In 1910, a federal election saw Andrew Fisher reinstated as Prime Minister, and Harry Houdini complete the first powered aircraft flight in Australia. Meanwhile, in the Sydney suburb of Pyrmont, a newly immigrated Austrian named Hans Ebner opened a butchery and smallgoods business, employing Harry Lesnie as a commercial traveller (a salesman in a horse and buggy) and Jean Lyall in accounts. The essence of what was to become a longserving business with a quality reputation was born.
During World War I, Ebner was deemed an ‘enemy alien’ (a term for those with ancestral or citizen links to countries at war with Australia) and obliged to sell his business. Lesnie and Lyall officially purchased the business, renamed it Harry Lesnie Pty Ltd, and expanded it to service all the surrounding retail food markets, butcher shops and smallgoods manufacturers.
Over the years, the business stayed close to its roots, with many family members playing an integral role developing and transitioning it across the decades – but remaining true to the original ethos of providing high quality butcher products and good service.
Harry’s sons, Emanuel and Allan, both joined the business in the 1940s. The Lesnie’s building was then situated in Murray Street, Pyrmont – and would serve as a landmark for more than 80 years (it still stands today).
The business was firmly established as a manufacturer of sausage casings and pre-mixed sausage meals, plus it supplied all the tools of trade – seasonings, hooks and knives, mincers and sausage fillers, butchers’ paper and butchers’ blocks – mostly to retail butchers.
Allan was very entrepreneurial and became sales manager, formulating sales policy and directing the sales team throughout NSW and Queensland. He was a keen supporter of industry training over many years, donating machinery and lecturing at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College on the production and use of natural sausage casings. Allan could turn the most trivial of conversations into spirited discussions – no-one who heard it will ever forget his defence of the humble sausage.
From the early ’60s, he pioneered and developed successful export markets in Japan and the Pacific region, forging strong business associations as well as many longstanding friendships. Then, in the 1970s, Emanuel’s son Howard joined the business, expanding it further into Queensland.
In 1988, the directors were brothers Emanuel and Allan Lesnie, and Don Lyall (nephew of Jean). The business sold to Lex Van Hessen who maintained the Lesnie’s name, and Allan retired. Van Hessen continued to run a profitable and innovative business, selling it to Bunzl in 2002.
Today, Lesnie’s knowledge, expertise and service is complemented by Bunzl’s innovation, global network and quality supply solutions. That original spirit of innovation and ethos of good service and quality products remain – keeping the spirit of Lesnie and Lyall very much alive.
