FitzGerald's Department Stores (FitzGerald's) was

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

's largest chain of

department stores A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appea ...

. The chain was rebranded and relaunched as Harris Scarfe in 1995, and the renamed stores continue to trade today.

History

FitzGerald's was founded in March 1886, when George Parker FitzGerald—one of the early scholars of

Hutchins School , motto_translation = Character lives after death , city = Hobart , state = Tasmania , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Independent, day & boarding , ...

—established a wholesale business at 79 Collins Street, Hobart (later occupied by W. Coogan & Sons, now called Coogans). The original store was completely destroyed by fire in July 1911, and was rebuilt within eight months, with the new store opening on 21 March 1912. FitzGerald's was a Tasmanian majority family owned department store business until it was acquired by

Charles Davis Limited Charles Davis Limited was a department store company established in Hobart, Tasmania in 1847 and is one of Australia's oldest companies. It had several businesses across the surrounding states in industries such as manufacturing, boating includ ...

in 1981. It was by far the largest Tasmanian department store retailer, with a substantial flagship store in

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

with frontages to Collins Street, Murray Street and Elizabeth Street. FitzGerald's also had substantial stores in Launceston and Burnie (occupying the site of a former theatre), as well as stores in suburban Hobart ( Eastlands and Moonah) and a small (600 square metre) store in

New Norfolk New Norfolk is a town on the Derwent River (Tasmania), River Derwent, in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. At the Census in Australia#2011, 2011 census, New Norfolk had a population of 5,543. Situated north-west of Hobart on the Lyell Hi ...

(occupying a general store built in 1914). When the Venture chain of department stores collapsed in 1994, FitzGerald's acquired and rebadged the Venture stores at Devonport and Ulverstone. Briefly, between 1993–1995, FitzGerald's operated a store at Forest Hill in suburban

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. This was Harris Scarfe. It later became a Harris Scarfe store then Myer and now it is a Harris Scarfe again. In 1995, after incurring annual trading losses exceeding $2 million, the FitzGerald's chain was merged with Charles Davis' Harris Scarfe department store chain, with all of the stores being brought under Harris Scarfe management and rebadged as "Harris Scarfe". Although the stores continue to operate under the Harris Scarfe banner, several have closed: New Norfolk in 2000, Eastlands in 2002 and Burnie in 2008. The Launceston store has been substantially reduced, with the store almost halving in size due to the sale of the Mikinlay's building, a former neighboring department store. In 2017, the Hobart store closed temporarily for a major redevelopment and reopened in 2018, however, closed soon after in 2020 due to financial problems.Wilkins, K. (2020, April 8). Harris Scarfe’s Hobart store will close its doors “in the near future.” The Mercury. https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/harris-scarfes-hobart-store-will-close-its-doors-in-the-near-future/news-story/b7e3d36a22ebcff571f34e977eb0929a

References

* Charles Davis Limited 1995 Annual Report {{Authority control Retail companies established in 1886 Australian companies established in 1886 Companies based in Hobart Australian companies disestablished in 1995 Retail companies disestablished in 1995 Defunct department stores of Australia