Harry ‘Pop’ Lea Head of the family and founder of the business.  Migrated to Australia in 1888 and eventually arrived in Manly as a fruit retailer prior to setting up the Darrell Lea confectionery business in Haymarket, Sydney a few years later.
	Maurice Lea The eldest of Harry’s 5 children. He fashioned the Darrell Lea image through his creative displays and designs
	Nona Lea The second eldest and the only daughter. Played a small part in retail in the early years.
	Montague Neville Lea The most entrepreneurial of the boys. He always looked for new business opportunities and as a confectioner he always tried innovative manufacturing techniques.
	Harris Lea He was the confectioner of the family who also had great input into the procurement and maintenance of the manufacturing plant.
	Darrell Bernard Lea The youngest after whom the company was named. He had enormous drive and energy together with an artistic flair.

The history of the company goes back to February 15 1876 when young Harry Lea was born in the east end of London and later emmigrated to Australia with his family in 1888. Arriving in Perth at the tender age of 12 years, Harry’s formal schooling was negligible and it stayed that way.

He did find work, however, rolling cigars in a cigar factory, as a marine dealer, “bottle-o” and even prospecting for gold. Harry’s parents paid to have him taught the fine art of confectionery making. This eventually led to a pushcart and a barrow being wheeled around the streets of Perth and Fremantle and from which a product called Bulgarian Rock was sold. It was Harry’s first confectionery venture, an instant hit and the company is still making Bulgarian Rock today.

Harry left WA and headed for Adelaide where he met his future wife, Esther. They eventually married in 1905 and travelled back to Kalgoorlie where Maurice was born. Harry and Esther had four sons and one daughter. All of their sons were to spend their lives involved in the confectionery business. Harry and his young family settled in Ceduna, South Australia and opened a refreshment room and catering business. Two years later they moved to Melbourne where he was engaged in various businesses. Sunny Sydney appeared attractive and so finally Harry and family settled in Manly and opened a fruit shop on the Corso.

Harry and Esther Wedding

The year was 1916. It was here, the confectionery business, as we know it today, was first started. Our company’s method of displaying its products was copied from fruit shop displays which had won awards at local fruit exhibitions. During summer, the fruit business was good, however, in winter when business lagged Harry produced confectionery in the back of the fruit shop to supplement the family income. This was much more appealing than having to get up at 3am each morning to go to the fruit market.

In 1927, a shop became vacant in the Haymarket, which was then the centre of the hustle and bustle of Sydney town. Harry named the store after his youngest son Darrell. It was a combined milk bar and confectionery shop, eight feet wide and 60 feet long, situated next to the Haymarket Theatre. During picture intervals, all chairs and tables were removed from the shop to allow a greater number of customers to be served. All types of delicious confectionery were made at the rear of the shop and then sold at the front.

The Great Depression of the 1930’s was very evident, and a man who had a shirt shop in Pitt Street , offered his shop to Harry because quite simply, he was going broke. Harry was able to use the shirt racking to display his confectionery. The idea of the original Darrell Lea uniform came from adding a big bow to an artists smock such as that worn by ticket writers in those days. However, the real secret of success was the freshness of the confectionery and the fact that the prices of Darrell Lea products were half those of their competitors. Today the company is still more than price competitive but the halcyon days of half price is no longer.

Pitt Street Store

On most days the shop sold out by early afternoon and had to shut – so the family started cooking for the next day! As the business prospered, a factory was leased in Devonshire Street, Surry Hills. Over time the company outgrew the premises and then moved to No. 1 York Street , under the first arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and remained there until 1963.

Factory at York St (today the offices of the Bridge Climb)	First Uniform

Fresh product was a priority - the Darrell Lea reputation started to spread. The first deliveries were by horse and cart and twice a day! New shops were gradually added and so the business grew even further. Victorian manufacturing and retailing was established by two of Harry’s sons, Montague & Harris, in 1940.

Production in Victoria ceased in 1962 when our new chocolate factory was built at Kogarah, NSW. This site contains our only manufacturing plant and our products are freighted to all states of Australia, New Zealand & around the globe.

The wives of the three older sons played a significant role in the development of the company. The first two stores in Queensland were opened in 1967 by Maurice the eldest son, and his wife, Irene. The first store in South Australia, on the corner of King Street & Rundle Mall, was opened by Harris’ wife Sheila and their son Robert in 1969. Monty’s wife, Valerie, not only contributed to the retail side of the business but also introduced efficient and effective methods of process improvement.

Harry's Boys and their wives

On October 30th, 1980, a disastrous fire destroyed 90% of the manufacturing facilities at Kogarah. By 1982 the factory was rebuilt and equipped with new, modern machinery.

Some interesting milestones in the company’s history:-

Original Swanston St Store	Refurbished Swanston St Store

1940	Our expansion to Victoria included establishing a factory which operated from what was formerly a picture theatre. During war time it was impossible to transport confectionery and Chocolate around Australia by road as these products were not considered to be essential.
1953	14th February Darrell Lea’s iconic Rocklea Road is made and sold for the first time.
1955	The company started to manufacture its own chocolate in Melbourne from cocoa beans and cocoa butter imported from overseas.
1957	Harry passed away at the age of 82. The now famous Darrell Lea shop on the corner of King & George Street , Sydney is opened as the NSW flagship store. Darrell Lea’s famous soft eating liquorice was made and sold for the first time.  King & George St Store
1962	A new 10,000 square metre factory at Kogarah, NSW was commissioned. Jason, Monty’s son, starts full time employment in the company as a trainee manager.
1963	Charon, Harris’ daughter started working in the company as a window dresser.
1964	Regional shopping centre development continued and the company decided to expand into these centres rather than just stay in traditional street shopping strips. Roselands was the first centre in which the company opened a shop. Many others followed in the succeeding years. Lael, Monty’s son, started full time employment at the factory in Kogarah as an apprentice chocolate maker.
1966	Robert, Harris’ son, started full time work in the company as a shop assistant at the Roselands shop.
1967	Establishment of the first two shops in Queensland.
1968	The company was made public by the listing of its shares on the Melbourne and Sydney Stock exchanges.
1969	The first Darrell Lea licensee opened in Kings Cross, Sydney NSW, along with the establishment of the first Darrell Lea shop in Adelaide, SA. Michael, Harris’ son, starts full time employment with the company as the assistant accountant.
1971	Harris was appointed Managing Director of the company.
1975	Jason & Michael were appointed to the board of the public company.
1978	Michael is appointed to the position of Finance Director. Robert is appointed to the role of establishing compact outlets The first compact licensee opened in Kogarah town centre, NSW.
1980	Completion of new warehousing and chocolate manufacturing facilities at Rocky Point Road Kogarah, NSW. First shop opened in Perth. A fire destroyed 90% of the manufacturing facilities at Kogarah.
1982	The company was privatised and the factory rebuilt and equipped with new and modern machinery. The first stores were opened in Darwin.
1983	Jason was appointed Managing Director of the Company. Lael is promoted to State Manager of Victoria.
1988	Harris Lea awarded the Alfred Stauder Award for his contribution to the Australian Confectionary Industry.
1990	Darrell passed away at the age of 62. The company built a 7,000 pallet warehouse at Ingleburn, NSW to enable it to cope with greater seasonal business.
1991	Harris passed away at the age of 76.
1996	Maurice passed away at the age of 90. The Company reconstituted its Board of Directors and appointed the first non family chairman.
1997	The Company appointed it’s first non family CEO. The Company celebrated its 70th Birthday.
2002	Monty passed away at the age of 93. In October the Company sent its first shipment of Darrell Lea branded liquorice to the United Kingdom.
2003	Current CEO John Tolmie is appointed to run the family business.
2004	Jason Lea won the CMA Alfred Stauder Award for Excellence, following in the footsteps of his uncle Harris, who won it in 1988.
2005	In June we sent our first order of Darrell Lea branded Liquorice to North America. Jason passed away in September at the age of 62. The second liquorice plant was commissioned and was opened by the Hon. Warren Truss MP.

Lea Family celebrating the new liquorice factory opening
Warren Truss MP & former Darrell Lea CEO John Tolmie opening the new liquorice plant

2009   Stuart Smith is appointed in May as CEO of the Company.

The company has expanded rapidly since 1964 and has grown from a small base of 18 shops, to over 1,100 Darrell Lea outlets throughout Australia. The majority of these stockists are licensed outlets often found in pharmacies and newsagencies.

This business has been owned by the Lea family for the past 80 years and is now in its fourth generation. Harris’ son, Michael, and son-in-law, Ron, are the last family members still active in the business in Sydney, as is one of Monty's sons, Lael, who operates a store in Ringwood, Victoria.