When did the first Dick Smith store open in NZ?

[tezza]

Hi,

I'm doing some more System 80 research. Does anyone know if Dick Smith had a store (or stores) in New Zealand in 1980-1983? I know there wasn't a store here in Palmy. I got my System 80 from Viscount Electronics. But maybe there was a store in Auckland or ChCh? I've got this 1981 Electronics Australia ad. which says "Now available in New Zealand". Of course that doesn't mean there were DS stores here. It might only mean it was being imported here by third parties (like Viscount Electronics).

Does anyone know?

[Radar]

The NZ Companies Register has the following listed for Dick Smith Electronics

This is to certify that DICK SMITH ELECTRONICS NZ LIMITED was incorporated under the Companies Act 1955 on the 8th day of April 1981

This is to certify that on the 26th day of March 1981 the application of DICK SMITH ELECTRONICS PTY LIMITED, a body corporate incorporated in Australia, for
registration under Part XVIII of the Companies Act 1993 to carry on business in New Zealand was registered on the overseas company register

[recycled]

And regarding the location of the first store, 98 Carlton Gore Road, Newmarket, Auckland. It is likely the phone number is no longer good, so I'll keep that to myself - even though the copy of the '82 catalog I uploaded and have linked to elsewhere may have all that for you. I have here the brochure that was printed with the advertising blurb and specifications, the company listed is Compucation Systems in Tauranga. Where Dad bought our machine all those years ago. So looks like it took them a year or more to get through-out the country. Check out the photobucket dump http://s1150.beta.photobucket.com/user/recycled_nz/media/DSECLG2/back_cover.jpg.html?sort=6&o=8 I've referenced in another post, but I recall Terry has a copy on his website too.

[WelshWizard]

strange just today I got a box of CBM bits, but what do I find on opening it, ( first out of thye box)
two books
Tandy
Introducing Your Color Computer 3
and
Tandy
Color Computer 3 Exrended Basic.
Lord knows what I will do with them even had Sinclar tapes in the box, with one Laser 5.25" disk drive for the C64c

[arjoll]

They were certainly doing mail order by about 1984 or so, dad used to order stuff regularly from there. We'd also always stop at David Reid on the way through Dunedin to see my grandmother in Oamaru each new year, seeing they had a far better range than Southland Switchboards!

The Invercargill branch was a David Reid rebrand.

[tezza]

Check out the photobucket dump http://s1150.beta.photobucket.com/user/recycled_nz/media/DSECLG2/back_cover.jpg.html?sort=6&o=8 I've referenced in another post, but I recall Terry has a copy on his website too.

Yea. LOL. I just love those cheesy DS Ads. Not to mention DS himself, the haircut and the fashions.

Thanks for confirming what I suspected. Looks like their store open sometime in 1981.

Just working on a System 80 YouTube video. Had to be sure of my facts.