Blackeby's Old Sweet Shop - James Place Adelaide
Posted by: 
ParisLaura
S 34° 55.432 E 138° 36.043
54H E 280836 N 6132771
Lollies and Candy from all over the world
Waymark Code: WMB5AY
Location: South Australia, Australia
Date Posted: 04/07/2011
Views: 23
In 1883, at the tender age of 14, William A Blackeby was the first indentured apprentice to be registered in South Australia in any trade.
His trade was confectionery, and he was apprenticed to Thomas Ransley, who had manufactured sweets for his stall at the Adelaide Central Market since before 1880. Little did he know at the time that through a series of life’s twists and turns, his son William (Bill) Edward Blackeby would later purchase Ransley’s stall, and today that confectionery stall (number 33) continues to sell Blackeby’s sweets and is perhaps the oldest trader in the Central Market.
Like so many of the founding settlers to the new colony of South Australia, William Blackeby was somewhat of a pioneer and innovator. Beginning formal employment at twelve years of age in the East End Market, he was no stranger to hard work and life’s difficulties. His apprenticeship came to an abrupt end in 1884 when Mr. Ransley died and he worked as a station hand near Mildura for the next two years, making sweets for the Station owner’s children in his spare time. Upon returning to Adelaide he discovered the widow Mercy Ransley had married another confectioner, Mr. James Dumbrell, and William resumed his apprenticeship with them. Ransley’s stall was renamed Dumbrells at this time. In 1889 William married Mrs. Ransley’s daughter Agnes, and they opened a Fruit Shop at Norwood which Agnes operated while William continued to work at Dumbrell’s. In the Norwood Shop William started making and selling home made sweets. After a short stint in New Zealand, the family returned to Adelaide and in 1906 William purchased the manufacturing and retail operations of Mr. James (Jonathon) Cain, in California Street and stall 32, Adelaide Central Market. In 1916 they relocated the factory to Ely Place and lived in an adjoining house fronting Gilles Street. In 1925 he bought another property just around the corner in Castle Street, and both these properties were used for manufacturing until the business was consolidated into one factory in Cypress Street in 1961.
When Charles Moore built his arcade next to the market in 1915, and Emporium in 1916, (the structure of the Emporium houses the Sir Samuel Way Law Courts today) William opened a shop in the arcade calling it Blackeby’s Sweet Depot. Being located quite near to his stall, he would often put the shop’s soda fountain (which had become all the rage) on a trolley, and service thirsty Market shoppers in the summertime when sweet sales declined.
As the wonders of modern science came to Adelaide, William keenly embraced all that could enhance his business, and he was a leader of innovation in the Market. The Blackeby’s were the first to put protective glass cases over their produce, previously all produce being on open table tops. When electricity came to Adelaide, William was the first to put lighting in his display cabinets, and the first to illuminate his stall with overhead floodlighting. He was also the first in the Market to have a cash register, which his son Bill Blackeby (born 1909) would operate on Friday nights after school at age 9 to the amusement of customers.
In 1941 Bill continued to expand the business with the purchase of Ransley’s old stall (where his father began his apprenticeship) which was then called Dumbrells. At this time he was operating three confectionery stalls in the Market in the same centre aisle, but soon after sold one to a fruiter thereby maintaining two stalls in competition to one another (numbers 32 and 33).
The company added a retail arm in 2004 with the purchase of a confectionery shop in James Place, Adelaide now called Blackeby’s Old Sweet Shop. In 2005, another shop at the Brickworks Markets was acquired and in August 2009 a brand new Blackeby's Sweets / Ditters Nuts store was opened in the recently redeveloped Hallett Cove Shopping Centre. The company continues its search for future retail sites, desiring to retain the “sweet shop” concept that many grew up with, and ensuring that unique and memorable experience is available to future generations.
Store Type: Bulk Candy
Specialty: Lollies and Nuts
Hours: 9am to 5:30pm
Website: [Web Link]
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