Neil Pitt Menswear

Neil Pitt (b1931) opened Neil Pitt’s Menswear at 123 Charles St in Launceston in 1949. His brother Donald joined him soon afterwards and they were later joined by their younger brother Brian. The shop grew steadily in Charles Street to the point where they outgrew the store. Around the same time television had arrived and patronage at movie theatres around the city were in decline. The Majestic Theatre at 76 Brisbane St closed as a movie theatre in 1969 and Neil and Don purchased it in November of that year. After an extensive renovation of the building, Neil Pitt’s opened their menswear store in the Majestic Theatre in October 1970. At the time it had cutting-edge retail design, a café, a solid reputation for great service and top brands. It was a phenomenon. Neil was elected to State Parliament 1972-1976, and was a Launceston City Council Alderman for many years. He passed away in 1996. Don and Brian ran the store over the next 30 years. Brian retired in the early 2000s and passed away in 2023. Don worked six days a week in the store for 75 years until April 2024 and stepped away at 91 years of age. He is now enjoying a quiet retirement.