Georges (store)

Georges was a department store in Melbourne, Australia, established in 1880 and closed in 1995.
Georges Store began as George & George's Federal Emporium, founded by brothers William and Alfred George, in 1880, moving in 1883 to a large four storey building at 280 Collins Street (originally 11-17 Collins Street East, which had been built in 1877 as Briscoe’s warehouse). In 1888 they amalgamated with the Equitable Co-operative Store, located in a grand classical revival style building at 162-168 Collins Street (originally 89 Collins Street East) built in 1884, and designed by architects John Grainger & Charles D'Ebro. In September 1889 a disastrous fire destroyed their 280 Collins premises (which was then replaced by the first stage of the Block Arcade), after which they simply rebranded the 162-168 Collins Street location. In 1891 the building was refurbished and extended through to Little Collins Street, designed by D'Ebro alone.
There were two smaller branches of the store - one in the Jam Factory on Chapel Street, South Yarra, and the other on Burke Road, Camberwell.
The store's motto was "Quod facimus, Valde facimus" (What we do, We do well), as the firm had a philosophy of providing exclusive goods and meticulous service. The firm was taken over by Cox Brothers from 1960–66. The company was later listed on the Melbourne Stock Exchange as Georges Australia Limited, and then David Jones Limited took over that company in 1981, finally closing in 1995.
A family anecdote.
Geroge's remains such a well remembered part of Melbourne's history that the Powne family holds this personal connection to this day. William Powne was a migrant from Cornwall, who initially had a drapery business in Ballarat named Powne and Cray, and later worked for the George brothers when the store was still the Federal Emporium. In 1886, they treated valued employees so well that when he gave notice that he would be leaving to start a drapery business in Clarendon St, Melbourne, the George brothers gave Powne a purse of sovereigns 'as a token of their respect and goodwill'. This kind act was perhaps so unusual, and the company so prominent, that it was reported in The Age on 14 September 1886. 
These sovereigns have been passed down through William Powne’s children and beyond and in 2020 still continues, with the success story of George and George being front and centre.