Jeweller - November 2021

INSIDE
Now & Then
Hammerton’s Jewellers
Celebrating 142 Years • MILDURA, VIC • A moment with Ryan Hammerton, director
MILESTONES
L to R: The Hammerton's Jewellers store on Eight Street, Mildura, circa 1925; an historic photo of founder
John Hammerton, taken in 1884, which won a photography prize in London in 1885.
Our retail business first commenced in
1879 at 173 Little Ryrie Street, Geelong,
opened by my great-great grandfather,
John Hammerton.
John and his son Horace were highlyregarded
silversmiths, jewellers, and
engravers, with many of their pieces now
housed in museum collections in Melbourne.
The two most prominent items are the
Geelong Mayoral Chain and a solid 15-carat
gold paperweight that was presented to
Dame Nellie Melba in 1922.
The piece was considered to have enormous
significance and was purchased by
Museums Victoria, with the assistance of
the Sunshine Foundation and the Australian
Government’s National Cultural Heritage
Account, for a staggering $130,000.
The relocation from Geelong to Mildura in
1916 is the most substantial change our
business has undertaken in its history.
Horace’s son, Horace Geoffrey ‘Geoff’
Hammerton, took the helm in 1933, and
trained in bench jewellery, engraving,
watchmaking and also as an optician.
Geoff was deployed during World War II
and spent six years away from the store,
helping to develop anti-aircraft equipment.
His wife Florence took over management
during the war and continued working in the
business for decades to come.
Ian, Geoff’s second-eldest son, joined
the business in 1968 as an apprentice
watchmaker. The tiny Eighth Street store
was a beehive of activity, with up to 10 staff!
I joined the business after a few years
pursuing a career with Hewlett Packard, but
ultimately chose to return to our regional
town. My wife Clare and I purchased the
business from my parents in 2007 and set
about refurbishing the store.
Despite our successes, we haven’t pursued
much in the way of expansion outside of
the region. The township is geographically
isolated – 400km from the next-largest
town/city – which doesn’t allow for easy
expansion into other areas.
We purchased one of our competitors’
stores, Etheringtons The Jewellers – which
was established in 1932 – as an opportunity
to differentiate our retail offer in the region.
The depth of range in jewellery in the
modern era was too much for our original
50sqm store and rather than increase the
store size, the ability to present two store
options proved to be a better outcome.
Five years ago, we were also fortunate
enough to acquire a substantial 500sqm
double-storey building next to our Langtree
Mall business, which was built by the former
retailer Thomas Jewellers.
The building design was intended for a
‘cash-and-carry’ approach with over 200sqm
of storage; we have slowly modified it to
better suit our requirements and these areas
will be repurposed as we look to expand our
range of services.
Although I’ve only been involved in the
business for around 20 years, we’ve already
seen a ridiculous number of financial crises,
huge spikes in material costs, aggressive
alternate sales channels, and competitors
entering the market.
In an era where the global pandemic has
1879
John Hammerton
opens jewellery store
Hammerton & Son
on Little Ryrie Street,
Geelong
1916
John’s son, Horace
Hammerton, opens a
second store named
Hammerton’s Jewellers
on Eighth Street, Mildura,
which incorporates
optical services
1933
Horace’s son, Horace
Geoffrey ‘Geoff’
Hammerton, joins the
business and trains in
each discipline.
1939
Geoff is deployed to fight
in World War II; Florence,
Geoff’s wife, runs the
business for six years
1968
Geoff’s son Ian joins the
business as an apprentice
watchmaker
1986
Ian opens a second
location on Lime Avenue,
Mildura
1992
The second Mildura
store is migrated to the
Langtree Mall
2003
Ian’s son Ryan joins
the business
2007
Ryan and his wife Clare
purchase the business
from Ian
2008
Ryan closes the original
1916 site and extensively
renovates the Langtree
Mall location
2010
Hammerton’s Jewellers
acquires competitor
Etheringtons The
Jewellers, located on
Deakin Avenue, Mildura
2016
The Hammerton’s
Jewellers store is
migrated into the newlyacquired
former Thomas
Jewellers site on Langtree
Mall
Above: Horace and Lillian Hammerton, the
second generation to take over the business.
rocked everyone’s businesses, being
custodian to a 142-year-old business
gives you some clarity over the challenges
that predecessors endured in the past.
Remaining somewhat conservative in your
approach to growth, adhering to better
quality, and maintaining your relationships
with customers and suppliers are critical
aspects to ensure consistency.
It’s an interesting thing to manage a
business that has operated through
five generations.
Each generation has been very different
to the next; we’ve slowly moved from very
traditional bench jewellery through to
focusing on more modern manufacturing
techniques with global capabilities.
It does have the feeling of a family legacy
that’s inescapable – for me, earning
degrees in computer science and
business, and a fledgling career in the
world of IT, wasn’t enough to escape the
pull of something very familiar!
With a rapidly changing landscape I don’t
have an expectation that my children will
follow me into the business.
Like many family business owners, I think
I’ll be averse to relinquishing control,
which will provide them with the freedom
to look into other career paths!
Whether they can secure something as
enjoyable as our industry – or return with
a view to taking over the stores – will
determine the longevity of our business.
Read the full length interview
on Jewellermagazine.com
28 | November 2021