Brax Window Treatments closes after 84 years

Brax Window Treatments, a Geelong blind and shutter business founded in 1942, closed on 18 August.

The Geelong Advertiser reported that staff were called to a noon meeting that day, told their jobs had been terminated with immediate effect, and instructed to leave work cars, phones and tablets behind. An employee who declined to be named said staff were “gutted”, and that one colleague had worked at the business for almost 38 years.

Owner Travis Davidson handed out a letter at the meeting advising that an administrator would be appointed within 48 hours, the paper reported. The letter read: “It will be up to the administrator to determine what bills are paid, what money customers may receive back on deposits, and what work can be completed.”

The Brax Window Treatments business name is registered to Balliang St Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN 691 460 849). At the time of print, CreditorWatch carried an ASIC status flag for that company of “Under External Administration And/Or Controller Appointed”. No appointment notice had been published on ASIC’s notices service or insolvencynotices.com.au, and the appointment type and the practitioner were not recorded.

The employee told the Geelong Advertiser that staff were directed to claim their entitlements through the federal Fair Entitlements Guarantee, that one staff member was owed about 430 hours of annual leave, and that several employees who retired earlier in 2026 after decades of service had not received their full entitlements. The Fair Entitlements Guarantee requires an employer to be in liquidation or bankruptcy. Voluntary administration does not trigger it.

The paper reported the employee’s claim that the business had accepted a $10,000 deposit from a customer the day before the closure, and that customers whose installations were scheduled for the Wednesday had not been contacted.

The Geelong Advertiser reported Davidson as saying the decision had not been taken lightly, that he had never taken a wage from the business, and that its collapse had taken a personal toll. His letter to staff, as quoted by the paper, read: “I have always believed we could make this work, and I was genuinely optimistic about the future, even up to a week ago.” In an email to customers, also quoted by the paper, he said the business had been “severely affected by significant cost pressures, including rising cost-of-living increases, land tax and the fire services levy”. The paper reported that Davidson took over the business from its previous owners about three years ago, and that he also operates Davidson’s Blinds & Shutters in Delacombe.

At the time of print, braxwt.com.au returned a blank page.

Retailers, installers and suppliers with outstanding orders or creditor claims should monitor ASIC’s published notices service for appointment details for Balliang St Holdings Pty Ltd.

The register

2 April 2000
Brax Window Treatments Pty Ltd (ACN 007 059 421) records Brax Window Treatments as a trading name.

1 May 2023
Brax Window Treatments Pty Ltd changes its name to Mapleside Proprietary Limited. DB Shutters Geelong Pty Ltd (ACN 666 152 307) registers the Brax Window Treatments business name.

4 August 2025
DB Shutters Geelong enters Small Business Restructuring.

30 April 2026
Balliang St Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN 691 460 849) registers the name.

30 May 2026
DB Shutters Geelong’s registration of the name ends.

3 June 2026
DB Shutters Geelong enters creditors’ voluntary liquidation. Liquidator: Michael John Beck, Solace Advisory.

At the time of print
Balliang St Holdings carries an ASIC status flag of “Under External Administration And/Or Controller Appointed”. No appointment notice published.