Looking Back - Parts of Morwell’s history worth recalling
By Leo Billington
In the Churchill and District News, August edition, our menswear story finished at about 1925. What followed was a pivotal time in Morwell’s emerging, diversified retail sector when, in around 1925, Norman Sharpe’s Price Cutters business was established.
Mr Norman Sharpe enticed his customers - with clever marketing, and announcing a “price cutter” was coming to Morwell.
In Friday October 23, 1925 Morwell Advertiser, Norman Sharpe advertised he visited Morwell every second Tuesday. His “large assortment of drapery and merchandise” could be ordered at Lawless’s Railway Coffee Palace, Station Street, Morwell.
Prior to Mr Sharpe’s decision to establish a connection with the Coffee Palace, and then a shop in Commercial Road, he began hawking in Gippsland, before establishing a store in Morwell early in 1927. In an in-depth interview with the Australian Jewish News, November 18, 1988, he explained his business motto -
“my motto is that it’s not what I can get from a customer, but what I can give a customer.”
On February 3, 1928, the Morwell Advertiser was emblazoned with Sharpe’s “Ruthless 10-Days Price-Cutting Campaign” - to celebrate a second anniversary of successful trading in Morwell.
Previously, his advertisements, such as in April 1926, told everyone “the main purpose of Sharpe's Great Tailoring Drive is to emphasise the Unrivalled Tailoring Advantages offered to Men of Morwell and District right here in their own Town. We are offering you a Standard of Quality in Tailoring that enables men to dress with Distinctive Smartness, and yet with the Utmost Economy as we are making a Special Offer” Morwell Advertiser, Friday, 23 April, 1926.
The rhetoric was enough to frighten any other self-respecting menswear retailer within striking distance of Morwell.
During the 1920’s, Mr E C Ford believed he was best placed to “excel in better tailoring values” guaranteeing “the materials, the trimmings, the workmanship - the best your money could buy.”
About the same time, Norman Sharpe in December 1927, was telling residents: ’Each department is fully stocked with Xmas necessities and the whole of our staff is keyed up to concert pitch to cope with the enormous crowds expected during the last two busy days of our Xmas Carnival.” (The Morwell Advertiser, Friday December 23, 1927.)
Mr Sharpe also purchased the drapery section of Milligan's Stores (Edwards &Co.,) at Traralgon. (Morwell Advertiser, December 14, 1928).
W D Leslie, based in Raymond Street, Sale had already been enticing customers eastwards - with promises of reducing prices of all summer clothing, drapery, boots and shoes. They went further with reimbursing any railway fares to all cash purchasers who lived within a radius of 30 miles from Sale.
The Adelaide Tailoring Company was advertising during the mid 1920’s. Elsewhere in Morwell, J Williams was promoting himself as “the drapery emporium” - selling working trousers, men’s hats and shirts, besides offering a dressmaking service. Mr H C Harding announced to “the residents of Morwell District and Yallourn” that he had purchased a tailoring business previously owned by Rowell Brothers. Harding even told everyone he was “late of The Block, Collins Street, Melbourne.” Here was an attempt to bring prestige to Commercial Road.
Jefferys opened in Commercial Road, next door to Mills & Co, corner of Tarwin Street and Commercial Road. During the early 1930’s, they promised “sensational values in men’s and boy’s wear.”
During the 1940’s, Traralgon business, E T Stammers & Co, Quality Tailors, became established in Morwell. Stammers sold all classes of men’s wear - overcoats, sports coats, hand tailored suits, trousers, pullovers and more. Mr Stammers died in January 1951 and his business was taken over by Wardrops of Melbourne, as from October 1, 1950.
Starting work as a bricklayers labourer aged 13 years, George Wardrop became a partner in a tailoring firm for seven years before opening his tailoring business in Collingwood, and later in Northcote. The business expanded, with a major store in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne established in the 1930s, (Wardrops, “My Tailor”) and other stores opening in suburban and regional areas throughout Victoria. The business lasted until the mid 1970s when taken over by Roger David Pty Limited in 1977. George died in 1932.
Along the way, Mr J A Baker decided to compete with others. Located opposite Norman Sharpe’s emporium in Commercial Road, he promoted “tailored suits to order, with a stylish cut.” His marketing line was “Tailor and Suit Specialist.” Morwell Advertiser, Thursday August 14, 1941.
In May 1930, The Herald informed Morwellians that a tailoring business, W A Lawson, was making “his first venture out of Melbourne” in search of more customers. He opened in Warragul, Trafalgar, Koo-wee-Rup, Morwell and Bairnsdale. High quality manufacturing was the company’s hallmark - couture was the focus of sartorial interest.
Not to be outdone, Mr Michael Guss was forging ahead with retail success in Yallourn, Moe and Morwell. His January 29, 1942 advertisement in the Morwell Advertiser announced a permanent store at 174 Commercial Road was to be established.
A popular tagline for Michael Guss was “the most talked about store in Gippsland” alongside sole sponsorship during 1945 of 3TR’s Sunday evening serial, “Grand City.”
The store sold wool worsted trousers, gabardine trousers, tailored two-piece suits, ties and handkerchiefs. Morwell’s customers were being enticed to a smorgasbord of “selected merchandise.”
History has documented the Latrobe Valley’s post-war development - industrially, culturally and politically. One retailer who remained stoic at their Tarwin- George street corner location was J A Jenkins Pty Ltd.
Looking back briefly, R M Tulloch sold his business to Mr R Bacon. In August 1922, Mr J A Jenkins took over Mr Bacon’s business - and all these retailers were located on the same corner. H G Palmer opened here in 1967. Fred Jenkins had by this time, established his new self-service store in Yarram.
It would be correct to remember Jenkins selling “mens and boys wants” - work shirts, bib and brace overalls, underpants and so on.
As we look into the 1950’s, Mr Norman Sharpe, on Thursday July 13, 1950 announced in the Morwell Advertiser, he had purchased the freehold of his Commercial Road premises.
Then, Morwell sees another menswear specialist “arise.”
Bill Panther worked for Purvis Stores from 1931 to 1954. Then he purchased land in Morwell’s Tarwin Street and opened his first men’s wear shop in 1955.
As they say, “the rest is history.” Who is dedicated to selling quality men’s wear in Morwell now? What happened along the years?