The Sypkes are a prominent business family from

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, Australia. They came to prominence after they immigrated to Tasmania from the Netherlands, where Engel Sypkes went on to found the Purity supermarket chain in 1958. The chain was sold in 1981, at the time encompassing 16 stores. The family presently owns, in addition to 50% of Shiploads, the Sypkes group which consists of their real estate and investment holdings across Tasmania.

Sypkes Family

Engel Sypkes

Engel Sypkes was an Australian businessman from the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

who migrated to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

in 1951. In 1951, Engel, his wife Ann and their three children migrated from the Netherlands amid new threats of war in Europe. They came by plane on the same flight as the Vos family, who established the

Roelf Vos Roelf Vos (1921 – 2 December 1992) was a Dutch Australian businessman who established a supermarket chain carrying his name initially in Launceston, and later throughout northern Tasmania. The equivalent in the south of the state was Purity ...

supermarket chain in northern Tasmania. Shortly after arriving in Tasmania, the family opened a small general store in

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

. After a trip to the United States Sypkes was exposed to 'Modern Merchandising Methods'. Shortly after his return to Tasmania he opened their first Purity supermarket in

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

in 1958. Before its sale to

Woolworths Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...

in 1981, his supermarket chain encompassed sixteen stores throughout southern Tasmania.

Peter Sypkes

Engel's sons Peter and

Rudie Sypkes Rudie Sypkes (20 May 1950 – 8 February 2008) was an Australian businessman from Tasmania. Sypkes was the co-founder of the Chickenfeed retail chain. Biography Sypkes was born in Tasmania to immigrant parents from the Netherlands. He began hi ...

founded

Chickenfeed Poultry feed is food for farm poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic birds. Before the twentieth century, poultry were mostly kept on general farms, and foraged for much of their feed, eating insects, grain spilled by cattl ...

in 1990, a chain of discount variety stores located throughout Tasmania and sold in 2001 for an estimated $35 million (AUD). In 2017, Peter sold his holdings in

Aconex Aconex Limited (ASX: ACX) was an ASX 200 listed public Australian company providing mobile and web-based collaboration technologies for project information and process management (also sometimes described as project management or project extra ...

as part of a takeover bid by

Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization. The company sells da ...

for an estimated 12.8 million. Peter Sypkes was appointed honorary consul of the Netherlands to Tasmania in 2012. He is the patron of the Dutch Australia Society

Rudie Sypkes

Rudie Sypkes went on to invest in various businesses, including an investment advisory company, real estate in Queensland and oil in Texas. In 2002 Rudie was appointed honorary consul for the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

to Tasmania and in 2007 won the AICD Tasmania Gold Medal Director of the Year, presented by the Governor of Tasmania. He was also a director of the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies Rudie Sypkes died of

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), or (formerly) fibrosing alveolitis, is a rare, progressive illness of the respiratory system, characterized by the thickening and stiffening of lung tissue, associated with the formation of scar tissue. It is ...

in 2007. Before his death the Sypkes family donated $600,000 (AUD) for respiratory medicine research. His passing was noted by the media and politicians, with tributes made by the Premier, State Opposition Leader and during a session of the federal parliament Senator David Bushby.

Andrew Sypkes

Rudie Sypkes son Andrew Sypkes invested in the Shiploads chain of discount stores in 2011, just shortly before the collapse of the family's former company Chickenfeed, the main competitor of their new venture. They were blamed for contributing to the demise of Chickenfeed by the company's communication manager, because of their continued ownership of a number of the store locations. He is also an investor in construction tech company Varicon.

References

{{Authority control Australian businesspeople People from Tasmania