[1] On arrival in Australia in 1878 from Ayrshire, Scotland, James McWhirter worked for merchants DL Brown & Co. before entering into partnership with Mr Duncan Sinclair in a South Brisbane drapery business, c. 1883.

McWhirter sold out to Beirne in 1898, and in the same year purchased Michael David Pigott's drapery business, located in leased premises across the road at 292 Brunswick Street.

[1] James McWhirter was an experienced manager and astute businessman who established his drapery business just as the Queensland economy was recovering from the severe economic depression of the 1890s.

Despite the slowing of the economy engendered by the widespread drought of 1900–1902, McWhirter was in a position to capitalise on Queensland's economic boom of the early 20th century, and within three decades the firm he established in 1898 had expanded from a small drapery business to one of Brisbane's largest and most sophisticated department stores, with a principal store occupying over an acre of land bounded by Brunswick, Wickham and Warner Streets, Fortitude Valley, at the well-known Valley Corner.

This is explained partly by the ready availability of efficient public transport – train from the late 1880s and electric tram from the late 1890s; partly by a rising population in the surrounding suburbs of New Farm, Bowen Hills and Newstead; but most importantly by the healthy spirit of competition between the Valley's principal retail stores – TC Beirne Department Store, McWhirters, Overells and later the ACB Company and Waltons as well – which attracted customers from all over Brisbane.

In 1905 the firm was registered as a private company, McWhirter & Son Ltd, and by 1907 was listed at 292-298 Brunswick Street, having expanded into several adjacent shops east of the original building.

The majority of their clientele were women, so besides drapery and a particularly fine millinery department, the firm stocked medicines, perfumes, silks, and home furnishings.

The facade of the Brunswick Street building had been remodelled by 1909 with the first arcade front in Brisbane, and the firm's colourful window displays were a great attraction.

Reportedly purchased for £8,000, McWhirter intended to erect on this site, thoroughly modern and well-equipped buildings, such as will meet the requirements of the ever-increasing trade.

Every effort had been made to design the most modern and progressive of department stores, with new devices for the comfort, convenience and prompt attention to customers.

In an innovative move, hundreds of silky oak display tables permitted customers to browse and inspect goods without being dependent on sales assistants.

On the second floor were furniture, carpets, linoleum, and on the third were crockery, glassware, kitchenware, toys, and for the convenience of customers, a tearoom overlooking the Brisbane River and suburbs.

The earliest of the grand department stores was Aristide Boucicault's Bon Marche, which opened in Paris in 1852, followed by Macy's in New York City in 1860.

[1] To complement the refined department store environment, customers (predominantly female) experienced a superior quality of service, the object of which was to make them feel special and confident.

Often this entailed an attitude of deference, but more commonly in Australia this developed into cheerful, polite efficiency and promises of honesty and fair dealing.

McWhirter and Son Ltd were at the cutting edge of department store culture in Brisbane, prospering through the 1910s despite the slowing of the Queensland economy during the First World War.

By 1921 McWhirter's Motor Garage was operating on the north side of Ballow Street in Fortitude Valley, to house and service the firm's fleet of delivery vehicles.

The mail order department had remained an important and lucrative aspect of the business, and McWhirters also offered credit and lay-by systems.

The builder was George Alexander Stronach of Brisbane, who tendered with a price of £112,000; the 800 long tons (810 t) of structural steel was manufactured and erected by local firm Evans, Deakin, & Co. Ltd; and Wunderlich supplied the terracotta tiles used on the truncated corner as well as pressed metal and fibrous cement ceilings.

On the ground level three separate "lock-up" shops fronted Brunswick Street, for businesses which traded after normal (5.30pm closing) store hours.

Its facade has continuous piers and arched openings to the first and fourth floors, and is trimmed with rendered concrete sills, lintels and insets.

Internally, this 1912 section retains some of its pressed metal ceilings with floral motifs and some column capitals with plaster scrolls, and has an encased steel structure.

This corner has two continuous brick piers crowned with an arched tiled panel rising above the parapet line, which bears the McWhirter's monogram "McW" in a Lily of the Valley motif.

The growth of the McWhirters complex is important in demonstrating the pattern and evolution of Queensland's history, reflecting the late 19th/early 20th century development of Fortitude Valley as a major commercial and shopping centre, which was sustained well into the post-Second World War period.

Historically, McWhirters is also significant in providing evidence of the development and nature of early 20th century department stores in Queensland, and of the shopping culture engendered by them.

The 1930–31 building has a finely detailed landmark Art Deco corner demonstrating a rare aspect of Queensland's cultural heritage.