place, and a factory in Pulteney Street. The Perth warehouse ran between St. Georges Terrace and Hay Street, while the Melbourne premises were in Flinders Lane.
The company went public in 1946.