Wallace Bishop who built up one of Australia's largest jewellers has dies aged 88

A pioneering jeweller, who guided the family’s Brisbane business to become one of the largest in Australia, has died and been remembered as an “inspiration”.

Jeweller Wallace Bishop, who built the family business into a national company, was described as an “inspiration”, after passing away on Thursday morning.

Wallace Bishop, who was the third generation of Brisbane-based jewellers, died peacefully in his home. He was 88.

His son Stuart Bishop, who is chief executive of the company that bears his name, said he was in good health until the last 12 months of his life.

“He was the driving force, the inspiration. He was into anything and everything. He had a fabulous mind and manual dexterity. If he put his mind to it he could make anything,” he said of his father.

“He was always forward thinking. Nothing was too hard. He’d just say yes to everything”.

Wallace and Stuart Bishop posing at Wallace Bishop headquarters in Newstead in 2019.

Known as Wal, he was the grandson of the first Wallace Bishop who arrived in Queensland in 1909. His grandfather opened his first factory in Elizabeth St and was joined by his son Carl in 1917 starting the business.

Wal joined the family company in 1950 the day after his Grade 10 exams at Brisbane Boys College where he was Dux of his class.

At the time the business had two stores in Brisbane’s CBD including its Wallace Bishop Arcade in King George Square.

Wal became chief executive officer in 1976 and drove strong growth in the business coinciding with the construction of major shopping malls. In 1997, it acquired Hardy Brothers Jewellers, a 166-year-old business.

After leaving the day-to-day running of the company he became chairman. The fifth generation family business, which successfully negotiated the Covid pandemic, at one stage had more than 50 stores and over 500 employees.

Stuart Bishop said his father was a strong advocate of “giving back to the community and helping others”.

“His mantra was to always put back. What goes around comes goes around,” he said.

Wallace and Janette Bishop pose for the camera at Wallace Bishop’s 100th birthday celebrations.

Wal had leadership roles in the Rotary Club of Brisbane and Australia, and he drove the establishment of the Queensland branches of the Child Accident Prevention Foundation and the Royal Surf Life Saving Foundation. He also served as Commodore of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, launching dinghy schools to nurture future Olympians.

His friendship with Robin Gibson, designer of the Queensland Art Gallery, Cultural Centre and Performing Arts Complex and Queen Street Mall, led to them working together on projects including an extension of The Gem.

He also worked with then-Brisbane Lord Mayor Roy Harvey and other business leaders to develop the Queen Street Mall in time for the Commonwealth Games and royal tour of 1982.

In 2019 he was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.

Wal leaves behind wife Janette, four children – Georgina, Cameron, Stuart and Virginia and many grandchildren.

Stuart said he father was a dynamic presence.

“We were never allowed to sit idle. We always had to be doing something,” he said.

“His favourite saying was that there were 24 hours in every day, use every single one of them wisely.”

Originally published as Wallace Bishop who built up one of Australia's largest jewellers has dies aged 88