Fee. I, 1S94.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
525 
Btorm, which ocoarred early in the season ; end 
soother garden lower down the hill w»s the recip- 
pient of equaUy bad luclj. — Indian IHanters Gazette, 
Deo. 23. 
A BIG AUSTRALIAN TEA FIRM : 
THE PLAIN STOEY OF HOW A GREAT 
BUSINESS GREW. 
It is not so many years ago since the founder of the 
firm of Tames Inglis & Co., arrived in Sydney, after a 
long and honorable career in India as a planter. He 
was then quite an unknown man here, shattered in 
health, and possessed of little more than a good 
education, a hopeful heart, and a fair amount of 
energy and pluck. For over a year he managed and 
edited what was then one of the only two morning 
daily newspapers in New South Wales— namely. The 
Newcastle Horning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 
The other was The Si/dnei/ Morning Herald. 
During the famous Exhibition in the Garden 
Palace, Mr. Inglis was the chief exhibitor in the 
Indian Court. His brother, the Hon. A.B. Inglis, 
President of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce, 
and a Member of the Viceroy's Council, had beeu 
one of the leading spirits in forming what was then 
known as the " Calcutta Tea Syndicate," and our 
Mr. Inglis was appointed their agent here. At 
that time Packed Teas and Blended Teas were for 
all practical purposes ui known, and Indian and 
Ceylon teas had only been heard of as a sort of 
museum curiosity. Mr. Inglis, with the aid of 
one or two friends, blended and made up 
small packages of Indian teas, which were 
displayed for sale at his stall in " The Garden 
Palace," and this may be said to have beeu the 
beginniair of a revolution in the fei trade of Australia, 
which, in ita far-reaebing results, is oce of the most 
interf sting chaptera in the history of commerce ever 
reoordnd. 
In 1880, Mr. Inglis was chosen by the Indian Goverc- 
ment to represent it Ex <cutive ComniiEsiouer at 
the great j^lelbourne Exhibition cf 1880-81, and heie 
Mr. Inglis again came to the front as a good ad- 
ministn..tor and a practical common seuse man of 
bnsices?. 
Knowing the exoelleDoe of the Indian ptodoct, 
and eeeiog bow the tea trade was saflfering from mauy 
abuses, Mr. Inglis started a tea-room, in which t o 
pure strong fl^ivonry teas of A-s<m, Darjeeling and 
other Indian disiriota were dispeijs.?d t3 visitors free 
ot charge ; aud as the beverag>a wns banded round by 
Indian servants piotnreEqatly attired, aud its merits 
were judioious y adveitis-d, the Indian Tea Rooms 
presently came to hs looked upon as oue of the chief 
atlractious of the great Exh'intion. 
In this way, and by lecturing. Press writing, 
and an energetic, enthusiastic advocacy on all 
occasions, Mr. Inglis speedily came to be looked on 
as a veritable apostle of the gospel of pure tea, 
and after a generous and substantial recognition 
of his services by the Indian Government, he began 
in a quiet humble way to build up a business of his 
own as a tea merchant. 
The first start was in a small office in Bridge 
Street with six half-chests of Darjeeling pekoe. That 
was only twelve years ago. 
The tirm now employs, in all, no less than nine 
constant travellers. The office staff numbers eleven. 
The packing department alone, with the blending 
floors, give employment to over 40. The firm rent 
and occupy four large commodious warehouses in 
Dean's Place, off George Street. They have their 
own stables in Phillip Street, a' d have founded a 
branch house in Darragh's Buildings, Queen Street, 
Brisbane. They are well represented by special 
Agents in New Zoaland, Messrs. Hall i.nd Son, 
Auckland ; in 'lasmania, H. K. Fysh and Co., 
Hobart ; West Australia, S*ndover and Co., Albany, 
and their brands are known in every colony of Aus- 
tra ia, although at present no business is done in 
Victoria. 
Indeed, the rise and progress of the firm reads 
like a romance, but is a atandiu;.; challenge 
to the mendacious and cynical detractions of 
of hostile critics who are prone to say that there is 
no enterprise in Australia, and that the commercial 
life of Sydney is paralysed and played out. 
Mr. Inglis, with instinctive intuition, discerned the 
.splendid future that lay before this magnificent 
colony. He could not fail as a travelled, observant 
man to see the magnificent possibilities of Sydney 
as the futiire mistress of the commerce of the 
Southern Pacific, and he did wisely in choosing 
Sydney as the theatre of his life's supreme struggle. 
For some time the outlook was anything but 
inspiriting ; but Mr. Inglis comes of a race that ia 
not easily daunted. He was fortunate in securing 
the services of a good judge of tea as a buyer and 
salesman, and after a short time he admitted that 
gentleman to a partnership, which continued for five 
years. After that time a harmonious severance 
took place. Mr. Inglis took a fresh warehouse 
la bis prestnt premises in uean's Place, and was 
again fortunate iu securing the strvices, as Partner 
of oue ot tl e bebt tea meu that Australia has ever 
scon — Mr. John Parker. Mr. Parker had graduated 
iu a good school, aud under his able management the 
bufiiieds still continued to expand. A happy irspiration 
led Mr. Inglis 10 hit on the name, " Billy Tea," as 
the designation fortbtirl ading brand of blended teas 
and this has now become a household word, syno 
nyraoua with purity, fragrance and every pleaaan- 
gastronomic aesociation, throughout (he length atd 
btcadth of Australasia. 
The output of "Billy Tea'' alone now reaches the 
enoru ouB total of tiO0,OU0 lb. per annum. 
With other blends, and with the large bulk trade 
and Bales of teas imported direct from the countries 
where they are grown, the firm are now doing odc- 
six uenih of the total tea trade of Australia. 
Mr. Parker enjoys the rare qualification of 
having been a pjroonal buyer oa the Foochow 
market. He io, therefore, iiitimately acquainted 
with every device of the astute MungoUan on hi* own 
ground ; and his life-long practiol knowledge of the 
trade, bo hia the old country and in Australia, makes 
bis experitiici as a bleeder, buyer aui caterer for 
tha taste of the public simply unique, and second to 
none. The firm have now their own expert (trained 
under Mr, Parker iu their own sale rooms) attend- 
ing tbe Anniiil Sales in Calcutta, so that they are 
iu reo. ipt ol just exaoUy what tuits the requirements 
of their trade purchased by their own buyer, and sent 
down direct, without the intervention of any agent 
or oiidd e man. 
In Ceylon thoy havo standing contracts for the whole 
of the c ioicest growths of ti ree of the moat famous 
gardens in the Island of S|iices. These are sent down 
here. Bubjctt to tte firm's approval, and, if not up 
to their li gQ standard for their wili-kuown Cejlon 
blends in guany packets, they have the option of send- 
ing them in to public auction at the growers' risk. 
The travellers of the firm are among the most re- 
liable, cxpirienceJ, and rtspecied of the genial Fra- 
ternity 01 tbe Koai, aud some of them have been cou- 
nt c ed with Mr. Inglit since iho eariy struggling days. 
Surely the build, rs of such a business may be pardoned 
for a litile honest pride in the gdaiu unadorned recital 
of anch a growth as this. They started with a be- 
lief in the supremacy of Sydney as a Commerial Centre; 
in the marvelous resources and progress of Aus- 
tralia as a whole. They believeJ in the gea»- 
rous recogiiitiuu of quality and honest dealing, 
which is a characteristic feature of the Australian 
prople. The Australian hates a shuoi. The story of the 
Billy Tea Enterprioo provei ihat he knoAg and ap - 
pr-:ciatts a ^e mine good article when it is submitted 
to his approval. Ttie firm, too, unlike many of ua 
compeers, ha e been lojal to the storekeepiiig con- 
nection nil through their ooreer. 
They are wholsale merchants only. The beHt store- 
ko pers throughnut aU the Oo'ouie* (except Victoria, 
wtich has not jet been toaobed) keep the goodf of 
this tirci-, and trust to tl oir well-oatabliabeJ rtpuiati- a 
tor giving the best valuo oild the purest quality that 
can be got for money. 
