BROTHERS Thomas and Joseph Frawley started their business selling shoes to Parliament House builders from the back of a T-Model Ford in 1927.

Now, 95 years on, Thomas’ son Ted, 87, and Ted’s daughter Lisa Mudge, 61, have announced a “family decision” to close Frawley’s Shoes.

Since its Queanbeyan beginning, Frawley’s has sold shoes to the community through stores in Kingston, Belconnen and Woden, but it has called Garema Place in Civic “home” since 1958.

“I wanted to leave school in 1950, and my father wasn’t keen about that,” says Ted.

“He said, well, I could leave boarding school, as long as I had a job. So I went to David Jones and worked in the boys’ shoe department.

“Then the lady who was working for dad adopted a baby, and it wasn’t one, it was two. It was a month before Christmas so dad let her go and I came and I worked there in Queanbeyan with my sister.”

Ted says he and his brother John officially took over ownership of Frawley’s in the ‘60s, so that their father and uncle could retire.

Lisa says Ted and John had been in the business for 70 years when they asked her to take over management at the Garema Place shop.

“Dad and John used to work still when I took over management 14 years ago – John has been dead eight years now – they would work one day a week each,” she says.

“Dad probably only finished working in the past two years. It was a bit hard for him to hear, but he still came in, just not as regularly.”

Ted and Lisa say one of the biggest changes they have noticed is the rise in popularity of ladies’ shoes.

“Thomas and Joseph used to travel around the builders’ camps selling working boots and dancing pumps for men, not for women,” says Ted.

“That was about it,” says Lisa, “now, for every four pairs that ladies buy, men will buy one.”

Lisa says it’s lovely the business has stayed “family-involved” and she has learned many skills from her dad and uncle, but she was not prepared to take it over.

“I probably would’ve taken it over if I was a bit younger,” says Lisa.

“We just decided that I’d probably have to have signed up for another seven years.

“I wasn’t up for it, and my husband is close to retiring. A lot of our staff are ready to retire, too, and all my kids have gone in other directions. “I’m one of seven, so it was a joint, nine-person decision, mum and dad, too.”

She and Ted admit they’ll be sad to see the business go, but the change and slowdown caused by COVID-19 lockdowns played into their final decision to close the store.

“We have had such a massive community response since the closing-down announcement,” says Lisa.

“We don’t have an official closing date yet, we’ll just trade into February, might even be March.

“Working with my father and my uncle, we have certainly had some funny times working here together and I’ve learned from them both.” With Ted adding, “it is bittersweet”.

“We have always had great staff and great support, and it was nice to be able to offer all the family kids a casual job here while they were growing up,” he says.

“I enjoyed it. I had my daughter’s help, which is the main reason it has kept on going. It’s been quite an experience, but it’s been good for us.”