P&K Milestones from 150 years

1872 – 73

In the beginning …

In 1872, George ‘Tiny’ Pain, the entrepreneurial travelling salesman son of settler parents, reached agreement with Wellington merchants Frederick Krull and W. Whitten, to supply him with goods for resale. After a short time trading, he was able to open a store at Wharekākā in the vicinity of what is now Martinborough Transport. It was moved to the new town of Martinborough in 1873.

1881

Thomas Haycock became a partner and Pain & Haycock was formed.

1889

In 1889 George Pain sold his business to John Gallie, but remained the landlord. Gallie relocated to Martinborough in 1887 and became the postmaster at Martinborough, before taking over the general store from Pain. Within two years, Pain bought the business back.

1899

John Kershaw joined the business as a one-third  partner in 1899. Two years later Pain changed his business focus to farming, allowing Kershaw to take over running the store as managing partner. Pain remained a silent partner in the business, alongside Kershaw and Thomas Haycock, a partner since 1881. 

1904

Thomas Haycock sold his shares to John Kershaw to concentrate on his  farming interests at  Whakatomotomo and Homeburn. 

1905

John Kershaw increased his holding and the business became Pain & Kershaw. Plans were developed for a new and substantially larger store, with the tender for construction awarded to Mr H. Trotman of Greytown at an estimated cost of £3,500. During construction the original timber building, which adjoined the new construction, was destroyed by fire _ causing an estimated £300 damage to the new premises.

1908

The new shop with its Martinborough Square frontage was opened. The 1908 store was a stunning building for its day with large ornate parapets and a flying banner that sat above the store displaying the proprietor’s names. Internally it was flooded with light from its many windows and the distinctive light tower above the store.

1914

By the start of World War 1 the business owned 20 horses for deliveries. But modernisation of the transport fleet meant a motorbike and sidecar bought in 1915 replaced five of the horses. In time, the land used to house and graze the horses was donated to the Council and formed a large part of Considine/Centennial Park.

1918

Mrs Christina Kershaw (nee Tilson) married Jack (John) Kershaw. The pair had four children, but Christina became a widow and solo mother when Jack died in 1931 of septicaemia after only 13 years of marriage. She kept the business running with help from her supportive staff, accountants and lawyer through The Great Depression and World War 11.

1923

By this time Pain had no children and was busy with farming and other business interests. John Kershaw bought him out in 1923. One of the conditions was that Pain’s name remained in the business. Pain & Kershaw attained formal Certificate of Incorporation Number 1439.

1942

Earthquakes extensively damaged the shop frontage, facade, verandahs and stock.  U.S. Marines using explosives to demolish part of the frontage helped break almost all the buildings glass windows _ leaving the shop without glass in the windows for six years because of a world shortage.

1942 – 45

Kershaw brothers Harry and John were overseas on active service, and following their return, the quake-ravaged building was rebuilt and enlarged in 1948. The contractor was Mr Rigg from Masterton, and the rebuild took nine months. At this time many of the double brick walls were strengthened and made into quadruple brick. 

1945

In 1945 Harry returned from the war after being wounded by shrapnel in Italy. In 1946 after considering going farming, his mother requested he return to the family business to help run it as she had been doing since 1931. John became grocery and hardware manager; Harry ran the business until his death in 1988.

1973

Centennial year for P&K. 

David Kershaw, son of Harry, was asked by his father to help with the shop’s centennial in 1973. 

His father assured him it was only six months’ work, but David remained there until his retirement in 2013, 40 years later. David Kershaw was the third generation of the family to run the store.

1985

David Kershaw developed the Mitre 10 franchise business into a full home improvement and building supplies facility. Demand saw a purpose-built Mitre 10 store built in 2001 on the site where it stands in 2023.

1998

Celebration of 125 years, which included replacing old cantilever verandah with original Rolled Iron type. More than 130 current and former staff held a formal luncheon in the Town Hall.

2002

Move into new Mitre 10 premises and Timber Barn.

2013

Conor Kershaw becomes the fourth generation of the family to run the stores. By 2021 he has begun  the demolition and rebuilding of the whole P&K store complex.

2023

Opening of the rebuilt and upgraded P&K store on the same Square-frontage site, with greatly expanded grocery and food offering, new fashion shop and Square-side cafe.