Harry Boan

[1] He was the son of English born Jewish parents Thomas, a miner and road contractor, and Rachel Isaacs.

From here he moved between jobs in Melbourne and later Sydney, Brisbane, Toowoomba and Charters Towers including positions at 'Anthony Hordern's' and 'David Jones's'.

[1] Harry and another brother Benjamin moved to Perth, which was undergoing an economic boom with gold discoveries around Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.

The brothers purchased a site on the edge of the city which was directly opposite the Perth railway station.

Benjamin died in 1901 and in 1910 Harry bought land adjoining the Boans site so that his holdings now comprised a large single block between Wellington and Murray Streets, near Forrest Place.

[2] On 14 April 1917 Boan was elected unopposed as a member for the Metropolitan Province in the Western Australian Legislative Council for the Nationalists.

[4] The iconic Boans store finally closed on 12 April 1986 after the property was purchased by the Myer Group to make way for a $60 million site redevelopment.