The Charlie Story
Origins of a legend
The story begins with Sali Mahomet, born around 1866, most likely in Central Asia. Family lore places his childhood in places as varied as Ceylon, Arabia, Russia, or Ashkhabad, as Sali himself offered differing accounts of his origins — perhaps to ensure acceptance within the British Empire. His father, Sultan, had roots in Northern India, and together they made their way through Australia to Dunedin in the 1890s. They built their livelihood as hawkers travelling through Otago, Canterbury, and Westland.​
It all began in 1903
Sali settled in Christchurch in 1903, purchased an ice cream recipe, and commissioned a distinctive red, white, and gold cart. He applied to sell from Cathedral Square, setting up outside the Bank of New Zealand.
A business built on ice
By 1907, Sali’s operation had grown sophisticated. He moved production to an electrically powered dairy behind his Caledonian Road home. A rare photo shows him with a hand-cranked churn beside two belt-driven Westinghouse machines and a mixing tank—a cutting-edge setup for the era.
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Ingredients came from trusted local suppliers: Tai Tapu Dairy Company for milk and cream, H. F. Stevens for syrups and vanilla essence. Ice delivery was an early-morning routine: a horse and cart brought heavy blocks from the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, and the ice-and-salt method kept both the churn and daily stock cold until sold in town.
Family and community
On 5 January 1906, Sali married Florence Henrietta Johnston, a 19‑year‑old Christchurch woman, becoming the loving father of four daughters— with names reflecting cultural richness (Rahona, Rupee, Tulah, Florence).
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Sali’s generosity was well known. He gave free ice cream at Christmas to orphanages and neighbours, offered a bed to a family displaced by fire, and used his success to build a stylish kauri home, complete with decorative woodwork and a “dairy” tucked away behind.
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He was also practical and hands-on and even extended an electric line to his dairy when the grid barely reached Bealey Avenue.
A Christchurch institution
By the 1910s, “Ice Cream Charlie” was a household name in Christchurch, and Sali was a beloved Christchurch character. His vanilla cones, glass sundaes with silver spoons, and take-home tubs became part of everyday life.
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For nearly four decades, Charlie was a fixture in the Square, with generations of children growing up knowing summer wasn’t official until his cart arrived.
Despite enduring racist taunts (“Ching Chong, Indian” or being labeled a “Turk”), Sali stayed kind and forward-thinking, befriending diverse neighbourhoods, interpreting in court, supporting hockey players at home, and installing a telephone when those were luxuries for others.
The first changeover
In 1942, at age 76, Sali suffered a stroke that forced him to retire. He passed away the following year on 7 October after a second stroke - but by then, his nickname 'Charlie' had outlived Sali. He is buried at Linwood Cemetery with his father who passed away in 1905.
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Two original carts are now preserved at Ferrymead Heritage Park, symbols of a century-old tradition.
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The next owner, Victor Wilkinson, was already well-known in Christchurch for his 'Vanilla Ices' brand. He ran a cream-coloured van under that name, but after taking over Sali's business in 1943, he continued as "Ice Cream Charlie", ensuring the name lived on. The name has been kept alive through six more families that have honoured Sali's original vanilla recipe, values, and of course, his nickname.
Changing of the guards
Ken and Joan Barnes succeeded Victor in the ownership of Ice Cream Charlie in the 1960s and ran the cart in Lichfield and Hereford Streets before settling into its long-standing spot on Armagh Street at the edge of Victoria Square - where Ice Cream Charlie can still be found today. Ken was known as the city's third "Ice Cream Charlie" and Ken and Joan were well-known for their friendly service and strong community links. Ken was a Lions Club stalwart and famously said, "The customer is king".
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Max Barnes took over from his parents and kept running Ice Cream Charlie into the modern era. It was 1999 when the business transferred from the Barnes family to the Taylor family.
The earthquake era
George and Raewyn Taylor were described as the fourth owners and still owned the business when the 2011 Christchurch earthquake hit. The central city was red-zoned and cordoned off for more than two years, but they triumphantly returned to Victoria Square in November 2014 - welcomed by hundreds of excited locals keen to get their familiar and loved Ice Cream Charlie fix.
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In September 2018, the Taylors retired, and new owner Katey Lane took over. The shortest chapter in Ice Cream Charlie's history, Katey sold the business a year later in late 2019 to the McIsaac family. Though her tenure was brief, she carried the name into a new generation before passing it on.
The arrival of Peggy
The McIsaac family took on Ice Cream Charlie and had intentions of giving the old cream and pink van a much-needed upgrade. However after more than 70 years of faithful service, it proved to be unsustainable to update the old and irreplaceable components. Subsequently, this van was also donated to Ferrymead Historic Park in Christchurch and can also now be viewed there alongside the original two carts.
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The McIsaacs commissioned a new van and affectionately named it "Peggy". It was unveiled by Mayor Lianne Dalziel in December 2020. Of course, Sali's original vanilla recipe continued to be carefully guarded while modernising the brand.
The legacy lives on
In mid-2025, the McIsaac family made the heartfelt decision that the time had come to farewell Ice Cream Charlie and place the 122-year-old Christchurch institution on the market.
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Recognising the importance of protecting such a cherished piece of local heritage, the McIsaacs entrusted the next chapter to Gareth and Sarah Eddy.
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Like so many Christchurch locals, Gareth and Sarah grew up with fond memories of trips into town for a special Ice Cream Charlie treat.
Today, they are proud to carry those memories forward as the new guardians of this much-loved icon and tradition.