A humble family butcher shop established in post-war Brisbane was the first step towards a meat processing empire still thriving nearly 70 years later.
Two historic business icons that have served Queenslanders for nearly 250 years combined have been inducted into the 2014 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.
The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) and the Bank of Queensland (BoQ) received the honour in recognition of the important role they have each played, and continue to play, in the enterprising history of the state.
Now in its sixth year, the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame is a joint initiative between QUT Business School, State Library of Queensland and the Queensland Library Foundation. It celebrates those organisations and individuals who have enhanced the state's reputation and economy.
RACQ, BoQ and four other Queensland business leaders from past and present were inducted into the Hall of Fame by Governor of Queensland Penelope Wensley during a black-tie gala event at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre last night (THURSDAY JULY 17).
The RACQ started with 12 members on a May night in 1905, in a time when horse and buggy was the preferred mode of transport and only "toffs" could afford cars.
But it has transformed in its 109-year history into a club with mass appeal as an advocacy group for all motorists, today boasting 1.2 million members across the state.
The company's roadside assistance, which responds to around one million calls from stricken drivers each year, started in 1925 with two men patrolling either side of the Brisbane River and now includes 760 vehicles working 24 hours a day.
"It's probably the longest continuing service in the state without a break, and over that time it's extended from being confined to just built up areas, to covering the entire state of Queensland," Ian Gillespie, Group Chief Executive Officer of RACQ, said.
Mr Gillespie said across its road service, membership and insurance activities, RACQ answered six million phone calls a year.
"I think that's why we are so well known and so well loved because we are always there when needed," he said.
BoQ is even older than the RACQ, established in 1874 as the first permanent building society in the state.
Originally associating with two similar entities, BoQ was the only one to survive through the difficulties of the coming decades, including the property collapse in the 1890s, the first World War and the Great Depression of the 1930s.
"It survived because it was very conservative, it was not a public company but more like a building society run by very interesting people who were committed to ensuring that the money flow was appropriate to meet the needs of the Queensland community and its customer base," Neil Roberts, Former BoQ Director and Chairman, said.
The bank, which was the first in Australia to have an interest bearing check account and the first female branch manager, is today a listed company with a market capitalisation of $3 billion, employing more than 2,500.
While BoQ has expanded across the country, Neil Summerson, Former Director and Chairman, said the bank's success remained fundamentally linked to the state where it was born.
"Whilst sixty per cent of the bank's business is done in Queensland, the bank is influenced a lot by what happens in the state of Queensland," he said.
QUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Little said both the RACQ and BoQ were long-standing institutions which had loyally served Queenslanders through the state's history.
"Both have not only coped admirably with the challenges the economy has thrown up over the last century, but have expanded and adapted to meet the changing needs of Queenslanders."
State Librarian Janette Wright said the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame was an important initiative in remembering, recognising and re-telling the stories of businesses and individuals who had played a vital role in the state's business landscape.
The Hall of Fame space resides within State Library of Queensland, while the digital story collection is available online at www.halloffame.slq.qld.gov.au
The full list of inductees into the 2014 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame are:
•Sir Vincent Fairfax
•Sarah Jenyns (corset pioneer)
•John Williams (Brisbane's first businessman)
•Bank of Queensland
•RACQ
•Teys Australia
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Media contact:
Rob Kidd, QUT Media, 07 3138 1841, rj.kidd@qut.edu.au
After hours, Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901
