Our History

Elder & Co is born

At just 36 years old, Thomas Elder joins his brother, George Junior, in Adelaide. Together they form a new partnership, Elder & Co. The business holds a strong position in shipping and wool broking.

Wool business takes off

Elder, Smith & Co offers Adelaide's first ever wool-broking facilities. They have a network of agents across 64 rural towns and are shearing over 1.5m sheep across their properties, yielding 300,000 bales of wool.

Brisbane branch opens

With the opening of an Elder, Smith & Co branch in Brisbane, we are now present in every capital city on the Australian mainland.

Merger with Goldsborough Mort

Elder, Smith & Co merges with Goldsbrough Mort to become Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort (Elders GM), with a new head office in Adelaide. By 1969, the business controls almost 30 per cent of the national wool clip.

An era of transformation

Robert Holmes a Court offers to buy 50 per cent of Elders' capital. Led by John Elliot, Henry Jones IXL merges with Elders GM to form Elders IXL. We subsequently acquire Carlton United Breweries and add more than a dozen businesses to our company.

The pink shirt

The now iconic pink shirt becomes the Elders uniform. Staff across Australia carry a resounding sense of pride when wearing the beloved pink shirt.

Rapid expansion

After a rocky decade, we now have over 400 locations across Australia, and representation in Japanese, Indonesian, Chinese, German and Italian markets. By the following year we record a $102 million profit, our second-highest in history.

The Global Financial Crisis

The global financial crisis hits Elders hard. In response, we outline a plan to return to a pure-play agribusiness, and undertake a divestment plan to reduce debt.

New leadership

Mark Allison is announced as the new company Chair, becoming Executive Chair as the Chief Executive stands down after five years in the role.

The turnaround

We pay dividends for the first time in nine years. Our first Eight Point Plan introduces technical and digital services as key pillars.

A new milestone

For 185 years, Elders has been embedded in the fabric of Australian agriculture. We are intrinsically linked to rural and regional communities, and continue to invest in our regions, keeping them strong and viable.

End of an era

Mark Allison retires from role as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, after leading Elders through one of the most successful periods in its history.

Rene Dedoncker is appointed as the Elders Group’s next Chief Executive Officer.

For the future

Now on our fourth Eight Point Plan, Elders is in a strong position to carry on our trajectory of sustainable growth. Key strategic priorities in sustainability and innovation will allow us to develop future-focussed solutions for our clients, allowing us to support farmers and their communities for generations to come.