Georges Workwear and Country Outfitters Rockhampton goes to auction

The iconic Georges Workwear and Country Outfitters went to auction after being owned by the George family for nearly 125 years. See the result and what’s next.

The future of an iconic Rockhampton business is up in the air after it was passed in at auction.

An auction was held at Georges Workwear and Country Outfitters for the business to sell with current general manager and trustee Catherine George looking to retire.

The business was listed in September with the auction being held on Wednesday, October 25.

Georges Workwear and Country Outfitters was started by Catherine’s grandfather Elien George in 1899 and has been in the family’s hands for almost 125 years.

Elien moved to Australia at the age of 20 from Latakia in Syria and started the business with just his horses and a wagon, going around to communities in Central Queensland.

Catherine said the whole family had worked in the shop, serving the fourth and fifth generations of some of the original customers.

Elders Rockhampton Auctioneer Virgil Kenny.

The current Georges building the community knows and loves was built in 1996, just three years before the store celebrated its milestone 100 year anniversary.

The auction kicked off at 11am with a small crowd in attendance with the business as a whole, stock included, offered first.

With no bids, the freehold was then offered, receiving one bid of $400,000 before it was passed in.

Despite the result, Catherine is still optimistic the auction is “only the beginning”.

“We’ve got a starting point for negotiations and we’ll go from there,” she said.

“I’m still feeling quite positive that there is interest there ... there was quite strong interest over the last few weeks and information has gone out.

“It’s all in the lap of the gods, what will be will be.

“It’s only the beginning of the story, the auction, it’s only the kick off plate ... that was the first kick off and we’ll wait to see where the goalpost lands now.”

After the auction negotiations will occur with the bidder and the current owner.

If those negotiations don’t eventuate, the property will hit the open market.