THE HISTORY
Part of Auckland’s History
Milne & Choyce was the first of Auckland’s department stores, growing out of a millinery and drapery business in Wyndham Street that Mary Jane Milne and her sister Charlotte established in 1867. They positioned themselves as fashion forward and cultivated their reputation as fashion leaders, maintaining a large workroom that made to order.
In 1874 they moved to larger premises on the corner of Queen and Wellesley Streets, and Charlotte married Henry Charles Choyce. Two years later, the sisters’ firm became known as Milne & Choyce when Henry joined Mary Jane as a business partner. When a prime position on Queen Street “between the banks” became available in 1909, they bought it and moved again.
Keeping pace with the most modern developments, in 1968 Milne & Choyce was the first in New Zealand to install an escalator that carried 6,000 people an hour, from the ground floor to the third floor.
With various rebuilds and an expansion from three to seven floors, Milne & Choyce remained at 131 Queen Street until it was sold, restructured and re-branded as Milnes, moving to the new Downtown Shopping Centre in the mid 1970s.
Since the 1970s, the asset has been held by various owners as a passive investment property. In 2018, the current owner acquired 131 Queen Street with the intention of restoring it to its former glory.