Gowing Bros History

Company history GOW

In 1863, John Gowing opened a drapery business in Crown Street, East Sydney, New South Wales. He entered into partnership on 4 November 1868 with his brother Preston Robert Gowing, who had been working as a storekeeper in Victoria. They set up the Mercery and Glove Depot, at 318 George Street, which John managed for £200 per annum plus half the profits of the business. This store was located on the corner of Market Street and George Street and the site was redeveloped in 1929 by John's son, Preston Lanchester Gowing, both as an investment and prime retail location. It became one of the most prominent and famous department stores in Sydney. In recent years Gowings embarked on an ambitious expansion plan, opening four more Gowings stores in other locations in Sydney.

In 2001, Gowings divested the stores to an independent listed company, Gowings Retail (later G Retail), to enable them to concentrate on their investment and property interests.Although successful in the City, their locations in suburban areas failed to attract customers.

In November 2005, after three years of successive losses, G Retail Ltd entered administration. Attempts to sell the business were unsuccessful and the last remaining Gowings store was the one in George Street, Sydney, which closed its doors at 5:23pm on 29 January 2006. The building was then taken over by Supré. After 5 years, the building opened its doors to the public as Sydney's first ever Topshop store in 2011.

What Happened to the Gowings Dept store building ????

THE long-absent gargoyles are back at Gowings as one of Sydney's most historic landmark buildings is transformed into a destination hotel. The QT Hotel
The 17-month restoration project retains the distinct heritage of the Gowings building and the State Theatre.

Now, the hip can sip, eat and sleep in QT, a fashionable new hotel where staff wear "character" costumes in keeping with the theatre of the area.

The building was purpose-designed back in 1912, built for the Gowings Bros department store. The retail family owned and occupied some of the building from 1929 until they went into receivership in 2006. Amalgamated Holdings bought the building for $69 million and has spent almost that figure on demolition and redevelopment.
Gothic features, originally designed by the renowned architect Crawford H. Mackellar, have been returned to their former glory. The gargoyles and statuettes were removed for safety during World War II.

The hotel's managing director, David Seargeant, said accents from the original building were featured throughout the suites. Old cabinets and shop fronts were retained. Guest rooms used original doors and floors while SpaQ uses heritage tiles and stained glass in treatment rooms.

"In a sense, we've brought a contemporary vision that taps into Sydney's heritage to create a really unique space. We took on a rather extensive restoration program to retain and reinstate key architectural details on the exterior and interior of the State Theatre and Gowings buildings which infuses a sense of nostalgia into what is a very modern, creative concept. It's certainly no retro refit, there's a beautiful balance of past, present and future."
And it is not just the decorative features that have had new life breathed into them. A barber shop has also been reborn with the art of the "cut-throat shave" reigniting traditions past.
After your shave, you can buy a coffee in the cafe, a cocktail in Gilt Lounge or let Rob Marchetti, the creative food director from North Bondi Italian, knock you up something at Gowings Bar and Grill. You just won't be able to buy any camping gear.

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