A. E. Gerard

Alfred Edward Gerard (11 August 1877 – 13 October 1950), generally known as "A. E. Gerard", was a South Australian electrician and businessman who founded the Adelaide companies of Gerard & Goodman and Clipsal.

William Gerard (c. 1843 – c. 24 May 1916) of Tintinhull, Somerset, married Emily Russell (c. 1845 – 14 June 1908) on 12 October 1865. Two months later they left for South Australia on the Trevelyan, arriving at Port Adelaide on 22 March 1866, and made straight for Burra, where he found work as a trolley driver at the mine. They had two children: Sarah Ann "Annie" Gerard (1872 – 20 May 1946), who married James Thomas Walker on 27 June 1894 and lived at Burra, and Alfred Edward Gerard.

Alfred was born in Aberdeen, Burra, South Australia, the son of William Gerard and Emily née Russell. He was educated at Burra Public School, and his first job was with John Perry's Burra Carriage Factory, then in 1894 left for Western Australia. There he worked for the Railways, then for William Sandover & Co. in Fremantle. He then worked for a time as a bread carter, then as head storeman for Throssell, Son, & Stewart at Northam. He went for a short time to the goldfields of Kalgoorlie, then at the urging of his sister Annie returned to South Australia, but shortly moved to Broken Hill, where he opened his own camera shop in 1897. After three years he returned to Adelaide, and found work with flour millers Edwin Davey & Sons in Salisbury, as engineer and manager of their electric lighting plant. Annie introduced him to Elsie Goodman; they married on 26 March 1902.

They moved to Adelaide, renting a house at 20 Vine Street, Prospect, and finding work with the electrical firm Davis Purvis, then moving on to the well-known company of Ellis & Clark. In 1907, with a loan of ₤100 from his father-in-law William Goodman (c. 1838 – 29 May 1909) of "Ashfield", Salisbury, he set up his own contracting business in their rented home, and soon had enough work to hire an assistant. When his workforce had reached five he moved the business into the basement of the bicycle shop at 200 Rundle Street east. The company name "Gerard and Goodman" was registered on 3 August 1908 and in 1910 they moved; for a few months they rented premises in Twin Street. then to 100 Pirie Street, and soon took over the shop next door, number 102. The company was incorporated on 15 March 1912. In 1920 Gerard & Goodman began making conduit fittings, branded "Clipsal", referring to their fittings being compatible with those from other manufacturers. In 1921 he bought the company's first freehold property, in Synagogue Place. As business expanded and diversified, he bought the shop at 132 Rundle street for an electrical and radio retail and repair shop. That arm of the business was later transferred to 192–196 Rundle Street east, adjacent to the Synagogue Place warehouse, which had meanwhile expanded to four storeys.

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