Celebrating 70 years of the store that pioneered menswear in Canberra

When Rodger Bartholomew opened its doors for the first time in Garema Place, there was pretty much nothing else there.

“You could park right out the front,” owner David Swan says.

That was 1954. Seventy years later, the men’s suit and clothing store still occupies the same site on 161 City Walk, Civic. And there’s no sign it won’t be still here 70 years from now.

The store was founded by David’s father, Rodger Swan, and his friend Bartholomew Crowe.

Born and raised in Queanbeyan, Rodger worked as a mechanic with a local Beazley and Bruce service station as a teenager, followed by a stint in the JB Young department store. He met Bartholomew (or ‘Barney’ as he became known) and they became “good mates”.

The pair initially opened a store in Green Square in Kingston when the owner of a ladies dresswear store in Civic suggested they relocate.

“They just started from there and kept going,” David says.

Another store – RB’s Casuals – followed shortly afterwards, initially located upstairs and later further along the building where Redpath’s Shoes is today. This was the first store to sell Levi’s jeans in Canberra and also stocked brands including Quiksilver, Billabong, Nike and Mambo.

David remembers coming in “all the time” as a kid when his father would be busy serving customers, measuring suits, and stocking shelves.

“I’d always go take two bucks out of the till and then on the merry-go-round,” he recalls.

In 1990, David took over from his father and co-ran it with Barney’s son Richard Crowe. In 2013, he bought out Richard’s share.

A number of other suit stores have arisen a short walk away in the Canberra Centre – including global companies Peter Jackson and M. J. Bale – but David says Rodger Bartholomew is a “different kettle of fish”.

For instance, it’s not uncommon for customers to be offered a beer while picking out a suit.

Prices start at $599 for an entry-level ‘Cambridge’ suit and range up to $3000 for a custom-made suit from the ‘Cygnet’ range. Most are sourced from Melbourne, but tailored locally.

David says the store has “certainly seen some highs and lows” over the past 70 years, but has enjoyed a recent boost as more couples go all-out on weddings and suit shopping has become an event.

“Weddings have become more of an occasion – people dress up a bit more.”

Rodger is now in his 90s, while Barney passed away in 2020. David’s son Harry works at the landmark business the odd Sunday and Christopher Powell has worked at the store as a tailor for nine years. Previous employees have racked up as many as 44 years before retiring.

The family of the landlord who built the original building still owns it today. So all things considered, David is almost certain Rodger Bartholomew will still be making Canberra’s suits in another 70 years’ time.

“We’ll still be here.”