This year we mark an important milestone for Hogans - 80 years of exceptional craftsmanship and service. In this journal, we journey through the archives and rich history of Hogans, reflecting on the remarkable evolution we've undergone over the past eight decades. From what started with one person's passion for the jewellery industry to where we stand today, ours is a story of small family business. The story of Hogans Family Jewellers is rooted in the vision and dedication of our founders, Jack and Madeleine Hogan, whose legacy continues to shape our specialised approach to jewellery today.
The Story
Cast your mind back to the 1940’s. The first general-purpose electronic digital computer was invented, Brisbane’s Story Bridge had just been completed, Don Bradman was at the peak of his career and World War 2 was coming to an end by 1945. All the while, a young lady, Madeleine Hogan, had been working as a Sales Assistant in the jewellery department at David Jones in Sydney City.
It was in 1945, Jack and Madeleine moved back to their rural home region of Griffith, New South Wales to soon realise Madeleine’s dream, opening a jewellery store of her own. It was at this point in time that Hogans Family Jewelles was born. After eight years of hard work establishing their roots in regional New South Wales, Jack and Madeleine made the decision to move their young family and business interstate to Toowoomba. They say it was the warmer climate and tree-lined streets that they fell in love with after travelling through on their way to the Queensland coast for a family beach holiday.
Jack and Madeleine eventually found a tenancy in Ruthven Street and officially opened the first Toowoomba location in 1953. During the early stages of this tenancy, they made the risky decision to put all of their profits back into the business rather than a house for their growing family of eight. Residing at the back of the shop, they would work long hours to slowly but surely, build a name around the Toowoomba area for quality service and jewellery. All six children spent time working in the business, whether it was bookkeeping or working as qualified watchmakers and jewellers. An opportunity soon arose for Jack and Madeleine to purchase their own piece of the Toowoomba CBD - this property located at 243 Margaret Street, would become the new Hogans showroom where the business would reside for close to 45 years.
Jack and Madeleine's son, Peter, spent his entire working career at Hogans, taking over operations and ownership of the business alongside his brother, Paul. As the family's first fully qualified jeweller, Paul built a reputation as a skilled Master jeweller and designer over his 43-year career until handing over the reins to his son and our current Managing Director, Lachlan.
In November of 2022, Hogans Family Jewellers opened its new premises at 241 Margaret Street, Toowoomba. Having spent 45 years in our previous location, the requirement came for a new purpose-built workshop and showroom. Occupying a multi-level building, the new showroom and workshop boast a reclaimed antique heritage brick façade, a luxurious Turkish travertine showcase and foyer, Blackbutt timber flooring, pressed metal ceilings, and brushed brass trims. This grand new space not only reflects the historical architecture of the surrounding CBD but provides unparalleled access to view our fully functioning workshop where our team of highly skilled, award-winning jewellers craft bespoke masterpieces.
The Archives
Nothing tells a story like a photograph, so we've compiled some of our favourite images from our past 80 years in business - from our first store opening to a collection of our ring boxes from eras gone by.
