Piggott’s Pharmacy Celebrates 50 Years of Caring for Newcastle

Piggott’s Pharmacy will be giving away $50 every day for 50 days in every store from 1st October, as they celebrate 50 years of serving Newcastle with personal service and care in November.

The first Piggott’s Pharmacy was purchased in November 1970 at Orchardtown Road, Blackbutt. Chris and Shirley Piggott met in Sydney University whilst studying Pharmacy, they got married, enjoyed a working/travel honeymoon and moved to Newcastle to start their new business.

At the time, Shirley was three weeks away from delivering the couple’s first child. The Piggott family lived in an apartment above the Pharmacy for three years with Chris and Shirley alternating Pharmacist, management, accounting and parenting roles. Piggott’s Pharmacy is not a generic brand; they are a local family Pharmacy caring for your family and community.

Chris and Shirley now have four children; Petrina “Maddi” almost 50, Andrew 48, Anthony 40 and Skye 38 plus nine grandchildren. Nobody could have foretold that three of them would follow in their parent’s footsteps and became Pharmacists. The one son who instead studied Surveying later fell in love and married an Austrian Pharmacist! So, Pharmacy certainly does run rich in their veins.

In 1979, the opening of Charlestown Square was an opportunity that allowed Piggott’s Pharmacy to expand and open a Soul Pattinson. This Pharmacy was revolutionary at the time, as well as providing all Pharmacy needs, a photo lab, Juvena beauty products and of course the much loved “Homypeds” and “masseur sandals” were a staple part of the business. Chris was a big personality and became well known as a genuine, knowledgeable, and caring Pharmacist with regular radio and TV appearances.

Chris had sporting, church and Rotary involvements alongside his Pharmacy interests that culminated in his becoming President of the Newcastle & Hunter Valley Pharmacists Association. Chris also had all his Pharmacists trained in Naturopathy and Herbal Medicines to lead in the thirst for knowledge that the public requires to stay healthy.

Anthony grew up around his family Pharmacies. After finishing his studies in Sydney, he was in London working at Croydon University Hospital in South London, doing first-in-human drug trials, before working in Airlie Beach for a successful Queensland Pharmacist. Anthony returned to Newcastle as his father was preparing to sell his original Pharmacy at Blackbutt.

In 2009 Anthony, with his sister Skye, took over the family business with the original Pharmacy at Blackbutt seeing considerable growth since. Its initial growth involved adding a small medical centre to the former upstairs living area, but in 2013 the Pharmacy extended, and the medical centre expanded and renovated completely.

Anthony Piggott, with support from his family, is now the driving force, quickly expanding in Hamilton, Merewether, Branxton, Lambton and the newest edition, Piggott’s Pharmacy Huntlee.

Anthony is very active in the Local Community and the Pharmacy Community alike. He is well entrenched in providing traditional Pharmacy values, genuine care with quality service and advice. When you go to a Piggott’s Pharmacy, you will feel a warm welcome from staff who love their job. Small business is vital to local communities – that is where you know your local retailers by name, and they know you.

On the personal side, Anthony is an accomplished recreational pilot, a previous State Chess Champion, a keen traveller and is known as Dad to his 6-year-old daughter, Anita.

Piggott’s Pharmacy staff have always enjoyed being a part of the Piggott Family. These values are reflected in their delivering happy and caring service to their customers. The family continue to honour the traits of business drilled into them by their father.

Pop into any Piggott’s Pharmacy to Celebrate their 50th Birthday in October and you could WIN a $50 voucher! Find pharmacies at Blackbutt, Branxton, Hamilton, Huntlee, Merewether and Lambton.