Five generations of family service to the people of Tasmania’s East Coast

No visitor to Swansea can miss the iconic Morris’ General Store, a local landmark celebrating its sesquicentenary this year.

The Morris General Store in Swansea, Tasmania, has been run by the family of Jim Morris for 150 years. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

A LANDMARK of the Swansea district, a community institution and a pivotal part of East Coast history, Morris’ General Store, has been owned and operated by the Morris family for 150 years.

The three-storey brick and stone building operated by fourth generation owner Jim Morris is nestled at the heart of the seaside township of Swansea.

Jim joined his father Ken in the business in 1956 and took ownership following the death of Ken in 1974. In turn in 1983, the fifth generation, Paul, entered the business. Currently the business is operated by Jim and Paul Morris.

“It’s an old building, there’s a lot of family sentiment attached to it,” Jim said.

“We believe the building was constructed around 1838 as a general store in it’s present configuration of three stories,” he said.

“The method of construction using local stone on the lower levels with handmade bricks around doors and windows was common in the early days of the colony and is used in many homes and buildings in the area.”

Jim said in the early days, the ground floor and front section of the second floor was used for sales space.

Jim Morris, left, and son Paul operate the Morris General Store at Swansea. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

A six-room residence filled the rear of the second floor while the top floor was used exclusively for storage both of incoming stock and for the produce of the region while awaiting shipment back to England. While the builder is unknown, the business was operated by John Alexander Graham for many years prior to 1858.

This first of the Morris family to reach the shores of Van Diemen’s Land from England was James Morris in 1853.

Four months after setting sail from poverty-stricken Britain, he drifted up the River Derwent with his wife Elizabeth and son Tom aboard 256-ton ship Fortitude.

Less than 24-hours later, he was hired by ship chandler George Pryde and impressed with the prospects in Van Diemen’s Land, urged his family to leave England and join him.

In 1859, Mr Morris applied for a job at the Swansea store and was hired.

For nine years Mr Morris and his family lived with Mr Graham and his family and gathered a sound background in storekeeping.

After Mr Graham’s death in 1868 James Morris acquired the store in an auction, beginning the proud Morris tradition that would last for generations.

“The family over the years has had a commitment to the business for a long time and its been passed on from different family members,” Jim said.

“Up until now the family have been predominantly shop keepers.”

Morris’ General Store in Swansea, Tasmania, is 150 years old. Picture: COURTESY OF GLAMORGAN SPRING BAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY/MAUREEN FERRIS

During his 31 years as the storekeeper at Swansea, James Morris senior, played a major role in the church, was a founding member of the Swansea social club and was also a Justice of the Peace. He passed away in 1899 aged 70.

By 1910, the Swansea store had earnt a reputation as being among the best stocked in Tasmania, a boast which — the second generation family owner — Albert Morris often repeated.

This highly regarded status at that time, was recorded in Michael Sharland’s book Oddity and Elegance.

“ ‘Old’ Mr Morris, as we knew him, always boasted to my father that his store held anything one could name,” Sharland wrote.

“My father thought to catch him out, one day saying: ‘I’ll take you up on that. I’ll name something I bet you don’t have. Mr Morris replied: ‘Name it then. I’ll bet you a pound.’

“So he asked for a pair of ice skates! How ice skates came to his mind I couldn’t possibly suggest. How could anyone at Swansea ever want them with the town so remote from ice? “But Morris said they would go and see. And, puffing through his flowing beard, he climbed the stairs to the highest floor and rummaged among the stock.

“My father went with him and, and in a minute or two realised he had lost his pound. Ice skates were there, on the shelves, where they had lain for years.”

Today the store operates a little differently, but comments are still made by shoppers about the range of products available.

“It’s changed from the days where we used to mainly import stock from England where someone stood behind the counter and handed purchases over the counter,” Jim said.

“Now it’s much more open plan internally and relies on self-service.

“But you find a lot of people coming through the building saying ‘this is old fashioned’, I don’t find any shops that have this range of products any more”.

SEE THE GALLERY

After the death of Albert in 1929, the store passed into the hands of his wife Agnes Morris who, in conjunction with her son Ken, carried on the business until her death in 1950.

Morris’ General Store as it is now known, was guided through the hard days of the Depression and has now been in the family for 150 years.

In 1965, the business had expanded so much, thanks to the thriving East Coast tourist industry, that a modern supermarket was added on the northern side of the building.

Great care was taken so the new building would not conflict with the older one.

“We’ve tried to maintain the old building pretty much as it was but things have changed of course,” Jim said.

Jim has lived in Swansea for most of his life, apart from seven years when he worked in Hobart for the ambulance service.

Jim said going into the future the Morris family will retire its ownership of the store. “I’d like to see someone with a vision for maintaining the tradition and things carry on, but whether that happens we don’t know of course,” he said. It’s been a feature of the community and it’s certainly one of the older buildings in Tasmania, and definitely on the East Coast.

“It’s one of the better known buildings and it brings back a lot of memories for a lot of people.”