David Jones of Australia is celebrating its 180th birthday this year. Founded in 1838 by Welsh merchant and later politician David Jones, the company currently operates 45 stores around the country, as well as one in New Zealand after the acquisition of Kirkaldie & Stains in 2016. The store hosted the first ever showing of Christian Dior's collection outside Paris in 1948. It also held a special banquet for Queen Elizabeth II at the Elizabeth Street store in Sydney during a royal visit in 1954.  In 1974, David Jones acquired 12 stores in the US trading as Buffum's. These were eventually closed in 1991. After discussions of a merger with rival Myer, David Jones was acquired by South African group Woolworths in 2014. David Jones was briefly a member of the IADS in 1979, and then again from 2001 to 2004.