By James Wells
NEWCASTLE: The new Harvey Norman Newcastle West franchisee and former Retravision NSW chairman, Paul Murphy, admits it has been hard to end 61 years of history attached to Churchill’s Retravision which ends today.
The former Churchill’s Retravision which has operated on Hunter Street in Newcastle for 61 years, will re-open as a Harvey Norman store tomorrow morning.
Paul Murphy told Current.com.au this afternoon that the building he owns that was previously the home to Churchill’s Retravision will be commemorated to preserve the memory of the business.
“The building will remain the Churchill’s building,” Murphy said.
“Emotionally, I am struggling to deal with that as it is very important to me with its 61-year history. We don’t want to let those things just disappear. We will definitely put up a plaque to commemorate Churchill’s, and the locals will still know that the big boofhead is still here,” he said.
Churchill’s Retravision opened in Hunter Street in 1945. Paul Murphy’s father Mark Murphy thought so highly of World War II British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, that the store was named in his honour.
Another example of the retailer’s extensive history is Kevin Owen, who is 77 years young this year, and even after working for the business 61 years since it opened is still employed as a full time stock controller.