Robert Hannah

1 Nov

The Hannah name, synonymous with quality and affordable New Zealand shoes, can be traced back to 1868 when Robert Hanna (originally without the "h") arrived in the Westland gold town of Charleston and took over the footwear business of W G Jackson.

Little remains of Charleston today but R Hannah & Company lives on as a shoe manufacturer and retailer, surviving in a tough consumer market.

Hannah was born near Belfast, Ireland. He sailed to Queensland in 1864 but followed the gold rush to the West Coast. Hannah left the Coast for Wellington in 1874 and founded R Hannah & Company, creating a company with stores nationwide.