Birks Chemists

Birks Chemists is a pharmacy in Adelaide whose origins date back to the 1850s.

George Napier Birks (24 October 1838 – 14 September 1895) and William Hanson Birks (28 December 1841 – 5 August 1925) were sons of Dr. George Vause Birks (c. 1815 – 31 January 1858), who with his wife and family emigrated from England to South Australia on the Leonidas, arriving at Glenelg, South Australia in December 1853, and settled in Angaston. Dr. Birks begun practising in the town, with his wife and older sons filling prescriptions. Dr. Birks died at 42 years of age, as a result of being thrown from his horse. Mrs Birks then ran a store in Angaston.

In 1856 G. N. Birks started working for F. H. Faulding & Co at their chemist's shop at 5 Rundle Street, Adelaide as a trainee. Around 1860 he moved to Kooringa, where he dispensed for the two doctors who were practising there, then around two years later moved to Wallaroo mines, where he opened his first shop in 1861, and for many years served as Justice of the Peace. In 1862 he opened a pharmacy in Kadina, installing his brother William as manager. These two businesses later diversified into stationery and books. He opened a third shop at Moonta with his brother John Napier Birks (30 August 1845 – 10 May 1929) as manager. John would in 1879 have his own pharmacy in Port Adelaide, at the corner of St. Vincent Street and Commercial Road, later at 130 William Street Perth.

The business prospered and in October 1874 the brothers were able to open a stationery and book store "G.N. & W.H. Birks" at 60 Rundle Street, Adelaide, with William in charge. In August 1888 they moved the stationery shop to premises at 68 Rundle Street.

G.N. & W.H. Birks opened a Homoeopathic Chemists shop at 51 Rundle Street in January 1879, and moved to 59 Rundle Street (on the Gawler Place corner) in July the same year. This building was earlier (1871–1874) the home of retail saddlery and leathergoods business Holden & Birks, a partnership of brother Alfred James Birks (7 June 1840 – 7 Dec 1873) and James Alexander Holden, founder of the business that became General Motors Holden. While the two businesses were registered as G.N. & W.H. Birks, George owned the stationer's at No. 60 and William the chemist's at No. 59 (around 1921-1922 renumbered as No. 57, and in 1973 Rundle Street became Rundle Mall).

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