Hardy Brothers

Hardy Brothers

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Type	Private Company
Industry	Retail
Founded	1853, Sydney, Australia
Founder	John Hardy
Headquarters	Brisbane, Australia
Area served	Sydney Brisbane Melbourne Perth
Products	Jewellery, timepeices and decorative arts
Slogan	Desired since 1853
Website	Official website

Hardy Brothers is a specialty retailer and private company of fine jewellery, timepieces and decorative arts in Australia. Its historic products are now highly collectible and are held in state and national collections. It is the only Australian jewellery business to hold a Royal Warrant and since 1980 has produced the Melbourne Cup.

History

Hardy Brothers was founded in 1853 by Jeweller John Hardy, an Englishman newly arrived in Sydney, NSW, Australia. In 1855, the business moved to Hunter Street, Sydney, NSW and remained there until 1935. In 1894, the business expanded to Queensland with the opening of a store in Queen Street, Brisbane. A store was opened in Collins Street, Melbourne, in 1918. In 1929, Hardy Brothers were appointed jewellers by Royal Warrant to His Majesty King George V. The business remained in family control until 1974 and was then taken over in 1980 by Qintex and controlled by that company until 1988. It was then bought by the McKinney family and lastly by Wallace Bishop in 1997. Wallace Bishop is a family owned jewellery company established in 1917 and now run by the fourth generation. Stuart Bishop is the current CEO.

Managing directors

The Collins Street Melbourne Store

• John Hardy
• Walter Hardy
• Percy Hardy
• Richard Hardy

Chief executives

• Jack Leckie
• Harry Quayle
• Arthur Sims
• John McKinney
• Stuart Bishop

Stores

• 255 Queen Street, Brisbane
• 60 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
• 345 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood Chase
• 338 Collins Street, Melbourne
• 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone
• 47 King Street, Perth

Sporting trophies

• Hardy Brothers proudly crafted the Melbourne Cup between 1981 and 2015.
• Hardy Brothers created the Peter Brock Trophy, which has been given to the winner of the Bathurst 1000 since 2006.

External links

• Official website

• Carter's price guide to antiques
• Powerhouse Museum
• The loving cup trophy
• By Appointment (Gail Franzmann – The Macmillan Company of Australia, 1980)
• McKinney's — Timeline
• The Courier-Mail Queensland jewellers Wallace Group still prospering after four generations
• The Courier-Mail John McKinney reminisces about his history in the jewellery business
• Diamond Guide
• Hardy Brothers — Melbourne Cup