Canberra's family-run McGlades Jewellers celebrates 85 glittering years

McGlades Jewellers is one of Canberra's heritage businesses, celebrating its 85th birthday this year, still a family-run operation.

McGlades was established in Canberra in 1939 by the McGlade family, initially as a gift shop. Son Pat fell in love with the jewellery aspect of the business and took over the running of the business on a prime location on Northbourne Avenue on what is now the Jolimont Centre.

When Pat was ready to retire, he sought out someone with the expertise and experience to keep the business as a going concern.

Canberra couple Angie and Allan are the second owners of the business, taking over in the late 1990s, running it in the Canberra Centre and, now, on City Walk, just near the carousel.

Angie, who prefers not to use her last name for security reasons, was born in Cooma and grew up in Canberra. Her first job was working for her godmother at Hapke's jewellers in the Monaro Mall when she was just 16.

Angie and her now late father Kurt Erdman also started the Diadem jewellery store in the Belconnen mall.

But for the last 30-odd years, Angie and husband Allan have been the stewards of McGlades, priding themselves on good old-fashioned service and providing a vast range of jewellery and gift items that meet any budget.

McGlades has everything from a cross worth $50,000 once given to Kate Fischer by her then fiance James Packer, which was later purchased at auction by the store, to sweet little trinket boxes and earrings for under $50. (Elton John has the same cross in a different stone, both by the British jewellery designer Theo Fennell.)

While Pat McGlade once made cigarette cases set with opal for a visiting Japanese dignitary in the 1960s and Angie helped then prime minister Scott Morrison find a gift for his daughter, the store has really been able serving Canberrans from across the board, she said.

And she was thrilled to be part of a business that had reached 85 years, especially a local bricks-and-mortar jewellery store that employed jewellers on site and off, as well as "more staff than we need on the floor because we don't want anyone to have to wait for service".

"We're very proud to still be here, with the support of our customers, our regular customers," Angie said.

"We've had three generations come through this door and it's lovely to meet everyone."

McGlades sources jewellery, makes its own, repairs it and adjusts existing pieces for customers.

"We have the expertise to be able to deal with a lot of problems," Angie said.

"But we also have a lot of beautiful pieces of jewellery. And you don't need to know what you want to buy - you just come in and get inspiration."

McGlades was in the Canberra Centre for more than two decades but when management wanted it to move location, Angie instead took the decision to close the store.

It remained closed from 2016 to 2018 when it re-opened on City Walk due to customer demand.

Angie said there was no secret to the business' longevity.

"It's all about old-fashion service," she said. "We still take cash, we still gift wrap, we still do lay-byes....It's personal as well. We know our customers."