R.T. Edwards & Sons

After being retrenched from Queensland Railways in 1931, electrician, Roy Thomas Edwards started his door to door electrical repair business with a bicycle and carrying his tools. From these beginnings his brothers, Allan and Mervyn would join the business and they would start to sell electrical goods. The Company would eventually employ hundreds of staff and expand their business to other states. There were stores in Booval Fair Shopping Centre and Beaudesert.

Tom Edwards was an apprectice electrician who would go on to become General Manager, R T Edwards and Sons. Sir Llew Edwards apprenticed as an electrician later joining the family business, prior to 1958.

Their store was located beside the Wintergarden Theatre in East Street, on the northern side.

In 1952 the company moved to a new showroom at 56 East Street. In 1953 they moved again to the old Streets Cake Shop at 66 East Street.

In 1969 R.T. Edwards opened their first electrical appliance branch store at Booval Fair. Other stores in Brisbane, Surfers Paradise, Gatton, Redbank Plaza and Beaudesert were to follow. In 1978 they opened their first purpose-built furniture showroom in South Street. The East Street premises expanded in 1996 when the old TAB building next to the cinema was removed. 

R. T. Edwards & Sons had a Victa Mowers showroom, corner of Limestone and East Street, site of the second Ipswich Court House. They left this location after the 1974 floods.

After being a family firm for 77 years, and with an annual turnover of $100 million, R T Edwards was sold in September 2008 to Radio Rentals of South Australia. Roy's son Tom Edwards was managing director.