While we all know Barratts Music in George Street, Launceston, few know that their story goes back 134 years.
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It begins in Formby, now known as Devonport, when James Barratt arrived from Manchester in mid-1889.
His wife and four young children came a few months later.
By 1890 James had already acquired a reputation as a Wesleyan preacher in the district, and leading member of the Band of Hope temperance society.
He'd also accumulated a little capital.
When Latrobe draper Tom Game got into trouble at his recently opened Devonport store, James bought the business.
Being at the corner of Rooke and Stewart streets, the site became famous as "Barratt's Corner".
James quickly made a success of his new enterprise, and with the whole family being musical, he added a piano and organ section to the store.
Sadly, his wife died in 1895.
Then their elder son David headed off to China as a missionary.
James gradually withdrew from the business, letting his younger son James Jnr take on more responsibility.
In 1901 James Jnr married Glory Holyman, daughter of Captain William Holyman of Launceston.
James Jnr took over full responsibility in 1904, allowing his father to return to England.
James Snr stayed away for a couple of years, returning with a new wife to take up property development in Wenvoe Street, Devonport, where he built many of the district's best homes.
James Snr and his second wife Jennie moved to the Blue Mountains in 1913, becoming leading citizens of Hazelbrook, near Katoomba, before James died in 1917.
Back in Tasmania, James Jnr moved to new premises in Rooke Street, Devonport in 1921, being the former Mia Mia Tea Rooms next to Johnston's Chemist, where he focused on music.
Doing well, in mid-1923 he opened a second store at 123 Charles Street in Launceston, and exhibited at the Launceston Show of 1923 to promote it.
Having taken a partner, Stanley Joscelyne, James was free to travel and took the opportunity to develop relationships with piano manufacturers.
He'd also been inspired by his father's success with property, and after selling a vacant block at the corner of Rooke and King streets in Devonport, used the money to build the Elimatta Guest House on Victoria Parade.
Today this is the Elimatta Hotel.
After selling the Devonport store in 1927, James Jnr and his wife and daughter Elin moved first to Melbourne, then to Europe, returning in 1930 and buying out their Launceston partner Mr Joscelyne.
They often took extended stays at Elimatta in Devonport, before selling it in 1936 and moving permanently to Launceston.
Finally, over the Christmas-New Year holiday at the beginning of 1937, James moved his Launceston operation from Charles Street to a new location at 104 George Street.
Except for a brief interlude in the 1960s when it became Allans Music, the George Street store has been under Barratt family ownership ever since.
- Connect with the past, visit Launceston Historical Society - Facebook.com/launcestonhistory
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