This article was first published in the Summer 2025 issue of Antiques to Vintage magazine
This stunning and monumental silver tray represents a significant chapter of Queensland history and was presented to Mr. Thomas Finney, founder and proprietor of the department store Finney, Isles & Co., a landmark institution in Brisbane’s history. The presentation of this salver by his employees, the crowning touch upon a “handsome silver service”, was covered in The Brisbane Courier on the 8th October, 1898 upon Mr. Finney’s return from England. Costing the princely sum of 160 guineas (over $31,000 Australian dollars today), this shows the high esteem that his employees held for Mr. Finney.
Monumental Victorian sterling silver salver presented to Mr. Thomas Finney with marks for London, 1894, WC/JL and retailer's mark for Goldsmith's Company. ElizabExcellent antique condition.
74cm x 52.5cm, 4640 grams. $45,000. Cache Antiques, Sydney, NSW.
Thomas Finney was born on 10th January 1837 at Currakeen House, Tuam, Galway, Ireland to his parents Thomas Finney I and Eliza Finney nee Cornwall. Educated privately, he began working at a drapery business in Dublin in 1856. There he would meet his workmate and future business partner, James Isles, where they learnt the ins and outs of the drapery business which laid the foundation for their future success.
They immigrated to Brisbane together in 1862, seeking opportunities in the thriving commercial district of Fortitude Valley. In 1842, when Moreton Bay was opened for free settlement, the area had boomed in traffic - even more so with the establishment of a primary school in Fortitude Valley in 1861. Finney’s arrival in 1862 was perfectly timed to seize opportunity. By 1865, Thomas Finney and James Isles would create the partnership Finney, Isles & Co and begin trading on Ann Street.
Finney, Isles & Co. were an immediate success. Over the next 5 years, the business expanded to include two branches in Rockhampton and Gympie; by the 1870s, they would have their second Brisbane shop, located in the City Exchange building on Edward and Adelaide Street. Their success was driven through purchasing excellent stock, expanding to include tailoring, furniture, furnishings and hardware. A large part, however, was the excellent conduct and vision of Thomas Finney which secured the loyalty of his employees and greatly boosted their reputation.
In the 19th century, labor laws were completely unlike today. With opening hours entirely up to the employer’s mercy, many drapers and clothing shops in Brisbane opened on Saturdays from 8am to 11pm. In 1879, Finney boldly set the precedent of a 6p.m. closing time in his Brisbane stores. By 1885, he was one of the earliest and most influential supporters of the Early Closing Movement, implementing 1pm closing time on Saturdays. In appreciation of Finney’s support for the Early Closing movement, the company’s employees set up their own charity fund which was matched pound for pound by management. Managed by the staff, the fund was raised by annual subscriptions and occasional fundraisers. By the early 1910s, it had dispersed over 10,000 pounds to various charities and labourer’s funds in England and Australia.
Even when other entrepreneurs, such as Charles Street, later backed out of the movement, Finney would maintain his support for early closing during good times and bad. An admirable example is the year of 1893 when floods inundated Brisbane, causing widespread damage and loss of life. Finney, Isles & Co. premises and inventory was severely damaged. Moreover, this was during a time of financial crisis in Brisbane, with the Australia-wide collapse of a speculative real estate boom at the time. Brisbane’s economy was greatly affected with bank failures, the suspension of deposits and severe unemployment, as well as a massive drop in customer demand. Many businesses went under, but Finney & Isles Co. kept going.
Thomas Finney was a dedicated public servant. He served on the Brisbane Board of Water Works, the Fire Brigade Board and was a longterm member of the Toowong Shire Council. Urged by many of his friends and associates, he campaigned for and won the Toowong seat in the Legislative Assembly from 1896 to 1900, during which he continued to campaign for improved working conditions for shop assistants and the working classes, until he was forced to resign for business and health concerns. The successful labor rights movement would have been far more difficult without strong employer support, of which Thomas Finney was the most prominent example in Brisbane. For instance, Frank McDonnell, the prominent 19th century politician, social activist and reformer launched his career in Australia at Finney, Isles & Co. He was so loved by his employees that when he passed away in 1903, his coffin bearers were all long-term employees of the firm. One obituary stated that “hardly any public or philanthropic movement has been set afoot in Brisbane” with which Mr. Finney “was not associated with in some way.”
After Finney’s death, his business continued to be a Brisbane stalwart for decades, and to this day the Finney, Isles & Co. building can be seen at 196 Queen Street and is a heritage-listed site. One cannot overstate the significance of the mementos left behind by Mr. Thomas Finney as a testament to his enduring legacy. As one of the greatest 19th century financial magnates of Brisbane, his reputation for generosity and kindness continues to stand the test of time.
References:
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/finney-thomas-3518
https://trove.nla.gov.au/
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/data/
https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3658266442/
https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/queensland-shops-and-their-buildings-cor-
nerstones-our-memories
https://brisbanehistorywest.wordpress.com/
https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/