Historical information

For about 40 years the corner of Hargraves and Williamson Streets in Bendigo in rural Victoria had been known for its arresting aroma. From a hole in a window wafted the smell of Gillies Brothers' meat pies.The Gillies window, along with the nearby Shamrock Hotel, ANZ Bank and Post Office, was one of the delights of Bendigo and proof that mass-produced food can still be delicious. Gillies went from strength to strength, surviving listing on the second board and a handover to a younger generation of managers.Gillies had three factories, 10 shops in rural Victoria and Melbourne. Les Gillies, one of three brothers who founded the baking business after the difficult drought years preceding 1950, admits that the company has not always been run along the most modern business methods. Change began with the preparation of a business plan subsidised by the Victorian Department of Industry, Technology and Resources in 1974. Prepared by Cruickshanks, the plan formed the basis of the company's float on the second board. Capital expanded to $4.4 million. In 1988, a second plan was produced by Chris Mason and Associates covering business, marketing, computer utilisation and human resources. This factory for Gillies pies originally opened in the 1950s, but has sadly been closed and abandoned since about 2006.

Physical description

CD Gillies History Photos containig 11 photos of shops, staff and factories in Bendigo.