Old Tins - Aulsebrooks

Robert Ewing McDougall, 1860-1942
Robert McDougall was born in Melbourne on 27th December 18601, and brought as a child to Christchurch in 1863. He was educated at Charles Cook’s Private School and Christ’s College, and began his career as a junior clerk in the Colonial Bank of New Zealand, Christchurch, in 1875. For most of his working life he was, however, associated with the firm of Aulsebrooks.
Aulsebrooks bakery was established in 1863, by John Aulsebrook, on a Colombo Street site. In 1879 Robert McDougall’s father, W.E. McDougall, bought in as partner and a new factory was built at the corner of Montreal and St Asaph Streets. After two years the partnership ceased, but in 1883 Aulsebrook approached McDougall again. W.E. McDougall declined further involvement, but bought an interest for his son. Until 1889, when John Aulsebrook moved to Sydney and sold out to Robert, Robert managed Lane’s Flour Mill, on Mill Island in the Avon near the Hereford Street bridge, good preparation for his later association with Aulsebrooks2.