The Equity clothing business was established in 1917 by an Australian businesswoman, Nellie Stewart. Nellie was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, and travelled to Australia with her family (including her beloved older brother Gilbert) aged three years.

The Stewart family left on New Years Eve 1888 and arrived in Brisbane three months later on a ship called the Duke of Buccleah. Nellie and her family originally settled in Queensland, where her younger brother John (1889-1982) was born in a tent in a gold prospecting area in near the town of Gympie. She then spent the rest of her childhood in the Goldfields of Western Australia before her family settled in Heytesbury Road in Subiaco, Perth in the 1910s.

Nellie’s father James died in 1917. Both Gilbert and John served in the Australian Imperial Forces in World War One. Gilbert was killed in battle in 1918. John was captured during the Battle of Dernancourt in France in 1917 and interned in what is now Poland. John was repatriated in 1918, trained as a tailor, and worked in The Equity.

The Equity used what we would regard as unsophisticated language to attract customers. From an advertisement in the Sunday Times, 21 December 1924:

THE EQUITY.

Quality is the keynote of The Equity’s tailoring department, which is now complete with the largest variety of new suitings in the city, comprising fancy tweeds, worsteds, serges, mohairs, silks and poplins. The head cutter. Mr. [Nathan] Golinger, holds the highest English and American diplomas. You can safely place yourself in hands of a cutter with his comprehensive knowledge of tailoring in all its branches An important feature about Equity tailoring is the”Geegee”, patent canvas made from wool and horsehair, which permanently retains its resiliency, thus ensuring that the coats ..preserve their smart shape and comfortable fit always Equityis building, up a big reputation by reason of the quality of their goods, but their value is another factor in thegrowing success of the firm. Equity’s greatest asset is a satisfied customer. If by any chance the customer ls bot satisfied, the money will be refunded “No fit, no pay” is the Equity way. A feature is made of dinner suits and dress suits.”

(By 16 February 1929, Nathan Golinger had left and set up his own clothing business in competition with The Equity.)

John Stewart’s son Jack (1919-2011) also trained as a tailor and joined The Equity, before serving in the Australian Army in World War Two. Jack met his wife Yvonne (1929-2026) through The Equity – she had been a seamstress in the business. Nellie’s niece, Jean Lushey (who died in 2018) was also a seamstress at The Equity.

In 1953, The Guardian Newspaper reported that Nellie decided to take an extended holiday:

The Guardian 21 March 1953

NELLIE STEWART GOES ABROAD

The many friends of Miss Nellie Stewart, founder and proprietress of The Equity, Murray Street, Perth, will be pleased to learn tnac sne has torn lichen away irom business ties ior a period, and, accompanied by Miss M. Holmes, departmental manageress, left on tne “Strathmore” for England and America on Sunday last.

Miss Stewart has lived to prove that a capable business woman can build up a business as well as any capable man, and has earned the respect of all sections of the community and tne love of her employees, past and pre sent. Feeling the strain of theyears, and blessed with a loyal and competent staff, she at last obeyed theyearnings of years and skipped away to see what the Old World, and hustling America, were really like.

That she will return (early next year) iull of worthwhile impressions, there is no doubt, and her State-wide circle of friends will wish her all the rest and happiness she deserves.

During the year-long tour abroad, Nellie visited her birthplace in Scarborough, and also the grave of her brother Gilbert, located in France, dead thirty-six years before and still missed.

Nellie was characteristically taciturn upon her return to Perth in 1954. From The Guardian, 27 March 1954

NELLIE STEWART RETURNS

Miss Nellie Stewart, founder of The Equity, Murray Street, has returned from her trip abroad, and is back in business harness.

Miss Stewart, always reticent about publicising her views of other people and other lands, informed a represen tative of “The Guardian” that she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. Her out standing impression, expressed in a few words, was that humanity in gen eral was living rather carelessly of the future, and that there was too great a tendency to rely upon collective benevolence and security instead of upon individual building of character and security which, in the long run, determined the worth of nations and the higher march of evolution.

Nevertheless, it had been a great privilege to see the world, as it is, she was glad to be back in Australia.

Nellie passed away in 1959, and by then what was a chain of stores operating under the brand “The Equity” was broken up to pay for death duties.

This iteration of The Equity has been brought into existence in 2026 by Nellie Stewart’s great-grand nephew, Dave Stewart.