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Musgrove's Music
History
Musgrove's Music have been in business since 1923, although the ASIC website lists the business as first being registered on 29 August 1985 (and cancelled on 19 March 2020). It appears to have originally begun as Musgrove's Limited.
On the Facebook page Musgrove's & Clef Music, a post dated 16 December 2016 states that Musgrove's Music has now closed in Perth City (882 Hay Street) and refer all customers to Zenith Music.
Just like the Clef Music website, which is also down, the Musgrove's website only contains a homepage with contact information and the type of guitars they stock.
It appears they once had a shop in McKenzie's Buildings on Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie (1936 -1947), Bunbury (1927) and they were also the owners and operators of broadcast station 6ML.
Timeline
1923 – November: Musgrove's Ltd is established with £25,000 (equivalent to the purchasing power of an estimated $446,916 in 2023) from Mandeville D'Oyley Musgrove, Arthur Thomas Gray, Robert Douglas Scott and Frederick Charles Kingston.
Lyric House
1924 - October 4: Despite being in business for less than a year, Musgrove's Ltd rapidly expands and move out of their 92 William Street premises and into the four-storey Lyric House building. This would enable them to expand their showrooms:
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to include every musical instrument on show,
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every musical composition available,
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an Academy of Music to entertain and to instruct,
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as well as a concert room.
The building contains no less than 15 soundproof rooms, something that is unique to Perth. It is plastered with coke brieze, "a composition wholly impervious to sound," as well as double-lined doors.
1926 - November 20: Musgrove's purchase a business in Victoria Street, Bunbury.
1926 - The Sunday Times reviews this year's Perth Royal Show centre of attraction, the Musgrove's marquee with their piano demonstrations and Brunswick phonographs. In particular, the Panotrope which is produced in collaboration with Brunswick Phonographs Co, The Westinghouse Engineers Co, General Electric Co and the United States Radio Corporation.
1928 - December 22: An ad is published in the Albany Advertiser for Musgrove's new music warehouse located on York Street, informing readers of their huge range of music instruments, as well as the famous Brunswick and Rexonola gramophones.
Oak Cabinet with Rexonola Gramophone (undated)
1928 - December 22: An ad is published in the Albany Advertiser for Musgrove's new music warehouse located on York Street, informing readers of their huge range of music instruments, as well as the famous Brunswick and Rexonola gramophones.
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Brunswick Wind-up Panotrope (1926)
1929 – Musgrove’s’ acquires the West Australian agency for Stromberg Carlson radios.
1929 - October 13: At this year’s Perth Royal Show, Musgrove's musical emporium have a big display of pianofortes, records, radios and many other music instruments, that would normally be on show at the Lyric House.
1930 - January 17: Musgrove's purchase Lyric House for $73,090.
1930 - January 23: Musgrove’s accepts a tender from the National Musical Federation Ltd of Adelaide, (owners of 5KA station) to construct a 'B' class radio station. The station’s range is expected to reach Albany to Geraldton and as far east as Kalgoorlie. This will require a 60 foot high aerial system to be installed on the roof of Lyric House.
1930 - March 19: The official opening of Western Australia's first B-class radio station 6ML, which is owned and operated by Musgrove's Limited, takes place from Lyric House.
1931 - August 30: The depression severely hits Musgrove's hard, with a substantial loss to the company of £6,940 in the financial year to June.
1933 - November 27: The WA Broadcasters radio station is established (now 6IX), a joint company between the WA Newspapers and Musgrove’s, with the studios located above the Musgrove’s Shop.
1934 - April 9: The Perth Royal Show’s biggest attraction this year for Musgrove’s is their display of Stromberg-Carlson receivers. All wave sets are able to receive programs from every Australian station, as well as London, America, Europe and Japan.
1935 - October 1: Musgrove's are back at the Perth Royal Show and their highly anticipated long-range reception radios, particularly the Stromberg-Carlson brand, is high in demand. Country people in particular, have travelled long distances to attend. Musgrove’s are confident they have enough to "supply every demand at prices within the reach of everybody".
1943 - The transmitter for 6ML radio is forced to close, due to a shortage of technical staff as a result of World War 2.
1948 - December 17: Lyric House, which operates under lease from Musgrove's Limited, sells to the Diocesan Board of Trustees (Anglican Church) for a price said to be around $90,000. Musgrove's Limited continues to occupy the premises, which are located opposite Forrest Place and the Commonwealth Bank.
1952 - Monday 6: A fire breaks out in Lyric House just before 8am, causing an estimated £40,000 damage. Five people including a 12-year old boy, who were on the second floor at the time, manage to escape without injury. Firemen from three stations rush to the scene and are able to stop the spread to nearby buildings by 8.40am. Broadcasting station 6IX is live on air at the time of the fire. They manage to resume broadcasting from an emergency studio in Newspaper House (129 St Georges Terrace) and are only off air for an approximate four minutes. The 12 year old boy and his music teacher attempt to escape but become trapped in the lift. They manage to force open the doors and jump to the ground 10 feet below. The fire is believed to have started in the packing room at the rear of the building.
1963 - The West Australian buys out Musgrove’s' 50% share of WA Broadcasters.
2013 - Musgrove’s Music sells up for $9.05 million after an expression of interest attracts 60 prospective buyers.
2015 - October 7: A development application is lodged with the City of Perth on the site of Musgrove’s Music's long term home at 900 Hay Street. The proposal consists of a 250-room hotel with restaurants, bars and guest facilities over 25 storeys at a cost of $38 million.
2015 - October 7: A development application is lodged with the City of Perth on the site of Musgrove’s Music's long term home at 900 Hay Street. The proposal consists of a 250-room hotel with restaurants, bars and guest facilities over 25 storeys at a cost of $38 million.
2017 - 1 November: Jaxon begin construction on the new $80 million, 250-room Mantra hotel. Douglas Partners are contracted to the two-stage geotech report.
