Our history
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The story of Domestic & General
It all started in 1912 in the most unlikely place - the Australian outback. From livestock transportation insurance out of Western Australia to early television warranties in London, we've been providing specialised insurance services to customers around the world for more than a century.
1912
In 1912, Samuel Copley started the Western Australia Insurance Company Limited (WAICO), a small firm specialising in cover for sheep and cattle transportation
1914
Two years later, Samuel took his business and expertise to the UK, offering products covering war risk, life insurance and more.
1950
Over the years, Samuel’s business dealt in a wide array of insurance, but it was the introduction of breakdown cover for early TVs in 1950 that kick-started growth.
1971
In 1971, Martin Copley, Samuel’s grandson, took over the business and made low-cost products covering domestic appliances the heart of the company.
1991
In 1991, we marked our expansion into Continental Europe by opening our French office in Paris to better serve our international customers and partners.
1992
Our Spanish office in Madrid was quickly added to our expanding European business.
1994
With our customer base growing quickly across the continent, we opened our German office in Wiesbaden in 1994.
1999
Shortly before the turn of the millennium we launched our website, letting customers pay for, renew and get quotes for plans online.
2007
Almost 50 years after relocating to London, we reopened our doors in Melbourne.
2012
In 2012 we opened our newest international office in Milan, Italy.
2013
CVC Capital Partners bought Domestic & General Group Holdings Limited in 2013, providing the vision and investment to take the company forward.
2016
We now operate in 11 countries, with offices in London, Melbourne, and major cities throughout Europe.