Sidney Myer
Sidney Myer created Myer’s, one of the biggest department stores in Australia. He emigrated from Russia at the age of 20 and started off as a small merchant and went on to be the owner of a large chain store.
Early life
[change | change source]Simcha (Sidney) Myer Baevski was born on the February 8, 1878, in the Jewish section of Kritchev, Russia. He was the youngest of eleven children. He attended a primary school for Jewish children. While at school, he managed his mother’s shop and helped the shop be very successful.
When Myer was 20, he and his older brother, Elcon, moved to Australia. Myer arrived in Melbourne, Australia, as a Jewish refugee in August of 1899. He did not know English, and had almost no money and no visa. Soon after arriving, he changed his name to Sydney Myer in order to be more Australian.
Achievements
[change | change source]The Myer brothers moved to Bendigo, a city in Victoria, Australia. There they started a small drapery business, where they sold fabrics of all different styles, colors, and sizes. Because they disagreed about whether their store should be open on Sundays, the brothers decided to stop working together. Sidney bought his brother's share of the business, and Elcon moved on to Melbourne.
As Myer's business became more successful, he opened a larger store in Bendigo, and new stores in Melbourne and Adelaide. Today, Myer's is one of Australia’s biggest department stores. Myer's is known for having fashionable clothing made by many different designers.
After he went to a performance at the Hollywood Bowl, a famous outdoor theater in California, Myer created the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. In 1929, Myer began to arrange free outdoor concerts by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, held at the Music Bowl. These free concerts are still held today, and are very popular.
Myer died on September 5, 1934. After his death, Myer's family set up the Myer Foundation, which receives millions of dollars every year from the Myer family. The Foundation supports programs that benefit Australia and help Australians in need.