History

1937 Dr John Leslie Dart, a Brisbane eye specialist purchased a property on the western side of Mt Cootha. He immediately planted bananas but was unhappy with the marketing arrangements operating at that time.

1939 Dr Dart purchases Stewart's Banana Ripeners and changed the name to "Trumps". The premises were located in Turbot Street opposite Little Roma Street - a stone's throw from George Street.

1951

Dr Dart's son, John Peden Dart, joins the business. The adjoining fruit and vegetable agency was purchased which enabled the business to establish two modern temperature controlled ripening rooms in 1952.

1953 John P Dart leaves the business to work in the US for 12 months. On his return he worked in other family businesses - returning to Trumps in 1956.

1957 A good year for peanuts in the Alstonville area (near Lismore) and Lismore Banana Company, who had a roaster, encourage Trumps to sell roasted nuts in their shells. Next year nuts were short and the prices increased so a new roaster was located under John Dart's house.

1964 The fruit and vegetable markets were shifted to their present position at Rocklea. Trumps was located at Section "1A" and we like to say, facetiously, "at the smarter end of the market". Being on the end of the block was not the best location for selling fruit, vegetables and bananas. However, it was convenient for nut and dried fruit buyers to pick up their goods as they left the market.

1968 Peanuts were short, even in Kingaroy, and to import them Trumps needed quarantine premises. The little house at Moorooka was Trumps' first real "factory".

1974 The year of the big flood in S E Queensland. It is said "As the last case of bananas floated away so did the ripening activity at Trumps". However, the knowledge and benefit of temperature control, learned in banana ripening became the mainstay of Trumps' success as Queensland's first specialist nut and dried fruit wholesaler. The factory at Moorooka was extended.
Dr Dart decided to sell out his financial interest in Trumps to the second generation.

1984 In the ten years from 1974 to 1984 sales grew from $741,000 to $3,600,000 - a 500% increase. The little old house was replaced and the building next door acquired by the company.

1992

John P Dart's son, Declan John Dart, joined the firm while studying at QUT for his Degree in Business. He upgraded the computing functions of the company.

1996 By 1st July 1996 sales had grown to $8,400,000. Declan Dart took over the company after he completed his degree with a major in Accounting. He became the third generation owner.

1998 Trumps broadened its horizons including many new products suitable for the Restaurant and Catering trade. That year sales topped $10,000,000. The new owner, Declan Dart, commenced a Professional MBA (Master of Business Administration) at Bond University on a part-time basis graduating on 6th February 1999.

2000 Trumps reaches 60 years in business and sales had exploded to $15,000,000. The company needed more space to cope with its expansion. On 30th October 2000 Trumps shifted to its current factory which can accommodate 2,500 pallet spaces in a state of the art cool room. This ensures product integrity and quality for all the company's clients.

See images below of the new Trumps factory.


Trumps' new factory at Rocklea	A section of the new temperature controlled warehouse	A vertical form and fill packaging machine	A vertical form and fill packaging machine

Selection of Trumps' large range of products	The continuous roaster producing smoked almonds	The batch mixer with a capacity of 750kg

Address: Trumps, Rocklea, QLD 4706, Australia
Phone number: 61 7 3274 7111, Fax: 617 3274 7175
Email: Trumps

1937	Dr John Leslie Dart, a Brisbane eye specialist purchased a property on the western side of Mt Cootha. He immediately planted bananas but was unhappy with the marketing arrangements operating at that time.
1939	Dr Dart purchases Stewart's Banana Ripeners and changed the name to "Trumps". The premises were located in Turbot Street opposite Little Roma Street - a stone's throw from George Street.
1951	Dr Dart's son, John Peden Dart, joins the business. The adjoining fruit and vegetable agency was purchased which enabled the business to establish two modern temperature controlled ripening rooms in 1952.
1953	John P Dart leaves the business to work in the US for 12 months. On his return he worked in other family businesses - returning to Trumps in 1956.
1957	A good year for peanuts in the Alstonville area (near Lismore) and Lismore Banana Company, who had a roaster, encourage Trumps to sell roasted nuts in their shells. Next year nuts were short and the prices increased so a new roaster was located under John Dart's house.
1964	The fruit and vegetable markets were shifted to their present position at Rocklea. Trumps was located at Section "1A" and we like to say, facetiously, "at the smarter end of the market". Being on the end of the block was not the best location for selling fruit, vegetables and bananas. However, it was convenient for nut and dried fruit buyers to pick up their goods as they left the market.
1968	Peanuts were short, even in Kingaroy, and to import them Trumps needed quarantine premises. The little house at Moorooka was Trumps' first real "factory".
1974	The year of the big flood in S E Queensland. It is said "As the last case of bananas floated away so did the ripening activity at Trumps". However, the knowledge and benefit of temperature control, learned in banana ripening became the mainstay of Trumps' success as Queensland's first specialist nut and dried fruit wholesaler. The factory at Moorooka was extended. Dr Dart decided to sell out his financial interest in Trumps to the second generation.
1984	In the ten years from 1974 to 1984 sales grew from $741,000 to $3,600,000 - a 500% increase. The little old house was replaced and the building next door acquired by the company.
1992	John P Dart's son, Declan John Dart, joined the firm while studying at QUT for his Degree in Business. He upgraded the computing functions of the company.
1996	By 1st July 1996 sales had grown to $8,400,000. Declan Dart took over the company after he completed his degree with a major in Accounting. He became the third generation owner.
1998	Trumps broadened its horizons including many new products suitable for the Restaurant and Catering trade. That year sales topped $10,000,000. The new owner, Declan Dart, commenced a Professional MBA (Master of Business Administration) at Bond University on a part-time basis graduating on 6th February 1999.
2000	Trumps reaches 60 years in business and sales had exploded to $15,000,000. The company needed more space to cope with its expansion. On 30th October 2000 Trumps shifted to its current factory which can accommodate 2,500 pallet spaces in a state of the art cool room. This ensures product integrity and quality for all the company's clients. See images below of the new Trumps factory.