John Barnes & Co Pty Ltd

John Barnes Locksmiths is a family owned and operated company servicing commercial and residential customers throughout Melbourne. From our humble beginnings in 1949, we’re transformed from a modest locksmith company to one of the most respected businesses in the industry. John Franklin Barnes founded the company on the corner of Swanston and Little Lonsdale. Ever the entrepreneur, Barnes introduced the DeHavilland Jet Boat to Australia and was one of the first Victorian distributors of the famous Victor lawn mower. By 1951, Ron Roberts had come on board as a business partner, and the pair developed a strong understanding of the direction they were heading. Back in the 1950s, the locksmith industry was relatively new. But with the support of locally iconic manufactured products - including Ogden Industries, Astra Hardware, Dalco and R.B.Davies - John Barnes Locksmiths created one of the first shop fronts for security products in Melbourne.