Family to end 75 years in printing

Press, 6 July 1983, Page 29

Family to end 75 years in printing

By

NEILL BIRSS

The Bullivant family is quitting printing after more than 75 years of servicing the business community in Christchurch. H. W. Bullivant and Company, Ltd, of Armagh Street, is being sold, and Mr Cyril Bullivant, who will be 80 in March, and Mr Merton Bullivant, who is 75, will retire. The brothers first worked in the printing house as schoolboys during World War I, helping to fix hundreds of flags printed on calico on to sticks. These were used at the many gatherings to farewell and welcome home soldiers. The business was founded by their father, Mr Horace William Bullivant, a New Zealand-born printer, about 1906. Before that he had worked for “The Press” and as a foreman for the printer, Marriner and Spencer, earning £ 2 7s 6d a week.

When he set up in business for himself he bought the single-storey building on the firm’s present site for £7O, putting £lO down and taking a mortgage out to

cover the rest. Mr Charles Luney, enlarged the building and added a second storey about 1930. Mr Cyril Bullivant wanted to be a motormechanic, but his father told him he would have oil running into his face and ears all his life, and talked him into a printing apprenticeship.

He started in April, 1919, and has been working in the print shop since then. He is now the principal in the firm. Mr Merton Bullivant worked in the business and sales side of the firm from 1928 until 1936, when he joined the Broadcasting Department. After being manager of IZB, 2ZB, 3ZB, and 4ZB, he was director of commercial broadcasting.

He returned to the firm in 1959, and again worked in the office, latterly for three days a week only, though his brother has continued full time.

In the early years the firm was what Mr Cyril Bullivant calls a general house, printing everything from statements to wedding invitations.

It has developed into a specialty offset printer, without its own typesetting. Most of its work is for advertising purposes, and a considerable amount is for Australia.

“The days of the general printing house are just about gone,” said Mr Cyril Bullivant.

Among the memories is recollection of the time burglars took the firm’s safe. “We’ve had abut a dozen burglaries over the years,” said Mr Merton Bullivant. “Twice burglars tried to get our safe out, and failed.” but the third time they succeeded, using the firm’s own truck, which had a hydraulic lift, to help, and leaving the vehicle in the street. “The laugh was that the only thing in the safe when they took it was a bag of bananas,” Mr Merton Bullivant said. Mr Cyril Bullivant has

seen the craft of printing change radically over theyears. He believes just as much craftsmanship is needed, but now it is of a different type. “We seem to be more like a photographer’s now at times,” he said, “We’re always working with film for the offset pricess.” Mr Guy Hargreaves, a director of the advertising agency, Waves Communications, has bought the business, and will take it over from August 31. Mr Hargreaves has specialised in the print aspects of advertising, and is a former art director of “The Press.” The firm will trade under the name, H. W. Bullivant (Christchurch), Ltd.