Henry Ely Shacklock - H.E. Shacklock Ltd

H.E. Shacklock Ltd

Henry Shacklock was a pioneer in the manufacturing of coal ranges and set up his business in 1871. The Orion coal range was the main line produced and in 1894 their product was being sold throughout New Zealand. The limited liability company of H.E. Shacklock Ltd was formed in 1900 with a capital value of 25,000 pounds. For as long as coal remained the main source of energy H.E. Shacklock was the market leader in producing solid fuel ranges and heaters. In the late 1890s Henry Shacklock became increasingly ill and suffered from bouts of depression. He gradually withdrew from playing an active role in the company he created. On 17 December 1902 Henry Ely Shacklock hanged himself in his Dunedin home. The company went on to produce New Zealand’s first electric stove in 1925 but struggled to modernise its operations. In 1955, Auckland company Fisher and Paykel Ltd acquired H. E. Shacklock Ltd. and it continued to dominate the New Zealand domestic appliance market through the era of Government protectionism. The Shacklock name was gradually withdrawn from Fisher and Paykel products.