If you grew up in Pakenham or shopped at Pakenham in the 1950s to 1980s then chances are that you would have shopped at Robinson's Grocery shop or Robinson's 4 Square or Robinson's SSW - so this is a look at the history of Robinsons in Pakenham, who took over the McAfee Brothers' business.
Stanley Clarke Robinson was born in 1891 to Edward Walton and Emma (nee Basham) Robinson. In the 1914 Electoral Rolls they are listed at Leongatha - Edward is a ‘boot dealer’, Emma, home duties and Stanley is listed as a grocer. In 1914, Stanley married Mary Ellen Knox. They had five children and sadly their two daughters died young and a son was killed in World War Two. The children were - Errol Gordon (1916-1989); Nancy Mary (1918-1924, aged 5); Joan (1922, died aged one day old); Jack Stanley (1924-1945) and Alan Edward (1927-2011) (1)
In 1924, the Electoral rolls show they were still at Leongatha - he was grocer and Mary Ellen’s occupation was Home duties but in 1925 they are both listed at Main Street, Pakenham East, as it was known at the time (2).
We can fairly accurately pinpoint when they arrived in Pakenham in 1925 by a series of advertisements in the Pakenham Gazette.
In the March 27, 1925 issue we have the McAfee Bros advertisement as usual. I have written about Patrick O'Halloran, whose advertisement appears above McAfee's, here.
A small article from the Pakenham Gazette of April 3 1925 confirms the purchase, even though the information about Mr Robinson being ‘late of Sunbury’ does not tally with the Electoral Rolls, however is confirmed by his obituary in the Pakenham Gazette in 1957, which is published below.
The Shire of Berwick Rate Books (see above) show that Stanley Robinson leased a shop, grain store and house from David McAfee (or family members) from 1925 until 1949. In 1949 the properties were purchased in the names of Stanley, Mary Ellen and Errol Robinson.
S.C. Robinson operated as a general store keeper and in June 1953 (3) he expanded to include a gift shop.
In October 1953, E.G. Robinson and A.E. Robinson advertised that they are taking over the General Store which had been conducted by their parents for the past twenty years. Stanley continued operating the Gift Shop.
In the Pakenham Gazette of October 24, 1958, E.G and A.E Robinson advertise themselves for the first time as a 4 Square Grocery Shop.
In the May 15, 1968 Koo Wee Rup Sun, Robinsons announce they were becoming an SSW Store.
Robinson's SSW Supermarket was later taken over by Safeways, which operated for a time in the Main Street building, but moved to its new building behind Main Street around 1984 (4). This was the beginning, in my mind, of Pakenham's transition from being a country town to a suburb, when people no longer did all their shopping at small, independently owned businesses in the Main Street.
With feelings of the deepest regret we record the death of Mr. Stanley Clarke Robinson, who for thirty-two years has played a leading part in the business and public life of Pakenham. Mr. Robinson who was 66 years of age, had not enjoyed good health for some months and over the past few weeks he became more seriously ill. He passed away in the early hours of yesterday morning. The heartfelt sympathy of the whole community goes out to his wife and two sons (Errol and Alan), and his sister (Mrs Williams of Kongwak) at this sad time.
Mr. Robinson was born at North Brighton and as a boy of two went with his parents to Korumburra. He spent his early life there and at Leongatha, later moving to Sunbury. In 1925, with his wife and family, he came to Pakenham, taking over the general store which is now conducted by his two sons. Apart from a short period when he was at Frankston, Mr. Robinson continued to conduct his business until a few years ago, when he retired, keeping on as an interest a gift shop on an adjoining property.
Over all these years he won for himself a reputation for integrity and straight dealing. Although his business interests allowed him little time for an active part in public affairs, he yet found time to give assistance to many organizations and he was most liberal in his patronage.
For many years he was a member of the Board of Management of Pakenham Presbyterian Church. He was also actively associated with the Masonic Lodge.
No one will ever know the full extent of the good work done by Mr. Robinson, for he delighted to give assistance in a quiet, kindly way. Pakenham is very much poorer by the death of this fine man, whom we and many others were proud to call "Friend."
A service will be held at the Pakenham Presbyterian Church at 9.15 this morning and afterwards the funeral will proceed to Springvale Crematorium, arriving there about 10.30.
There is a Memorial stained glass window at the Uniting Church in Pakenham, commemorating Mr Robinson, dated 1960, placed there when the new Presbyterian Church was opened on October 1, 1960. His son, Errol, was the Session Clerk and Chairman of the Building Committee at the time of the construction of the new church. The Pakenham Gazette reported that the dedication ceremony was on the Saturday and the furnishings were dedicated at the service the next day. The list in the Gazette includes the window in memory of Mr S.C. Robinson and a pew in memory of Nancy Robinson. The lectern was donated by Mrs E.G. Robinson. There is also a pew in memory of Flight Sergeant Jack Robinson. (6)
Jack was the second of Stanley's sons to enlist to serve in World War two - Errol enlisted in the Air Force in August 1941 and was discharged in September 1945; Jack enlisted in February 1942 in the Army and then in 1943 he transferred to the Air Force. He died on January 19, 1945. He was a member of Beaufighter crew engaged in non-operational flight which crashed in a heavy snow storm in Lincoln in England. Alan enlisted in May 1945 and was discharged in January 1947. (7)
Mrs Mary Robinson, the daughter of Robert and Mary (nee Vance) Knox died On April 3, 1968, aged 79. She, like her husband, had her ashes interred at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery. (8)
Sadly, the day of the small owner operated grocery store is nearly over and this market segment has been taken over by the two big players, Coles and Woolworths, so there would be very few people who could these days list their occupation as 'grocer' like Stanley Robinson could.
Footnotes
(1) Electoral Rolls; Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Ryerson Index https://ryersonindex.org/
(2) Pakenham East vs Pakenham - I have written about this here https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2021/12/identical-post-offices-pakenham-east.html
(3) First Advertisement - Pakenham Gazette, June 19, 1953, p. 3
(4) The 1984 date is what my sister, Karen, remembers.
(5) Pakenham Gazette, September 20, 1957, p. 1.
(6) Pakenham Gazette, October 7, 1960, pages 1 & 12.
(7) World War Two Nominal Rolls https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ww2 ; Jack's obituary Pakenham Gazette, January 26, 1945, p.1 and Dandenong Journal, January 24, 1945, see here.
(8) Death notice The Age April 4, 1968. p, 17, from Ancestry.com
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