Regional communities such as Charters Towers want to ensure that not only visitors shop in the area, but locals as well. The township of Charters Towers is drenched in history due to its gold-mining fame. Settlers travelled from all over the world and from within Australia for their chance in a share of riches. To support a growing settlement, supplies need to be bought and sold, thus the establishment of trading in stock and goods started succeeding during the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. It is here that famous names of the region such as Titleys and Hollimans made their mark.
Titleys now in its fourth generation, originally established as a bootmaker in 1926 and has recently stepped into the future with a large new retail offering at Goldtower Central. The move to the Goldtower retail precinct has given W.Titley and Co. a total floor area of 1376m2. The floor area allows the opportunity to have all the Western Wear under one roof. Stocking the leading Australian brands; Akubra, R.M Williams, Thomas Cook, Pilbara, Just Country, and Statesman. As well as global brands such as Ariat, Cinch, Panhandle and American Hat. It is fair to say that anyone living in the Charters Towers region and neighbouring towns would have purchased a pair of jeans or two at Titleys.
“The first few weeks of trading in the new premise has been overwhelming, and the response from the community has been nothing but sensational. The comments have been so positive, and it is very humbling to now be providing hundreds of brands in western wear in this new store,” says the owner, Tony Titley.
Goldtower Central is now ready to make its mark in the supply of commercial, industrial, and retail areas to support the next phase of growth in the region. An announcement on the horizon is that Hollimans originally founded in 1904, will combine their current outlets to give their customers a one-stop shop, with Hollimans Rural Mitre 10 signing a recent lease. Goldtower Central importantly is now home to many new and existing businesses in Charters Towers including Hello Pretty Skin and Beauty, Queensland Rural, Right at Home, Adiktd Dance Studio, Phoenix Home Care, and Lamont Graphics. These tenants are in the first stages of the development with other new buildings set to be developed. Each of the tenants knows that shopping locally is key to keeping the region strong and with that comes employment and growth opportunities.
Other news that has been abuzz in the community is the opening of Harvey Norman, Australia’s leading retailers of furniture, bedding, computers, and electrical who are taking a large retail footprint at Goldtower Central. Three new owners will operate each of the separate departments, investing in the future of Charters Towers.
“Harvey Norman will employ up to 40 persons,” said Paul McIver owner of Goldtower. “This shows a strong faith in regional communities from an iconic Australian brand, and it is bringing a new range of quality products to not only Charters Towers, but to communities who travel from Hughenden, Julia Creek and surrounding areas for shopping.”
With Australians on the move to regional areas, Charters Towers can only prosper into the future, and just like its forefathers who went about searching for gold, Goldtower Central will create a trading precinct deserving to a booming western town.