Situated at Pendle Hill in Sydney's Western Suburbs, Harper Timber was first established in 1854 under the name Coates & Harper, making it one of Sydney's oldest timber companies. Harper's was originally located in Granville as sawmillers and timber merchants. In 1858 a branch yard opened in George Street, Parramatta, now the current site of the Roxy Theatre. By this time the telephone had come to
the area and Coates & Harper was line No 9. In due course the business changed its name to L. Harper & Co, and the first meeting of the new company was held on 12th October, 1912. In june 1918 the Darcy Street mill was relocated to a site in Morton Street on the north bank of the Parramatta River. At the time the river was quite navigable and the mill was ideally located for unloading timber transported up river on lighters from Sydney Harbour. A lease of the wharf area was obtained on 27th September 1918, and the Darcy Street yard was still retained as a holding area. By the 1920's Sydney (and indeed the world) found itself thrust into an era of immense industrial growth made possible by the expansion of the rail transport system. Harper's grew and prospered accordingly. The Great Depression of the 1930's was an economic disaster for many businesses, but despite the severity of the times Harper's managed to survive. By 1938, a flourishing building trade saw Harper Timber again prosper and establish itself as one of the leading timber suppliers in Sydney, During this time, Mr. Harper took charge of the business and subsequently changed the trading name to Harper Timber Co. Then in 1939, the outbreak of World War II saw scarce timber resources diverted to the war effort. During this period the business almost ceased selling timber to the public and the yard facilities were diverted by Government order, to ready-cut units for accommodation of armed forces. In 1945, Mr. Neil Harper was appointed Managing Director of Harper Timber Pty. Neil had commenced working in the family business in 1926 before enlisting in the army. In 1962, the rapid growth of the Parramatta central business district and the subsequent increase in rates and land tax, forced the company to re-locate the yard and mill three miles west to new premises in Wentworth Avenue, Pendle Hill. On 4th July 1988 Mr. Neil Harper retired from the business after selling to Timber Corporation Pty. Ltd, still continuing to trade as Harper Timber to this day, more than 150 years after commencing near Parramatta. In 2007 the business of Chadwicks Timber was merged with Harper's, further adding a new phase of growth to Harper's business. Over the past 20 years, Harper's has continued to grow, up-dating and maintaining its re-milling and manufacturing facilities and its large range of specialized high quality timber and wood based products. This privately owned Australian company has continued the long established history of the company and maintained its reputation for Quality, Service & Reliability.
