CYCLOPEDIA OF NZ 1897

Wellington Province

WELLINGTON:

BALLINGER BROS. [Arthur Samuel and William Henry]

Page 672

Ballinger Bros. [William Henry Ballinger and Arthur Samuel Ballinger], Plumbers, Waring Taylor and Maginnity Streets, Wellington. Telephone 99. P. O. Box 18. Bankers, National Bank of New Zealand. Branch establishment, Petone. This extensive plumbing and plumbers' manufacturing and importing business was established upwards of twenty years ago, by the late Mr. J. W. Ballinger, father of the present proprietor, who entered into possession about fifteen years ago. From small beginnings it has grown to quite a big concern. The proprietors are both practical men, but the first named partner devotes most of his attention to the outdoor and commercial work of both branches, while Mr Arthur Ballinger superintends the manufacturing departments of the main factory. The premises are partly of brick and partly of wood, the front portion being in two stories. Over the shop and offices is a large showroom. Immediately behind this building is the fitting shop, also two stories, and in the rear of this again and fronting Murphy Street is a large brick workshop where are the furnaces and the heaviest machines. The motive force is obtained from a six-horse-power water engine, and its full strength is required for the numerous machines of rotary action. The machinery consists of lathes, eg, guttering and ridging, corrugating, curving, screw and cutting machines. The entire floor space is some 7000 square feet. About twenty hands are employed, and the wages paid per month run to £150 and upwards. Messrs. Ballinger Bros. are direct importersof everything in their line of business, and their trade extends to all parts of the Colony. The Home firms with whom they principally deal are Messrs. Colley and Co., of London, McLean Bros. and Rigg. of London, J. Menzies, of Glasgow, Lloyd and Lloyd, of Birmingham, Hill Bros. of London, etc. Messrs. Ballinger Bros. are well known throughout New Zealand. They were born in Victoria, but came with their parents and others of their family, when very young, to Invercargill, in the ship `Sea Shell.' Both the brothers learned their trade with their father. Mr W. H. Ballinger is Captain of the Petone Rifle Club. He is a marksman of renown, having won the New Zealand Rifle Champion Belt in 1879, and since then a long list of prizes much too numerous to mention. Mr Arthur Ballinger is also a champion belt winner, having distinguished himself in that capacity so recently as 1893. This is probably the only instance of two partners being champion marksmen. Both in military and business circles `The Ballingers,' as they are familiarly called, have long been more than ordinarily popular. They have done well, and there is no-one - not excepting even their trade opponents - but is pleased with their success.

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