ABSTRACT
Founded on the shores of Port Jackson in January 1788, the colony of New South Wales (NSW) was the British Empire’s first Australian settlement as well as its furthest colony. Eight months earlier, the First Fleet had set out form Portsmouth carrying provisions for establishing a new penitentiary-cum-colony. In the 1850s, the Australian colonies experienced significant changes. The transportation of convicts to NSW formally ceased in 1850 and in 1853 for Van Diemen’s Land. NSW was partitioned, resulting in two separate colonies–Victoria in the south and Queensland in the north. By 1859, each of the Australian colonies had been granted limited self-government. As Australian cities expanded, the department stores increasingly worked to overcome the tyranny of distance. While some department stores hoped that sales, range of goods and in-store marketing efforts would continue to draw in the suburban and regional consumers, others ventured out beyond the city.
