Supermodels, streetscapes and 188 years of Australian style: David Jones through the years – in pictures
News Source
•Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:00:27 GMT
📰 What Happened
The Guardian has published a photo history of David Jones, from its early Sydney shops to its collapse this week. The gallery runs through 188 years of the retailer. Early frames show the Elizabeth Street store in 1931, its garment factory in 1946, the Coronation Choir in 1953 and a giant Union Jack hung for the Queen's 1954 tour. Later photos show fashion parades with Megan Gale, Ian Thorpe launching underwear, and Christmas windows in 2011.
🔍 The Backstory
David Jones opened in Sydney in 1838 and grew into a symbol of Australian style. Its Elizabeth Street store, opened in 1927, is still the flagship. From 1944 to 1985 the store even housed an art gallery that showed work by Sidney Nolan and Russell Drysdale. The chain moved its head office to Melbourne in 2016 and closed its separate Bourke Street menswear building in 2022 as shoppers moved online.
🎯 Why It Matters
The photos show what Australians are about to lose: a store that was part of family life for generations, not just a shop.
The Guardian has published a photo history of David Jones, from its early Sydney shops to its collapse this week. The gallery runs through 188 years of the retailer. Early frames show the Elizabeth Street store in 1931, its garment factory in 1946, the Coronation Choir in 1953 and a giant Union Jack hung for the Queen's 1954 tour. Later photos show fashion parades with Megan Gale, Ian Thorpe launching underwear, and Christmas windows in 2011.
David Jones opened in Sydney in 1838 and grew into a symbol of Australian style. Its Elizabeth Street store, opened in 1927, is still the flagship. From 1944 to 1985 the store even housed an art gallery that showed work by Sidney Nolan and Russell Drysdale. The chain moved its head office to Melbourne in 2016 and closed its separate Bourke Street menswear building in 2022 as shoppers moved online.
The photos show what Australians are about to lose: a store that was part of family life for generations, not just a shop.