You've Gone where??
With Father's Day approaching I thought of a
store in the Sydney CBD my father and many others used to frequent. In my case
my dad could always find a suitably priced and well fitting pair of
"strides" and get a great haircut at the same time!
The founder has not totally been forgotten but as
time elapses his name and Department Store that was once synonymous with all a
man could want, will be.
JOHN ELLIS SYMONDS GOWING
John was born in 1835 in Eye, Suffolk, England,
the eldest son and one of ten children to Ellis Symonds Gowing, 'gentleman'
farmer and his wife, Charlotte. With the repeal of the Corn Laws at the time,
which would cause great loss to the family business, John sailed for Sydney in
1857 intending to purchase farming land. Due to the discovery of gold,
increasing agriculture and sheep farming, the Australian economy was booming
and his parents and siblings followed him out to these shores the following year.
Farming was not what the family were to prosper
in.
John found work upon his arrival in Sydney in a
Harbourside warehouse and soon after commenced work in retail with David Jones.
He rose to be in charge of the Mercery (textiles such as silk, linen, etc) and
Glove Department and lived above the store.
In 1863, five years after his arrival, John
opened a drapery business in Crown Street, East Sydney and in 1873, he and his
younger brother Preston, opened another the Mercery and Glove Department at 318 George
Street, Sydney. The following year, a new warehouse, Edinburgh House, was
opened nearby at 344 George Street Sydney.
In May 1874, John married Elizabeth Andres, a
milliner and two years later Preston also took a bride and gave up his job as
the Manager of another outfitters to join his brother. When the brothers opened
another store at 498 George Street, their youngest brother, Charles Mac, joined
them.
Gradually ladie’s gloves and umbrellas became
less important and Gowings became known as a high-class gentlemen's outfitters
stocking the best quality goods that could be sold.
During the depression of the 1890's Gowing Bros.
began to advertise as a "cash" business while still maintaining their
reputation for high quality goods. They also appealed to rising sentiment with
their store holdings proclaiming "Australian wool for Australian
people". Their mail order business became increasingly popular with the
highest quality goods made exclusively for Gowings.
Preston Gowing died in 1900 and in 1907 John
arranged the transfer of the business to Preston's son Robert Preston and his
own sons Preston Lancaster and Reginald Mack.
John Gowing died quietly at his home
"Lyndhurst" Stanmore after a short illness in 1908 and was survived
by his wife and eight children. John was a prominent Mason and a Founder of the
Royal Arch Masonic Lodge in Petersham and an 'impressive Masonic service' was
conducted by Brother Rickard of The Lodge at his burial site in Rookwood on 3rd
October.
In 1929 John's son Preston oversaw the
redevelopment of the site to the building that now stands at the corner of
George and Market Streets. It became one of the most prominent Department
stores of Sydney, specialising in men’s goods, catering to all budgets, for
decades. In the 1990's Gowings embarked on an ambitious expansion plan, opening
four more Gowings stores in other locations in Sydney.
Although successful in the City, their locations
in suburban areas failed to attract customers and they had many competitors in
a shrinking market. In 2005 after years of losses, the firm entered
administration. The last remaining Gowings store, its flagship, in the Sydney
CBD closed it's doors on 29 January 2006. The building was then taken over by
Supre, then in 2011 became Sydney's first ever Topshop store. MECCA Brands,
Australasia's leading beauty retailer, took over the site opening on 27
November 2020.
The Gowings name still exists within the building
in the Gowings Bar and Grill which is part of the QT hotel complex on the large
site.
So many generations of father's bought shirts, suits, trademen’s attire and had a haircut and shave in their own personal Department Store for decades.
John Ellis Gowing is buried in the old Anglican
section of the Cemetery and his brother Preston and family are only a few
metres away. His parents and younger brother Charles Mac are not far away from
both of them.
I am sure there are many people who remember
shopping at Gowings flagship store, I only wish I had paid more attention to
the store as I wandered in an out over the years.
Feel free to comment below or add your reminiscences
or comments at the facebook group page under
rookwoodcemeterydiscoveries
and I will reply as soon as I can.
Happy Father’s Day!!
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