Caloundra’s first jewellery store turns 52 this month – a family-owned treasure with a legacy as brilliant as the gems they create.
It all began on October 10, 1972, when trailblazers Bob Clark and Lester Smiley took a punt on a small jewellery workshop in the Sunstate Building Society block in Bulcock Street, Caloundra.
1972 was an all-round eventful year for Caloundra, with cyclones—Daisy, Wendy, and Emily all causing widespread flooding and damage and Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen officially opening the airstrip.
But these jewellery visionaries were not perturbed, and their business soon grew from strength to strength – their easy-going nature leading to them adopting the name “Sunstate Jewellers” after locals directed visitors to go “upstairs at Sunstate” to find them.
By the early 80s Sunstate’s growing success led to the purchase of a besser block building at Allen Street Moffat Beach, where they still reside.
Originally purchased for $12,000 – it was accessible via dirt road and only the tea tree out the front remains of the original structure.
Today, Lester’s daughter Rita Williams is at the helm of a business which has weathered more than half a century of change and challenges, firmly woven into the fabric of Caloundra’s community.
“I came in 35 years ago as the entry-level general dogs’ body and have certainly seen the business go through a lot of interesting times,” Ms Williams said.
“When I think about the changes to this area alone in recent years, honestly it has floored me.
“Moffat Beach has gone from an out-of-town type of place to the type of place where there is a Maserati in the car park.
“But the one thing we have retained, I believe, is that small town vibe, and I think our customers tap into that – we are old school coastal small-town people.”
But for all her modesty, Ms Williams did concede her “flexibility” as a business brain had helped to keep Sunstate in business across the peaks and troughs of market shifts.
“We’ve been incredibly nimble and have always adopted a type of future-proofed style thinking,” she said.
“We were very early adopters of Computer-Aided Design (CAD), probably by around a decade and our signature is probably restyling existing jewellery.
“We can help you keep that asset that was Grandma’s and do sort of a magic trick with it to bring it into a modern setting.”
They’ve also been loyal to their staff, and the staff have reciprocated in kind.
Jeweller Ian “Doogs” McDougall began his apprenticeship with Lester Smiley 40 years ago, and to this day he can be found crafting jewellery for Sunstate, with a few sojourns in between.
“Doogs has been like our homing pigeon,” Ms Williams said.
“He did go off and work all through South East Queensland but he has come back to us and the man is just so phenomenally gifted, yet so humble.
“If you walked past him on the street or saw him on his motorbike you’d never pick him as the absolute master of his craft – he is the most outstanding jeweller.”
And for all her Dad taught her about jewellery and business, Ms Williams is ensuring his entrepreneurial solidarity with the local business community lives on.
“We hail from an era when everyone knew each other, and my Dad was always eager to support budding businesses,” she said.
“It’s about lifting those up who come next and support and collaboration within the local community.”
