Michell and Sons

G. H. Michell and Sons was an Australian wool processing and broking company based in Hindmarsh, South Australia, relocated to Salisbury, South Australia and with a change in company structure in the 1980s became Michell Australia Pty Ltd then the Michell Group of Companies.

George Henry Michell founded the company G. H. Michell & Sons of wool brokers and processors at Undalya, South Australia around 1895, then in July 1903 purchased the wool-scouring works at 33 Adam Street, Hindmarsh, previously run by W. Peacock and Sons, and transferred all its activities there; all four sons were employed in the business.

On 25 December 1907 his premises were destroyed in one of South Australia's largest fires, which commenced at W. H. Burford & Son's "Apollo Works" soap factory, and also destroyed George Wilcox's skin depot and a number of houses. David Reid's tannery was spared. Another major fire, in 1943, at fellmonger David Jowitt and Sons, spared both Michell's and Burford's factories, but on 24 April 1945, yet another fire destroyed their wool treatment factory at the corner of Mandon and Adam Streets.

In 1938 the company was listed on the Melbourne Stock Exchange with a signed-up capital of £500,000 in £1 shares. (and doubled to £lm. in 1953) The wool business thrived during wartime, and major expansion was carried out on Adam Street, but expansion onto South Road (then known as Taylor's Road) was opposed by nearby residents, no doubt on account of the smell which accompanies wool processing. In 1947 a new private company, G. H. Michell & Sons (SA) Ltd., was formed with a nominal capital of £100,000 and two shareholders: R. J. and G. H. Michell.

In 1947 a new company "Woolcombers (WA) Pty. Ltd." was formed in Perth, Western Australia with a nominal capital of £300,000. A factory was opened in Fremantle Ronald James Michell, William Edward Michell, George Edward Michell, Colin Edgar Michell and Gwendolyn Elva Hastings were the first directors.

George Henry Michell (ca.1832 – 2 February 1918) came to South Australia from Hayle, Cornwall, with his wife Catherine (ca.1840 – 11 September 1919) and her widowed mother Catherine Donnithorne (ca.1816 – 16 July 1898), by the iron sailing vessel "Trevelyan", reaching Adelaide on 21 March 1866. After a short time following his trade of bootmaker, he tried farming at Cudlee Creek then in 1870 moved to Undalya (in some references "Mundalya"), where he made a start in the wool business by buying small lots from the farmers in the district, and scouring on the banks of the River Wakefield.

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