PART 3

Catanach’s was run on hierarchical lines, with Mr. Catanach“ the boss” in supreme charge, 

In the later years when I was at Catanach’s, the three generations of Catanach’s worked there, Mr Catanach, his son Blair and Blair’s children, Mandy and Peter Catanach.

When Peter McCulloch resigned I was moved from the Repair Department to the Watch and Clock Department and found it very different from being in repairs. I had never had to buy stock and manually enter it all into our stock records. This was before the days of computers and it was all hand written into stock books. Each department was responsible for looking after their stock. 

The photo shows me entering stock into the records.

Blair Catanach joined the firm about 1956 after having just finished his National Service in the navy. He was used all over the shop to gain all round experience.

This photo was taken by a street photographer and given to me many years later by one of the staff

Charles Feltham, known as Charlie, Chas or to Mr Catanach, Charles. 

He worked in the Diamond Department and was responsible for buying diamonds and coloured gems to have mounted for stock.Charlie first became associated with Catanach’s when as a young boy, he caddied for W M Catanach at Woodlands Golf Club and was eventually offered a position by W M Catanach with Catanach’s Jewellers, which he accepted and was there for many years.He was a good judge of quality coloured gemstones and considered the best in Melbourne especially Sapphires and Rubies. 

He had with him Kay Cheffins and Ian Crofts and later when Ian Crofts left, a friend of Blair’s, Alex Newman joined the firm. Charlie was a top golfer and played off scratch at Woodlands Golf Club in Mordialloc. Charlie was sent overseas on a buying trip for ten days to Hong Kong. This was a first as it was always Mr. Catanach who went on overseas trips. 

I was later given by Blair a twenty-three day trip to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. My trip was a surprise to me and was given to me after having completed twenty-five years service. I remember running over to the Post Office to tell Betty because at that time I had never been on a plane and this was a big first for me.

At one time Charlie owned a Fiat 1100 car which he wanted to sell, so I recommended it to a mate of mine who purchased it and had it for many years. Another car he had was a 1965 AP5 Valiant which he drove to work and parked it at the Cultural Centre. This car was different than usual as the gear change were push buttons on the dashboard.

The Gemmological Association organised a day drive to Daylesford, which was attended by quite a few families. Kath Manning who worked for John Pope and Charlie Feltham, who were both single and liked to compete and decided that on the way home they would see who could get to Melbourne first.I knew the road well and knew that there was a very sharp right turn at the bottom of one of the hills. Kath and Charlie were alone in their cars and when they got near this turn I wondered if one or both would get around. Somehow, they both were able to slow down and make it safely. This section has now been realigned and now there is no risk.

One Christmas, I think it was 1963, after we all had too much to drink Charlie drove us home. The first stop was Tooronga Road to wish Winnie Munt, our threader, a Merry Christmas and she gave us beer to drink that hadn’t been chilled. Next stop was to drop off Ian Crofts off at Ormond and by this time we were all pretty much under the weather;.  Ian was first in and was abused by his wife so the rest of us kept walking through the house and out the back door back to the car.  Next stop was to drop off Ron Fleming and then me.  When we arrived at our home I found that had Betty invited some neighbours in for a Christmas drink. This was the worst I had ever felt and I spent a lot of time in and out of the toilet being sick.

Charlie purchased a home in Bright about 1988, the same time as my wife, Betty  and I purchased a house in Eildon. Charlie had a Labrador dog and a cat that he used to take to Bright if he was going to be away for a few days. He was devoted to his mother who had lost most of her sight,so Charlie did a lot of the housework, like ironing and cooking, his father had died many years before.

His annual holidays were always spent going away fishing with a mate and on one trip he went to Lake Eucumbene, one of the lakes in the Snowy Mountains. He used to make his own fly’s. He had a really good catch getting about twenty trout and gave me three when he got home. He often went to Bemm River where he fished for bream. He had a younger brother, Jack, who worked at Sutton’s Music store in Elizabeth Street. He moved to Bright to live when he retired and later built a unit there. Charlie was cremated and his ashes were sprinkled into his favourite fishing spot in the Ovens River in Bright.

This information was given to me by Charlie’s niece.
Charles passed away on 24th June 2001 aged 79 years.

Kay Cheffins was another person on the staff who worked in the Diamond Department, was also interested in the management of the Gemmological Association of Australia, and in 1958 was State Secretary. She had sat for her FGAA diploma in 1952.

There were no comforts for the staff or the public and when attending customers we were on our feet as were the customers. Kay had a habit of stepping out of her shoe and one time Ian Croft quietly walked behind her and picked it up. When she had to go the window again she moved her foot around looking for her shoe but couldn’t find it so she had to walk with one foot on her toes. She eventually resigned from Catanach’s and went into business for herself re threading and selling pearl clasps. Kay passed away on 10th March 2003 aged 76 years.

My wife Betty and I went to the beach for a swim one weekend and when I went into the water I met Kay. She and I stood in waist deep water for about an hour talking about our days working together at Catanach’s. 

Edna File left to have a baby. Edna was there when I started at Catanach’s but from memory wasn’t there for very long after I started. She was in charge of the Costume Jewellery Department
Edna passed away 3rd February 1992 aged 75

 Shirley Stone then joined us and was in charge of the Costume Jewellery Department. She had a lot of trouble with ulcers on her legs and had a lot of pain as she had to have them bandaged all of the time. After a few years, she left to open her own shop in Balaclava at the Junction which she named “The Jewel Box”.  Shirley passed away suddenly on 4th January 1994

Vernon Watt came to us to replace Shirley Stone; he was from Drummond’s and Co who were another top class jewellery store. Vernon was serving a man who wanted to look at expensive jewellery and drew my attention.  I went and stood where I could keep my eye on him. I noticed that he had a false moustache and no lens in his glasses. He was looking at over two hundred thousand dollars worth of jewellery when he took off.

Vern and I chased him and caught him outside Proud’s at the Bourke Street end of Royal Arcade. We grabbed an arm each and tried to get somebody to call the police. Rob Smith came running up the arcade and so he called them. While waiting the fellow we had hold of  was trying to bite and kick us without success. The Police arrested him and took him away. We got the jewellery back and when police searched his house they found sex toys including a blow up doll, but we never found out what happened to him. 

When we went computerised, Vern was the person most interested in operating it. Prior to this each department had to manually write up stock sheets which were used as a way of keeping track of all stock. Goods that were sold were marked off by Marg Blake daily, so most of the time she was kept fairly busy. Vern worked in the City and at Armadale for many years and I was quite surprised when he gave notice and moved to Cairns then continued to work in the trade until he retired.

Glenn Veal had done a jewellery apprenticeship and Robert had worked as an Industrial Chemist. Glenn was put into the section that had opal rings and other dress jewellery and Robert came with me into watches. They didn’t stay long, Glenn left to become a member of the Fire Brigade and Robert went and worked for Ian Crofts, who had purchased a wholesale gem business, and later went out on his own doing valuations.

Glenn Veal (Chopper)  Robert Smith (Smithy)

Glen came to Catanach’s after having done an apprenticeship with Mytton Rodd in St. Kilda. He began with Catanach’s in 1980 and gave notice to leave in June 1984. Glenn and Rob, who had both done the Gemmology Diploma course, talked Mr Catanach into purchasing a new microscope, as the existing one was very old and outdated.

After taking delivery of it they suggested I have a look at the difference and placed a sapphire on it and said look. I said it wasn’t much better than the original and they suggested I get closer to the eyepiece which I did. A couple of the staff laughed when they saw what had happened. They had put graphite on the eyepieces, which left me with two black eyes. Glenn nicknamed Choppa, and Smithy were always out to play jokes on me. 

Another time he was showing a pad of rings and the man kept taking rings back. After he had gone, Glen noticed that one of the rings looked different; the conman had swapped our ring for a cheap imitation.

Glenn recalls sitting in the tearoom in Yule House, on 8th February 1983 and it suddenly got dark. Melbourne had a massive dust storm, which blacked out the city. He resigned in 1984 to join the Fire Brigade and is still with them. Glenn has now moved to Belmont, near Geelong after many years in Bacchus Marsh. and Rob after a few moves purchased a home in Brighton and demolished it. He then had built a new two storey home.

Robert Smith writes:

Finally Mahree (sic) here it is, the best I can do with the severe time constraints you placed on me.

I started at (sic) Catanacks as it was often referred to approx. March 1981 and finished sometime in 1984 ( I think ) I had previously worked at Dulux Research Laboratories in Clayton, went to Europe in early 1980 and returned Dec 1980 after 10 months of extensive travelling through Europe. Whilst in London a travelling companion had an Aunt who dealt in antique jewellery in Portobello Road ( London ) and we went to a few auctions in London and the surrounding the areas ( Sotheby and Christies ). I had always been interested in rocks and became interested in the gemmology side of the industry. 

When I returned to Australia a friend’s mother contacted some of the better retail jewellers in Melbourne ( Catanach’s, Hardy Bros, Dunklings ) to see if any employment positions were available and although they had no position available Blair Catanach was kind enough to see me and give me an outline of the Jewellery industry.I came in and he gave me about 30 minutes or so with a brief history of Catanach’s and the industry as it was. Blair rang about 2 weeks later and said something may be available and I should come in. Andrew Greenhut had broken his arm (he was hit by a car) and Blair thought I could cover for him. 

As I was working one day Blair introduced me to Mr. Catanach Senior and he was not impressed by my appointment and told Blair ( in front of me ) that Mr. Greenhut was coming back. Blair shrugged him off and the old boss was indifferent/rude to me from then on, he almost choked one Christmas giving out the bonuses ( my bonus was always about half of Glenn’s) when he had to mention some high marks I achieved for a Gemmology exam.

I started in the Repair Department. Harry Thoma was in charge with Debbie. She constantly asked Harry how much any/all repair charges would cost and within 3 weeks of me starting she was asking me as well.

Staff at that time consisted of Blair & Charlie, Bernadette Brodribb , Sue & Vern, Angela & Glenn, Joyce, Marge and Miss Hall, Elaine Bourne, two in the Watch Department Peter Catanach and  Brian Maher and Miss Hall ( senior ) & Harold Crofts ( part time) over the road in the office with Noel Larkins repairing watches upstairs in Yule House, Peter McCulloch coming in once a week for watch repairs and Ernie Zanon for silver repairs the same.

Amanda started about the same time as me. Biruta worked part time and her daughter Lilita at Christmas. Later Christine Athinis  (Con’s daughter from Milne & Jenkins) started and another young woman who was a hairdresser I think and a good worker ( can’t remember her name ) and a Kiwi girl who did office type stuff worked later on as Marge etc retired. Cam also started toward the end of my period there and another guy can’t remember his name took over the repair dept when Harry left. Later I think Anne ? ? started work there but some started after my time and because I still came to the Christmas parties, I can’t remember whether I worked with them or just knew them.

 

In fact I enjoyed working at Catanach’s, it was a friendly atmosphere (except the grouchy manager after Charlie left). Glenn left for the fire brigade and I found most in the Diamond department didn’t work too hard just made themselves look busy, I think I consistently had the most sales when I eventually went into the Diamond Department ( not necessarily the biggest sales ) because many were not too keen to assist customers. 

I worked in the Repair Department, then Watch Department and eventually the Diamond Department after completing Diploma of Gemmology doing valuations as well without any real experience and very little instruction as Blair tended not to use instruments to measure or check authenticity 

but went entirely on look and feel and was generally pretty accurate.

There were many funny and some serious incidents :

Checking footwear of dodgy looking customers and aligning the doorways to prevent the grab and runs, particularly Friday nights. 

Greeny always immaculately dressed and checking his wig was always aligned, he was very good with customers and doing his ‘rough as guts’ minor repairs. Not sure how old he was but I travelled on the same train line and he sometimes missed his stop and I would see him scurry off the train and over to the other side to go back to his correct station.

Elaine who was a beautiful gift wrapper but took forever. Many customers particularly around Christmas would ask, could you check on my purchase she left 30 min ago to wrap it and I haven’t seen her since, it was tempting to say she doesn’t work here, but Elaine wasn’t bothered.

We used to set up Brian, the manager, most of all because in most cases he could take a joke.

Apart from the microscope incident, I remember I often drew an eye on the eyeglasses that were stationed around the counters or I took the lens out. particularly those counters near the back room where Blair sat. I remember I was doing a valuation and the old boss came around the corner and threw the eyeglass against the wall directly in front of me. I picked it up and it had an eye drawn on it, I looked at Blair and he looked at me and just smirked.

Another time Glenn and I were watching Brian, the manager dealing with a customer, we had removed the lens from the eyeglass, Brian was checking the customers ring for wear. He moved the ring forward and back trying to focus, then with his other hand he used his index finger to poke at the eyeglass, still in his eye, to establish the lens was missing, Glenn and I were nearly ‘crying’ with laughter at this stage.

Other times just as Brian was about to sit down with a customer we would spray his seat with the water solution used to clean the counters; he would just grimace as he sat. Brian a stickler for time, morning and afternoon tea at 10 & 3, lunch at 12, also did small alarm clock repairs. He would wrap them in the house stripey paper and put them in his bag or pocket, several times before they were wrapped 

I tried to wind them and set the alarm for around 6pm just as his 5:40 train was approaching probably McKinnon station. Alternatively, he used to buy the Herald to read on the train, a broadsheet paper in 2 sections, I would carefully staple some of the pages so as he opened it out it would let out this big ‘ripping’ sound, priceless on a crowded train.

One of the funniest times was in the Repair Department. Harry had a very dry sense of humour and often very sarcastic. I liked his humour, when I was sometimes looking at small objects he would often say can you see that without your glasses. I had exceptionally good eyes and only use glasses very occasionally now some 40 years later.

 

I remember a woman came in to the Repair Department one lunch time. and asked if her repair was ready and Harry asked her name,“Coburn”, she said, in a very refined voice. Harry couldn’t find it and asked for her receipt, meanwhile customers were about three deep now. Harry took her receipt and said it’s COCK BURN in a loud voice, the refined woman looked around and whispered yes, but its pronounced  Coburn. Harry started to argue but it’s clear here COCK BURN look it’s written here on the receipt COCK BURN.  Harry eventually gave the very red-faced woman her goods and had a wry smile when he came back to his little office. Many other little incidents but I have to  get this to donger (Brian)

Regards Smithy.

Smithy was thought of by some, even Mr Catanach, as being a bit of a smart arse. (Brian)

Louise Huber e/mailed me as follows on 17th June 2020:

I worked in Catanach's from 1972 until 1975. I had been living in Switzerland for 3 years, and on returning to Melbourne had decided to look for work in the jewellery business. Mr Catanach senior interviewed me and decided to take me on. I really enjoyed my time there and was welcomed by all the staff. We were one big happy family, and I have many happy memories.

I spoke with Louise and she told me her Swiss husband, Adrian, had passed away five years ago.

She is now a grandmother and lives in Barwon Heads, Victoria

When Alex Newman resigned, I was moved from watches to the Diamond Department, which was considered by the staff as the top area to work Alex was a schoolmate of Blair’s and another who was always on for a joke. One time after a night out, he was in Yule House and was going to be sick. He went to the nearest toilet, which happened to be a ladies and was occupied by Phoebe Lineham. He said “ sorry” and went to another toilet.

The switch box for the windows was high up on the wall. One morning Alex reached up to switch it on and touched something furry. It was a rat that had got up there and was electrocuted.

Those of us who went to lunch at noon played penny poker in the lunchroom. I had a pretty good run so I kept my pennies in a cardboard box. Alex had purchased a mixed business in Bendigo and gave notice to leave. The last day of playing cards, a Friday, he went to afternoon tea and used a tube of soluble glue and emptied it all over my pennies. On Monday, I discovered the joke and spent some time cleaning the glue off  my box full of pennies. Alex passed away in Bendigo on 28th April  1985 aged 50 years.

A police officer came in one day and asked for the manager. He had with him a diamond ring suspected of having been stolen from us and asked me if this could be so. A girl had been arrested and police found the ring on her. It had one of our numbers scratched into it so I checked our  stock records and found that we should still have it, as it hadn’t been sold. I had to go to Fitzroy Court to state that it was our property and eventually the girl admitted that she had been looking at rings in Catanach’s 

and when the opportunity arose she slipped it into her pocket.We eventually got the ring back from the police.

 

Biruta Braslis was serving a girl and suddenly the girl ran and Biruta screamed out she had taken a ring. I chased her to a shop in Bourke Street and asked her for the ring. She claimed she didn’t have a ring so I grabbed hold of her arm and took her back to the shop and called the police. She had grabbed a Ruby and Diamond worth just under $4000, which was a lot of money back then.

Two female police came, and we took her over to Yule House, and the police searched her but couldn’t find any rings. Her case went to court and she got off, as there was no proof that she had stolen anything from us. She must have had somebody waiting at the back door and as she ran through passed it to them and kept running. There was about twenty feet between her and me when I took off after her but the gap was obviously enough for her to get rid of the ring. I found out when at court that she lived in Whitehall Street, Footscray.  Biruta passed away in May 2010 aged 74.

Lilita Rodas (nee Braslis) writes on August 2020

My Mum- Biruta Braslis, first heard about Catanach’s when a job became available in 1980.

The advertisement required somebody with experience in the jewellery industry and in those days, the advertisement could specify an age criteria, and was listed as requiring someone between the age of 40-45. Biruta didn’t fulfil the job criteria but had a love and passion for fine jewellery and thought she would apply anyway. She presented well, and with a heavy Latvian accent was given the job.

When I turned 15, my mum was able to get me casual employment working at Catanach’s during the Christmas holidays. That year was 1981.

I worked only a few summers at Catanach’s, but loved every minute of it. It was my “dream job” I remember telling everyone that I would work there forever. Biruta and I both had the pleasure of working with Mr. Catanach senior who was already in his senior years. He had an old charm presence about him. A real gentleman. Looking back at it today, it was great to see so many generations working together, with Blair Catanach and his two children- Mandy and David. 

Biruta worked at Catanach’s located in the Royal Arcade until they moved to Armadale in ’86.

She loved her job, spending as much money as she could afford on jewellery, silverware and handbags.

Biruta passed away in April 2010. I know that she thoroughly enjoyed working in such a high class, professional environment, and we both enjoyed the journey we had together during our time at Catanach’s,

Lilita Rodas August 2020    

One of our customers was Sir Harold Gengoult-Smith. He was the most well mannered of the well heeled customers we had. He demanded no fuss when coming in as a customer. If there were lady’s in front of him he would step back and say to them “You’re next”  He was knighted in 1934 and retired as Melbourne’s Lord Mayor that year but remained a member of the City Council until 1965 making him the City’s longest serving Councillor

He passed away on 14th April 1983 aged 93 years

 

Ernie (Surname not known) was a well-dressed English gentleman. He told everybody that he was once batman to Sir Winston Churchill. He was employed to open and close the shop, take the mail to the Post Office daily, keep the shop clean and do any messages. We found out that he was selling our postage stamps to the engraver, Bert Lamshed unbeknown to Bert that they had been stolen.

Mr W A Catanach (The Boss) was associated with Victorian Crippled Children Society and the money we charged for valuations was put in a collection box by the customer and donated to the Society.

I saw Ernie retrieve a ten-shilling note from the box and told Rob Black. We set a trap for him and noted the serial number on a note and put it in the box so as it could be got out if he fell for the bait. We thought we were watching him but he managed to take it without us seeing him.

When we realised it had gone we rang the police and Detective Reg Henderson, (AKA the Falcon) came and put dye on another note, took the serial number and we waited. Sure enough, it disappeared and we saw Ernie trying to clean his hands. Reg Henderson came back and asked him about it. Ernie took them to a kiosk where he had purchased cigarettes, they checked the notes, and there 

was the one that had the dye and correct number. Mr Catanach didn’t want him charged but fired him. 

The next man was Jack Barrett, the father in law of Ron Fleming, a jeweller who did some work for us and had made Betty’s engagement ring. He had a broad Welsh accent and had worked for the tramways as an Inspector, aka Grasshopper as they wore green uniforms. Mr Catanach once asked him if he would mind cleaning the inside of one of the display windows in the arcade. He said he wasn’t a cleaner and politely refused to do it, he wasn’t with us much longer.

We had another elderly English man, Mr. Seaman, who was a Commissionaire and wore a uniform. He wasn’t very mobile and mainly just stood at the door as a supposed security guard.

Another man was Bill Brown, a Scotsman, who we discovered that he spent a lot of time sitting on the seats in the City Square. I think he was the last messenger we had.

On the first floor of Royal Arcade was a small café called Lindy’s where Rob Black, Charles Feltham, Ian Crofts and Bill Funston and Noel Scott and I had our lunch. Lunch was usually a spaghetti meal, which cost us two shillings, and sixpence. Then we would go to Yule House rooftop and play shuttlecock with Bill Funston and Noel Scott who worked for Dunkling’s in Bourke Street. I don’t know how many shuttlecocks we lost either to Little Collins Street or on the roof of the Royal Hotel next door. The roof had a 4 ft. parapet and Blair would get on it and walk along it on his hands. If he fell, it would have been a four storey fall intoLittle Collins Street but this didn’t deter him.

 

At the side of Yule house is a lane, which gives access to the rear of Allan’s Music store, and the rear of what was then The Hotel Australia. This lane is now called Dame Edna Place. I remember one morning in 1955 Allan’s was on fire as I was on my way to the shop. In the following two years, the burnt out building was rebuilt to what it is today. Back then, there were no safety rules as there are today, 

I remember watching the workmen during construction walking around the site on the girders with no harness or scaffolding to protect them if they fell, how times have changed for the better.

I was asked to do the Gemmology course in 1956. It was a two-year course and the first year was done at the Melbourne University. The second year was done in Victoria Street, Abbotsford, at an old two-storey home which was owned by the Gemmological Association. The second year was mostly two nights a week. 

Two other men from Footscray were doing the course so the three of us got together one night a week to study and ask each other questions. One of the men was Reg Griffiths who owned a jewellery shop in Nicholson Street Footscray and the other was Graeme Taylor who was a watchmaker and 

worked for Reg. I  used to pick Graeme up from his home in Seddon and drive to Reg’s home in Droop Street, Footscray, almost next to the fire station.

One of the tutors was Noel Scott, who worked for Dunklings, and lived in Coburg. He offered extra tuition at his home for those that wanted it. Graeme and I accepted this offer and found it to be very beneficial. I picked Graeme up from Yarraville and drove to Noel’s home in Coburg. The final exams, which were held in the old house, in Abbottsford consisted of four hours theory and three hours practical, and held on two days over a weekend.

Noel later moved from Coburg to somewhere along the Frankston line, further out than where I lived. He and a few of his mates from Dunklings who lived in that direction always caught a train together, always the last compartment in the last carriage of the “red rattler”. They would spread newspaper on their knees and play cards; I don’t think that there was any money involved. When I first started work, 

the old red trains had doors that opened out. This was very dangerous and so they were taken out of service.

Those of us who were Gemmologists attended a meeting at the Hawthorn RSL. I remember Jack and Fred Hale, Kay Cheffins, Charlie Feltham, Ian Crofts and Mr Catanach being there.

Came suppertime and I asked Mr Catanach if he would like a cup of tea. I proceeded to get it for him but there were no teaspoons so I tipped in a little bit of sugar and Fred Hale stirred it with a withered up carrot he found in the kitchen. Fred was a bit of a clown and travelled up to the first floor and down again in the Lazy Susan.  Jack Hale had been a VFL footballer with Carlton, played over one 

hundred games, and then coached at South Melbourne and Hawthorn. When he left Hawthorn John (Kanga) Kennedy took over.

Soon after being made manager and having the responsibility of the shop I was called by security. I was concerned about my safety when the security man told me to go in and have a look around. 

The next time I was called by security saying the alarm had gone off. I drove in and took my dog with me and sent her in first. It proved to be a false alarm.

 

Another time I was called by security again and it was pouring rain about 3.00 am but I was able to park right outside the shop in Little Collins Street. Another false call so I reset the alarm and went back to the car. I drove a few metres to Elizabeth Street and turned left and realised I had a flat tyre so I pulled over to change the wheel.

By this time, the wheel was on the rim and I couldn’t get the jack under the car. Still raining, I put the spare on the road, backed up onto it, and was then able to use the jack. Trying to undo the wheel nuts, I slipped and fell backwards into the flowing gutter. I put the tyre in to have the puncture repaired and was told the tyre was beyond it.

Another call early on the morning of the Melbourne Cup again was a false alarm. Later that day I got another call advising of a break in. Again, I drove in and the place was surrounded with police. 

Our cleaner, Ron, lived opposite the shop in the Royal Arcade Hotel and saw a car ramming the grill. He rang the police, gave them a running commentary, and watched from his window as the man broke through the front door and was putting silverware in to a large bag. The Police arrested him still on the premises. I then had to arrange shutters and clean up the damage.

I was coming back from lunch one day and saw a crowd in front of the corner window. It had been smashed and a three carat diamond stolen. The man had a sledgehammer and asked people to move back and with a couple of hits had a hole big enough to get his hand in and grab the Diamond. This was where Charlie and Blair had a desk and I immediately thought the window damage had been done with a gunshot so I rushed into the shop to check. The get away car was found in Little Lonsdale Street a few days later but the diamond remains missing.

Alex Milne started working for himself in 1960, he opened a workshop in Beehive Building at 98 Elizabeth Street. This was just around the corner from Catanach’s so I used to go there and have lunch with him. He was a keen darts player (playing competitively with the RSL) so after eating lunch we would play darts. We were walking back to his workroom one lunchtime and a girl asked me if I would like a bit of cake. I said no and we kept walking. Alex knowing that I didn’t know what she meant explained that she was a prostitute.

Alex Milne and Les Jenkins, who both did work for Catanach’s, were finding that they really needed another tradesman. Both of them had more work than they could handle but not enough to put on a man so I suggested they go into partnership and then they would be able to put on an extra man.

They did this and they employed a Greek man, Danny Athinis who after some time changed his name back to his correct name Constantine Athinis, Con for short.

This photo was taken when Les and Alex took three of us out to dinner.

L/R Les Jenkins, Rob Black, Brian Maher, Ray Ryan and Alex Milne

The night out was at a hotel where they had a stripper. Les was paying attention to the girl and when he tried to cut his bread roll, he wasn’t looking and he sliced across his finger and had to go to the Melbourne Hospital to have it stitched and he then returned to the hotel strip show. He only missed about an hour.

 

The partnership lasted many years before Con left to live in Queensland and Alex and Les went their own ways. Alex worked from home and Les worked as a tradesman for Thomas’s a retail jeweller.

When it was time to organise our wedding rings I made them in Alex’s workshop at home.

Alex Milne usually came into the city once a week to deliver finished work and collect any to be done. He lived about a kilometre from me so if there was anything urgent I would take it home and he would pick me up at Cheltenham station. This sometimes caused a problem as I usually got off the train at Mentone and a few times I forgot to get off at Cheltenham. If he had finished work to deliver, he would pick me up in the morning and drive me to the station.

Alex Milne passed away 4th December 1995 aged 69 years Wilma Milne (His wife) is aged 92 years.

Les Jenkins and his wife, Dorothy built a holiday home in Torquay and invited us down for a week of our holidays. They were there when we arrived on a Saturday morning and they stayed until Sunday night. On Sunday morning they decided to go surfing on small inflatable mats. Betty, Les and myself went into the water almost shoulder deep and I couldn’t swim. 

We waited for a decent wave and Les said” lets go”. Betty and Les went to shore and I went sideways and then out into deeper water. I couldn’t make any headway to shore so let my mat go, this put me in a more dangerous position. The next I knew was when a man grabbed me and told me not to struggle and he would get me in. Betty and Les hadn’t noticed the trouble I was in until I walked out of the water with the man who rescued me. I have never been in the water since.Dorothy and Les came back for the next weekend before we all left for home on Sunday afternoon.

Les passed away 2nd September 2018 aged 88 years.

Dorothy passed away 20th August 2019 aged 87 years.

Con Athinis then had his own jewellery business on the Sunshine Coast. On one of our car trips to Cairns, it was suggested by Vernon that we call in to Noosa and see Con.  Con and his wife, Lucy, invited us to stay the night, which we did, and set off next day for home. He retired and died of cancer not long after. His remains were brought back to Melbourne and he is buried in Williamstown Cemetery.

Constatine Athinis passed away on 2nd August 2018 aged 75 years.     

We were always troubled with rats and at times, the shop got very smelly. We would call the pest men and they would locate the body and remove it. Dorothy Hall always made morning tea for Mr. Catanach, Andrew Greenhut and herself. Andrew was in one of the workshops one morning and Rob Black, noticing that his cup of tea and biscuit were on his desk, decided to play a joke with him. He broke small pieces from the biscuit and when Andrew returned he told him that he had seen a rat in his office.

Andrew Greenhut went straight up to Coles to get some rat poison. When he made the purchase the man asked him “Do you want to eat it here or take it away”, You really had to know Andrew to appreciate the joke.

 Andrew Greenhut who once told me his name was originally Gruenhut  was Jewish, went to tea one Friday night up to Coles. We asked him what he had and he answered pea soup. We asked him “did you like it “and he said yes. We then explained how it would have been pea and ham and then he said no he didn’t like it. Coles made the best milk coffee in Melbourne.

Shopping on Fridays nights began about 1970 so we had to work Friday night until 9.00 pm then Saturday until 12.00 noon. We did this for a short time and then our hours were changed and we had one weekend off in four. We were given tea money of one dollar and most of us went to Coles Cafeteria, which was on the mezzanine floor of Coles in Little Street where you sat on stools at a long bar type counter. You were able to get a hot meal and drink and have a few cents over with the dollar.

Andrew ran everywhere although I had told him to walk. He wore a toupee but never spoke about it. When Andrew was sitting at his desk and if Jim Roche wanted something, he would reach over Andrew and a few times bumped the toupee. Jim wouldn’t say a word but would straighten it up.  Andrew was a very reliable person who never had a bad word against anybody. 

Andrew passed away suddenly on 4th June 1983 aged 73 years.

I remember one day a man came in to sell some old gold. I told him that whatever he had would have to be tested and he would have to come back next day. He came back the following day and agreed to sell. The gold turned out to be a variety of wedding rings that had been through a fire.  We had to fill in details into a book which pages were torn out of and sent to Russell Street Police every second day. 

When getting the details from the man one of the questions was “what is your occupation” and he answered “Crematorium Assistant”.  I paid him for the gold and immediately rang Reg Henderson at Russell Street and he said he would follow it up.  I never heard any more about it so assume there was nothing sinister about it or it wasn’t worth following.

Another time when I was more aware of things going on two young teenagers came in wanting to sell some old gold. They had a bracelet made up of six or seven sovereign coins that had had rings soldered onto them and joined together with gold jump rings to form the bracelet. I told them the same story about having to leave it with us until after lunch time to be tested for quality and they agreed to do that. 

I explained that it couldn’t be done before two o’clock so I then asked them for a name and address and the one who had done all of the talking told me his name was Joe Blow and he lived in Richmond. I wrote him a receipt J Blow, Richmond and away they went. 

I then rang Reg Henderson at Russell Street and he said he and a couple of Police Officers would be there and that he alone would come into the shop before 2.00m. Prior to him arriving I noticed the two young men waiting outside obviously waiting for the clock to pass the time they were told to come back. Reg arrived and told me he had a man at the back and front door.

The two young men came in and up the Repair Department. I nodded to Reg that they were the two in question and the moment they gave me their receipt he grabbed the one who had the receipt and called for the other police. The two police handcuffed the two culprits together and called for a divvy van to come and take them to the lock-up. Reg later told me that between the time they left the 

bracelet until they came back, about three hours later, they had gone back to Richmond and burgled a few more houses.

A shabbily dressed man came in one day wanting to sell an eternity ring. I told him that we weren’t interested in the diamonds and that after we purchased the gold we would return the diamonds to him. We paid him for the gold and told him to come back next day and get the diamonds.

Old gold purchasers were left in the original job packets, sometimes for months until Mr Catanach sorted out what was usable. He came to me one day and asked how much I had allowed on the diamonds. When I explained that the man never came back for them, he said “we can’t do that and sent the man a cheque for ten pounds. A more honest businessman you would never meet. The scrap gold was sorted through annually and sent to the Royal Mint in West Australia for refining.