Page 9 - Pharmacy History 22 Mar 2004

An ordinary pharmacist?
by Geoff Miller
A brief biography of Charles Edward Allingham MPS, who was not famous, nor was he notorious, but he was a man of many talents, as we shall see.
Pharmacists who were trained under the old apprenticeship arrangements will remember the
very legalistic indenture agreement that was signed by the registered pharmacist and the parent or guardian of the apprentice and was a requirement of all of the State Pharmacy Boards at
the time.
Before World War II, it was not an uncommon practice for the terms of the Indenture to have a clause inserted requiring the payment of a premium to the registered pharmacist for undertaking the training of
the apprentice.
Some would have said that such a payment was to cover any damages caused by the apprentice, or the cost of materials used in the dispensary for training exercises, but to others it offset the wages that were required to be paid to the apprentice.
A typical Indenture for an apprenticeship in NSW in 1922, was that signed between Walter Leslie Brooks and Flora Beatrice Allingham, the guardian for Charles Edward Allingham, which included a provision for the payment of £100 ($200) at the time of signing the indenture.1
In some cases potential pharmacists were unable to become apprenticed because their families could not afford the premium asked, whilst in others, the Pharmacist celebrated the signing by purchasing a new motor car or something similar.
Walter Brooks had opened a Drug Store in Ultimo NSW in 1921,
but moved to 300 Oxford Street Paddington, an inner suburb of Sydney, at the end of 1922. This was when Charles Allingham signed on as his apprentice for a three year term.
Brooks was quite entrepreneurial
and at the end of 1927 he formed a Company, Brooks & Co, which traded not only from Oxford Street, but also at 240 Elizabeth Street and
Charles Edward Allingham
Street Sydney.3
In 1930 he married Angela Lennox and they lived in Bondi, and according to his business card he advertised himself as specialising in Pharmacists Shop Bottle labels.
These labels were produced photographically using the process described in the previous article (see page 8).
He also advertised that he produced advertising flash lamps, art show-cards, box signs and business cards.
In 1932, Charles Allingham was employed at Peterson’s Pharmacy at 384 Darling Street in Balmain, and during that time he was the secretary of the Balmain–Rozelle Chemists Association and he was involved in negotiating new fees to be charged by private pharmacies for Lodge dispensing.
Just as WWII broke out in 1939 Thomas Peterson decided to sell
out and Charles Edward Allingham became the proprietor of the Balmain Pharmacy.4
The Allinghams lived above the shop, and for the duration of the war Charles Edward was man powered into a heavy machinery plant, where he acquired metal working skills.
He continued dispensing in the pharmacy at night, making his range of household remedies to order, and his wife delivered them during
the day.
He had his brother to look after
the accounts, and by this means
he managed to keep his business operating. His story is typical of
the struggle that thousands of small businesses had to endure during those dark days.
Coming from a country farming background, hard work would not have been a stranger to Charles Edward, and also would have provided him with a bent for inventiveness and
Charles Allingham’s first employment as a Pharmacist was with Mr.H.J.Falk at
186 George Street Sydney.
9 George Street in Sydney.2
Charles Allingham passed his final examinations at the University of Sydney, and was registered by the Pharmacy Board on March 8, 1927. His first employment as a pharmacist was with Mr.H.J.Falk at 186 George
volume 2 ■ no 23 ■ July 2004
Pharmacy History Australia ■ 9