Golden era of style and service

FROM 1875 until 1963, Marsh and Webster department store was the go-to shopping destination in Mackay.

The interior of Marsh and Webster about 1930. Shoppers were sure to look their best when they visited.

FROM 1875 until 1963, Marsh and Webster department store was the go-to shopping destination in Mackay.

"They sold furniture, floor coverings, dress materials, hardware, groceries, lollies and tobacco, haberdashery, jewellery, ladies' fashions and menswear, among other things," said Johnno Fawcett, who worked at Marsh and Webster from 1945 until 1981.

"For a time, it was the only department store in Mackay that had a grocery section," she said.

In the era of Marsh and Webster, shoppers received personal service.

Shop assistants were trained as apprentices to quickly learn customer names and preferences.

"They were really professionals in their own field," said Mackay historian Berenice Wright.

There were no check-out tills at Marsh and Webster in the early days.

When customers paid for purchases, cash was put in vacuum tubes that ran up to the second floor to be processed by a cashier and then change was sent back down.

During the war, customers had to provide ration coupons along with cash.

"The biggest difference in shopping back then compared to today is that when you went into the store, you knew everybody there," Ms Fawcett said.

Marsh and Webster was a fixture of the Mackay community.

"Every year their big corner window would be beautifully done with toys for Christmas," Mrs Wright said. "You would take your kids to see the window and meet other families."

Even during the busy Christmas season, Marsh and Webster was known for their exceptional service.

"I know for a fact that if someone hadn't picked up their parcel on Christmas Eve when we closed, George Lothian, our toy and furniture manager, would take it to them," Ms Fawcett said.

Established by William Marsh and Charles Webster, the department store grew alongside the cane and coal industries. Marsh and Webster was known to support cane farmers financially until their first good crop.

In 1963 Marsh and Webster was bought out by David Jones, which subsequently closed in 1981. The site was sold to the NAB, which demolished the building. Today, a NAB branch stands in its place.

Originally published as Golden era of style and service