Wilbraham's back in business for a day

GYMPIE'S history is deep and varied and the history of Gympie's main street is just as varied.

GYMPIE'S history is deep and varied and the history of Gympie's main street is just as varied.

This is all too evident at the present time with businesses constantly moving. In former times, businesses were more permanent, often staying on the one site for many years.

Wilbraham's Pty Ltd was one of the stable and long-lived businesses of Mary Street, established in 1914 by Mr Thomas Joseph Wilbraham, as a tailor shop, and operated in central Mary Street until 1986.

When TJ's health began to deteriorate in the mid '50s, Ray Wilbraham took over the business. Ray. who recently reached the age of 90, now lives in retirement at Caloundra and, with the help of past staff members, Heather Wilson and Col Wells and Ray's daughter Tricia, organised a staff reunion to mark the 95th anniversary of the establishment of the business.

Hundreds of people throughout the years have been employed by Wilbrahams, with many of them still living in Gympie. At the reunion, held at Gympie Bowls Club last Sunday, almost 40 past staff, with family members, were able to attend.

After Ray welcomed those present, speakers included past staffer Heather Wilson, who worked in the office from 1954 through until the closure of the business.

Heather remembered being sent to her boss, TJ Wilbraham, to have some cheques signed. She wrapped the cheque book in brown paper and it came back from Mr Wilbraham with a covering note, asking her to please use second-hand paper! Recycling is not entirely a new concept.

Other speakers were Leda Madill, a sister of Ray, and George Sami who began as a messenger boy and who hand delivered accounts right across Gympie.

Several speakers remembered the floods and the excitement they caused. In 1955 Ray heard the rain on the roof and felt an urgent need to move out of the shop.

Staff were called in and worked right through the night. When Ray took the last load out the water was up to his chin and continued to rise until it was at the 10-foot level in the store.

Fires also caused a good deal of anxiety and one on the opposite side of Mary Street melted the windows of Wilbraham's store.

TJ Wilbraham's store was originally just a fraction of what many Gympie people will remember. It had a billiard saloon on one side and a fruit shop on the other. At one stage the site even boasted a shooting gallery.

In 1922 the saloon was taken over and the firm expanded and began to sell general drapery. A few years later TJ obtained a lease over the whole property and the firm eventually used the fruit shop area to sell soft furnishings and floor coverings.

In 1946, Gympie Building Company began a building program which continued in three stages until 1973. All joinery and the glass fronted showroom display unit were supplied by W C Pronger & Sons, another old Gympie firm, which is now only a part of history.

Wilbraham's employed a commercial traveller for a time who canvassed the Goomboorian, Wolvi, Kin Kin, Kenilworth areas and the Mary Valley townships. The traveller, Horace Brown, drove a Model-T Ford purchased in Brisbane in 1925. TJ, with his children, Ray and Leda travelled to Brisbane to bring home the car and the trip took two days, travelling through Maleny.

The firm of Wilbraham's may now have been relegated to history but nevertheless it is a fascinating part of Gympie's rich history.

Originally published as Wilbraham's back in business for a day