Location: Asmar Clothing Factory

Story

Michel (Michael) Asmar was already a Master Tailor when he came to Australia from Lebanon in December 1924. Initially, Michel worked for Pike Brothers as a tailor but soon started working for himself as a Ladies and Gents Tailor at 125 Melbourne Street South Brisbane. The family lived upstairs and the business was downstairs. By 1935, Asmar Frocks was operating at 74 Hardgrave Road, West End which was both the family home and the clothing factory. Six of the eight children were trained by their father and worked in the business which flourished.

Seeing a demand, the Asmars focused on producing tailored women’s clothing:

…and they did that extremely well. You know, they did beautiful clothing and even our mother’s dresses that we’ve inherited, have been extraordinary…I recently…gave a lot of mum’s stuff to the Queensland Theatre Company…and they were very happy to get it because it was so beautifully made, and it was of the style of the 20s and 30s.

After Michel’s death in October 1953, his children continued the business.

References

Bill Asmar, Conversation with Anne Monsour, 1998.

Brisbane Telegraph, 22 October 1953, p. 13, viewed 20 February 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article217261172.

Maree Joseph and Helen Mahoney, interview with Anne Monsour, Brisbane, 2019.

NAA: A1, 1930/10515, Michael ASMAR – Naturalisation certificate.

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