SA Chapter HALL OF FAME

Email: david.rosewarne@jhrosewarne.com.au

John Henry Rosewarne founded his company in 1882 on the present-day site as a blacksmith and wheelwright. The business later diversified into buggy and farm equipment manufacture.

In 1902, the company also began its association with General Motors by becoming an Oldsmobile dealer and to this day is believed to hold the oldest General Motors franchise in the world.

When John Henry retired in 1917, his sons Clarence, William and Norman took directorship of the company. The emphasis shifted to sales and service of Oldsmobile, Chevrolet and Buick motor cars and commercial vehicles.

John Clarence (Jack) joined the company in 1937 and after his war service in Papua New Guinea, returned to take over the company in 1946. General Motors Australia released their first Holden vehicle two years later. Jack became the sole proprietor of the business in 1964 and whilst he still expanded upon the farm machinery agency sales, his Holden franchise had now become a cornerstone of the business. When Jack retired in 1982, on the day J. H. Rosewarne celebrated 100 years of trading, he handed over the reins to his son David, the current owner and managing director.

As a result of high interest rates and low rural commodity prices of the 1980s, the farm machinery agencies were relinquished and the company concentrated on its new and used vehicle sales and service. David is the fourth generation of Rosewarnes and in more recent years, he has also expanded his company interests into property development in the local area in the form of holiday apartments and a retirement village. This serves to secure the prosperous succession of the next generation to the family company.

Rosewarne's was inducted into the FBA(SA) Hall of Fame in 2002.