Musgroves Music
Musgroves Music has been in business since 1922, although on the ASIC website, the business was first registered on 29 August 1985 (and current). It appears they originally went under the business name of Musgroves Limited.
The Musgroves Music business name, with no information as to when it was first registered, was cancelled on 4 November 2016.
The Facebook page "Musgroves & Clef Music" posts on 16 December 2016, that Musgroves Music has now closed in Perth City (882 Hay Street) and refer all customers to Zenith Music.
Just like the Clef Music website, which is also no longer online, the Musgroves website only contains a homepage with contact information and the type of guitars they stock.
It appears they once had a shop on McKenzie's Buildings, Hanna Street in Kalgoorlie (1936 -1947), Bunbury (1927) and they were the owners and operators of brodcast station 6ML.
1923 - November - Musgrove's Ltd is established with £25,000 (equivalent to the purchasing power of an estimated $446,916 in 2023) by Mandeville D'Oyley Musgrove, Arthur Thomas Gray, Robert Douglas Scott and Frederick Charles Kingston.
1924 - October 4 - Despite only being in business for less than a year, Musgrove's Limited rapidly expand to move out of their 92 William Street premises and into the four-storey Lyric House building. This would enable them to expand their showrooms to include every musical instrument on show, every musical composure available, an Academy of Music to entertain and to instruct and a concert room. Unique to Perth is the soundproof rooms in which there are 15 of them, plastered with coke brieze, "a composition wholly impervious to sound," as well as double-lined doors.
1926 - November 20 - Musgrove's purchase a business in Bunbury's Victoria Street.
1926 - The Sunday Times reviews the centre of attraction at this year's Perth Royal Show as being that of the Musgrove's marquee with their piano demonstrations and Brunswick phonographs. In particular is the Panotrope, which is produced in collaboration with Brunswick Phonographs Co, The Westinghouse Engineers Co, General Electric Co and the United States Radio Corporation.
1928 - December 22 - An ad in the Albany Advertiser for Musgrove's music warehouse, located on York Street, have a huge range of music instruments including the famous Brunswick and Rexonola gramaphones.
1929 - The West Australian agency for Stromberg Carlson radios is acquired by Musgroves.
1929 - October 13 - Musgrove's musical emporium are at the Perth Royal Show, with a big display of everything from pianofortes, records, radios and many other music instruments that would normally be on show at their renown Lyric House.
1930 - January 17 - Musgrove's purchase Lyric House for $73,090.
1930 - January 23 - Muscrgrove's accept a tender by the National Musical Federation Ltd of Adelaide, owners of 5KA station, to contruct a 'B' class station. The range of the statio is expected to be from Albany to Geraldton and to Kalgoorlie on the east. This will require Lyric House to have a 60 feet high aerial system installed on the roof.
1930 - March 19 - The official opening of Western Australia's first B-class radio station 6ML, which is owned and operated by Musgrove's Limited took place from Lyric House.
1931 - August 30 - The depression has severely hit Musgrove's hard, seeing a substantial company loss of £6,940 in the financial year to June.
1933 - November 27 - The WA Broadcasters radio station are established (now 6IX), a joint company between the WA Newspapers and Musgroves. The studios are located above the Musgroves Shop.
1934 - April 9 - Musgrove's Perth Royal Show attraction this year is their display of Stromberg-Carlson receivers, with all-wave sets being able to receive programs from London, America, Europe, Japan and every Australian station all on the same dial.
1935 - October 13 - Musgrove's are back at the Perth Royal Show and their highly anticipated long-range reception radios, particularly that of the Stromberg-Carlson brand, is high in demand. Country people in particular, have travelled the long distance to attend and Musgroves are confident they have enough to "supply every demand at prices within the reach of everybody".
1943 - The transmitter for 6ML radio is closed, as a result of technical staff shortages due to World War 2
1948 - December 17 - Lyric House, which operates under lease by Musgrove's Limited, was sold to the Diocesan Board of Trustees (Anglican Church) for a price said to be around $90,000. Musgrove's Limited will continue to occupy the premises, which are located opposite to Forrest Place and the Commonwealth Bank.
1952 - Monday 6 - A fire broke out in Lyric House just before 8am, causing an estimated £40,000 damage. Five people including a 12-year old boy who were on the second floor at the time, managed to escape without injury. Firemen from three stations rushed to the scene and compounded by the lack of wind, were able to stop the spread to nearby buildings. It was under control at approximately 8.40am. Broadcasting station 6IX were live on air when the fire broke out and were off air for an approximate four minutes before they could resume broacasting from an emergency studio in Newspaper House (129 St Georges Terrace). The 12 year old boy was with his music teacher and in attempting to escape, they were trapped in a lift. Leaving them no choice, they had to force open the doors and make the 10 feet jump to the ground.The fire was believed to have started in the packing room at the rear of the building.
1963 - The West Australian buys out Musgroves' 50% share of WA Broadcasters.
2013 - Musgroves Music sells their property for $9.05 million after an expression of interest attracted 60 prospective buyers.
2015 - October 7 - A development application is lodged with the City of Perth on the site of Musgroves Music's long term home at 900 Hay Street. The proposal consists of a 250-room hotel with restaurants, bars and guest facilities over 25 storeys and a cost of $38 million.