William Rankin set his soft drink business up in Wellington in September 1849 at which time he placed the following notice in the 'Wellington Independent' :-


Wanted,

BY the undersigned, any number of Soda Water Bottles, for which the highest cash prices will be given.

Wellington, Sept. 7, 1849.


The 1850/51 'Province of New Munster Gazette' jury lists recognised Rankin as ginger beer maker, Thorndon Flat however supplies must have been running low following the 1850/51 summer season as he advertised for bottles again in the 'Wellington Independent' from March 1851 as follows:-


Soda Water Bottles

The Undersigned will give the highest CASH price for any quantity of SODA WATER BOTTLES.

WILLIAM RANKIN,

Thorndon-Flat

March 14, 1851


Rankin was mentioned again in the 1858 'New Zealand Government Gazette' jury lists as a ginger beer maker, Pipitea Street, but no further reference to him has been found.

No user-marked bottles from this company are known to exist.