Description

Samuel Mullen (1828-1890) was an Irish-born bookseller, active in Australia. In 1844 Mullen was apprenticed to Currey and Company Booksellers and some time afterwards went to England and joined the wellknown firm of Parker and Company. With his friend, George Robertson, he sailed for Australia in the Great Britain and arrived at Melbourne in 1852. Mullen went to the Western District to visit some friends and stayed for six months on a station. He then joined George Robertson as his first assistant in Melbourne and remained with him until 1857. Mullen went to London to act as buyer for Robertson, but the arrangement fell through and Mullen decided to start for himself in Melbourne. He returned with a brother, W. L. Mullen, and a good stock of books, and began business in Collins Street in 1859. He started a high-class library based on Mudie's which became a leading lending library in Melbourne. The book-shop was also very successful, a large stock was carried, and it was for long a centre of intellectual life in the city.