Marion Harding

Interviewed by Marlene Reid on 20 July 1998
Subject: Shops & Shopping

Marlene Reid. Were some of the people that were in business in Mosman at that time, similar to any of the people that are there now?

Marion Harding. Lopez, the greengrocer is still there. That’s probably one of the very few, but there were some wonderful businesses. The Whittles were in Spit Road, and they’ve been there for quite a long time until the disastrous fire and they decided they’d not continue in business any longer. Then there was Horsnell’s, a very big and lovely shoe shop. They were in Military Road, opposite the Town Hall, and they had the second generation. Mr. and Mrs. Gould, she was Miss Horsnell’s daughter – she worked in the shop with her father, so that was another generation of two generations in the one business. The Vespa’s were a big chemist shop. Dear old Mr Vespa, he was a lovely old gentleman. He was down at Mosman Junction and then his son Peter was in Military Road, but further toward Cremorne Junction from where we were situated. It’s been a development, but just across from Bardwell Road, halfway up the block from the corner of Bardwell, that’s where he was for many years. Then there was Jewke’s, the chemist – that later became Mallam’s. They moved from the Raglan Street corner to the middle of Mosman shopping centre. And there was Minty’s. Minty’s is now Lovell’s. And there was Mr. and Mrs. Minty and Julian, he was a bachelor. They had similar stock to Lovell’s, but a little bit more comprehensive. Then there was Line & Company also, and that’s where the shoe shop is. Arthur Dick bought that from Ted Line; (then) Arthur Dick brought the business; he then moved; Arthur preferred to play golf. Didn’t want to run a drapery store. He closed down – the premises belonged to Ambrose Ceaser, he was not the person who was very strong in the Chamber of Commerce – that was Ceaser’s Menswear.

Marlene Reid. I remember that – it’s where the bike shop is.

Marion Harding. Yes. Ted was a bachelor and he married very late in life, and moved into a unit in Muston Street.

Marlene Reid. Were there furniture people there too?

Marion Harding. Yes, there were other furniture people. We had quite a bit of opposition, but that’s good because it keeps you on your toes. And after all Mosman was big enough – Mosman, Cremorne, and Neutral Bay, and right up the beaches we had clients. But there was Ray Farquhason do you remember them? He was a manufacturing upholsterer, and Robert Lombard was more an interior decorator – that was a beautiful store. He had beautiful lampshades, and I gathered some ideas from Robert and I think he used to come and look through my window and gather some of my ideas too.