J.G Arnold, Fruiterer, Grocer & Produce Dealer Begins

J.G begins his own business by cultivating a small vegetable garden. He would fill a wheelbarrow or basket with fruit and vegetables, selling around the streets of Albury, NSW.

The family legend is that J.G had just 20 pounds capital when he progressed from a barrow to a horse and cart which cost him 15 pounds and the rest went to buy potatoes, pumpkins and onions.

After several months the family opened a shop in Wilson St, opposite the Sodens Hotel Australia and he upgraded to two horses and a little wagon.

And so J.G began a new life at the age of 40 with the help of his eldest son. J.E (Jack).

Fortuitously, he and his wife Elisabeth would go on to have a very large family ( two sons and nine daughters ) that would all contribute to the business in some way or another.

Albury’s population is 5400 people.

On the Move

The landlord of the Wilson St store sells the property and J.G is forced to move the business.

Years later J.G would reflect “It was the best thing that ever happened to us”.

By this time his eldest son, J.E (Jack) turns 18 and the business becomes known as J.G Arnold & Son.

Transshipping

Arnold’s began to benefit from two of Albury’s greatest impediments to business, customs at the border and the different railway gauges.

Duties had to be paid on goods such as spirits, ales, tobacco, coffee, dried fruit and some other items up until 1913.

Many types of goods had to undergo a custom inspection at the border.

Some NSW buyers failed to pay the one shilling cost of inspection and left their goods in Wodonga.

J.G saw an opportunity to pay the fee and forward the goods.

This is how he and J.E entered the transshipping business at Albury station, supervising the custom inspection and consignment of produce from trains on one gauge to trains on the other.

J.E remembered that the 1902 drought gave impetus to this side of the business.

W.F Joins the Business

After leaving school, second son, W.F (Billy) joined the business aged 15.

Among other things he processed orders from stores at Holbrook, Lockhart and Henty.

Several of his initialled postcard orders survive until this day.

A telephone with the number Albury 64 was obtained. So Arnold’s is one of the few businesses in Australia to have had a phone service continually for well over a century.

J.G also had a line number 65 to his house in Macauley St, a number later used for the shop.

Freehold Purchased

The freehold was purchased in Olive St costing 2367 pounds.

There was an additional Arnold’s two storey warehouse, known as Arnold’s Produce Store near the Terminus Hotel in what later became known as C.O.D Lane.

W.F Becomes Partner

Younger son, W.F turned 21 and is made a partner with his father putting him in charge of the transshipping business.

The shop front in Olive St is modernised into three shops and protected with by a verandah with the sign “J.G Arnold & Sons, Fruiterer and Greengrocer; The Olive St Market.

Albury has now grown to 7000 people.

Third Generation & a Cousin

J.E’s eldest son, Noel leaves school aged 15 to begin working in the business for the next 46 years.

Cousin Theodor Harry’s (Harry) arrival at Arnold’s, two years before from Yackandandah heralded a new chapter for the business.

In January he began managing the Olive St shop after he and J.E and W.F formed a retail partnership known as Harry Arnold & Co.

As well as fruit and vegetables, Harry’s Olive St shops sold confectionary, soft drinks and ice cream.

The shops layout changed from time to time. An unusual feature was a central stand on which hundreds of cauliflowers would be piled high, along with other produce.

One part of the shop was devoted entirely to oranges, with bins progressing from very small to very large.

First Delivery Vehicle is Purchased

Harry was aware the Hume Dam was under construction with two worker’s villages needing to be supplied.

He bought a Reo motor delivery truck (with no doors) to deliver fresh produce to the villages.

He also used it to make wholesale deliveries for a radius of 50 miles (80km)

J.G Arnold Retired

Soon after turning 70 years old, J.G Arnold retired.

He had been left a widow two years before with his wife, Elisabeth passing due to sickness.

He left his sons, J.E and W.F and his nephew Harry in charge of the business.

J.G Arnold Dies

Four years after his retirement J.G passes away, aged 74.

He had seen his business grow in 40 years from a hand barrow to a flourishing interstate business that was one of the biggest of its kind in the Commonwealth, a fine legacy for his

children and grandchildren. We thank him for his wisdom and tenacity.

W.F buys his first radio so he can hear the early morning market reports from Burnie in Tasmania for the potato prices.

The Wall Street Crash started the Great Depression.

Modernisation is in the Air

Arnold’s were going well and spent 2348 pounds with Logans the builders on extensive renovations to the shops, a new office and wholesale areas.

The old stables behind the Abikhair home in Arnold’s Lane were purchased on which large wholesale and retail sheds were built.

Earle Arnold, J.E’s youngest son joined the business aged 17.

Staff Longevity

Around this time, four young teenagers, Norm Brumm, Laurie Hillier, Norm Robinson and Norm Olsen joined the business and spent practically all their working lives at Arnold’s.

Their dedication to the business was second to none.

Army Camps Become Major New Customer

World War II bought special problems such a petrol rationing and price controls, and of course a shortage of men as enlistments grew.

Albury and Wodonga became virtual garrison towns as vast training camps and stores were opened and the Bonegilla and Bandiana camps were established.

With 8000 to 10,000 soldiers camped in the district at peak times, local business enjoyed a bonanza, and Arnold’s shared in this.

Harry Moves On

Harry relinquished his interests back to his cousins in July and moved to Sydney.

The shop was renamed E.N Arnold & Co. with Noel taking over as manager of the retail and wholesale arms.

Paul Arnold Entered the Business

W.F’s only son, Paul finished school and enters the business aged 18.

Paul was to work in every aspect of the business and become a partner at 21.

Flying Fruit to Albury

Faster transport and refrigeration transformed the fruit and vegetable industry at this time.

Until then everything except potatoes, onions and pumpkins depending on the region were available only in season.

Arnold’s flew fresh strawberries in from Queensland in the winter, landing at Corowa and bringing them by truck to Albury.

Arnold’s had just celebrated 60 years in business.

J.E Arnold Died

J.E Arnold continued working everyday even when he passed the age of 80.

He just loved the contact with family and friends.

Sadly, he passed away aged 83. The Border Morning Mail described him as a:

“businessman of unusual talent…a ready smile, good humour and an amusing tale were the ever present accoutrements of his contact with fellow men”.

Fourth Generation

Earle’s son, Barrie Arnold, who is the first of the fourth generation joins the business.

The same year, he became a partner. He bought about a lot of changes and modernised many parts of the business.

When he left the business 15 years later he went on to open Albury’s first McDonalds.

Noel Arnold Retired

Noel announced his retirement in March after 46 years in the business. His daughters Marion and Margaret said of their father:

“His recipe for success was family effort and fair dealing. E.N Arnold & Co was his life and he ran it to clock work”.

An incredible contribution to the business.

Roger Arnold Entered the Business

After completing high school, Roger started working full-time at Arnold’s after having served his “apprenticeship” and knew many parts of the business.

Woolworths Wodonga opened their new store and it was Rogers job to service them. He did the same with the Lavington supermarket when it opened in 1978.

Pre-packing Machines Introduced

An American made Ag-Pak automatic pre-packaging machine to handle potatoes, onions and oranges is purchased.

It was a big advance because it bagged and weighed fruit and vegetables into poly-bags or nets in a weight range of 1kg to 7kg.

Noel Arnold passes away aged 72.

A Huge Year for the Business

Paul Arnold confirmed Arnold’s impending sale of land to Myer.

Earle announces his retirement after 47 years in the business with his son Barrie leaving to take up a McDonald’s franchise in Albury.

Paul Arnold becomes sole owner.

Harry Arnold passes away aged 83.

The Big Move Interstate to Wodonga

After the sale of land, Paul’s older cousins and uncles either retired or moved on to other interests. So Paul aged 51 relocated the business to Osburn St, Wodonga.

The building previously housed an kitchen cabinetry business and with its 20,000 square footage was a great fit for the next chapter of Arnold’s.

Some 34 staff were employed at the new site along including six from the Albury store.

W.F Arnold Died

W.F passed away aged 93. He was survived by his children and grandchildren along with his older sister, Esther aged 96.

Arnold's Fruit Market Opened

For Arnold’s, a landmark change was made when the retail section, known as Arnold’s Fruit Market, opened in September 1988.

It started very modestly. In 12 months it had doubled in size. It has been extended several times to cope with customer demand and product.

Opening a supermarket meant, in effect, re-starting the direct retail trade that had been abandoned in Olive Street in the late 1950s when the fruit and vegetable shops closed.

“We were going to call it Wodonga Fruit Market but changed to Arnold’s Fruit Market,” said Roger. He explained that the business knew no borders.

“Paul used to go out into the car park and look at the number plates of the vehicles to determine whether they came from Victoria or New South Wales!”

Brian Chitty managed the shop from the beginning but retired in 2017 after 34 years of service.

Louise Arnold Joins Business

Roger’s younger sister, Louise starts working in the business full time.

After graduating from CSU Wagga with an Arts degree, majoring in Drama, Louise will go on to become the face and voice of the business through radio and TV commercials.

A Century of Service

Celebrating 100 years of service, we proudly look back on the history of our family business, the oldest in Albury-Wodonga.

Throughout the years, our establishment has become an integral part of the community, witnessing the region’s growth and transformation.

With unwavering commitment and resilience, we have stood the test of time, embodying a tradition of dedication. This milestone represents our enduring impact and the trust placed in

us by our valued customers.

Esther Batsone (nee Arnold), the last of the 2nd generation, passes away aged 104 years.

Paul Arnold died

Third generation family member, Paul passes away aged 73.

He was one of the pioneers of washed and bagged potatoes, the driving force behind the move to Wodonga and the implementation of Arnold’s Online Home Delivery.

A visionary gone too soon.

Roger Arnold now took the helm as managing director. With his father no longer around to give advice based on his life time experience in business, Roger naturally missed being able

to weigh up the pros and cons of any proposal he thought up. “So I just did it,” he said. “I found that if you make a mistake, you just change direction.”

“Changing with the times has been our success.”

Earle Arnold passes away aged 86.

Arnold's Online Begins

Ever looking ahead for new opportunities, Paul Arnold proposed to create Arnold’s Online Home Delivery, which became the first of its kind on the Border.

Louise recalled: “Dad devised the idea around 2001 to rival the supermarkets that he thought would do the same thing in the future. He had the amazing ability to predict what

Arnold’s needed to do in the next few years to keep it ‘fresh’.” Most Arnold’s men were forward thinking. Dad couldn’t use a computer but he said ‘let’s get this happening.”

Roger and Louise decided to carry on their father’s idea of an internet-based home delivery service. Louise’s husband, Craige McCulloch was instrumental in setting up Arnold’s Online

in May 2003, spending several months on the project.

Barry Flynn and Frank Connell from Edazzle Internet Solutions were brought in to construct the website.

At the time there were no purely local retailers operating internet based shopping carts businesses at the time Arnold’s website was constructed.

Frank Connell, previously the Photographic Editor for The Border Mail, was “very much a coding genius” says Barry. “He developed software for clients to publish to their own sites at

little or no cost, whilst a partner with his brother Rob Connell, in their former business, BitPlayers. They were software pioneers”

Arnold’s beat Woolworths and Coles to provide such a service on the Border.

“Customers would visit our website and choose from a list of fresh fruit and vegetables to be delivered to their home or workplace. With same day service if they ordered before

10am” Louise said. “Grocery lines could also be ordered.”

One of the first orders came from a man living in Monaco who had fresh produce delivered to his parents in West Wodonga!

Arnold’s Online was an instant hit.

Arnold's Wins Retailer of the Year

Arnold’s wins the Melbourne Markets Victorian Regional Retailer of the Year in 2004.

A wonderful honour and dedicated the late Paul Arnold.

Fifth Generation Enters Business

The fifth generation entered the business when Roger’s son, Ben, 18, finished Year 12 at Albury High School to work fulltime alongside his father learning all aspects of the business.

Ben had worked at Arnold’s at the tender age of eight in the school holidays, and still has the pay packet to prove it! “Dad paid me $57 for working 19 hours,” Ben said. “It was $3 an

hour. I remember asking him for a pay rise, and it went up to $3.50 an hour.

“I used come to work with Dad in the morning and go home at night. I used to think to myself it was a bloody long day and I have got the rest of my life to do this – why am I doing

it?

Like his father before him, Ben worked as a casual in school holidays, mainly at Christmas when it was busy and on Saturdays. “I worked every single Saturday in 2007.”

Ben and Roger have a secret reason behind their close bonding.

“When I was a lot younger and used to come to work with dad and go home with dad, the one thing I would look forward to the most was lunchtime. It wasn’t so much because I was

hungry and I wanted to eat, but it was time to spend with dad. When I was at school dad would to go to work at 6 in the morning and come home at 6 in the night – I’d see him on

weekends. I really, really loved the lunch times we spent together, whether it was half and hour or 10 minutes. We still have lunch together every day. We might discuss something

about work or what not, or go and do various bits and pieces we need to do, but the lunchtime time is something to look forward to every day.

So why did Ben, at 18, become the first of the fifth Arnold generation to work fulltime in the business, and not choose something completely different?

“I just wanted to earn money,” he said. “I saw how Dad worked and I thought I’d be happy with that. He became my role model. He said to me ‘If you want to come to Arnold’s, you

can’. But I know he would have been disappointed if I had said no.”

“I always knew that’s what I wanted to do, and haven’t considered anything else.”

Arnold's Celebrates 120 Years

The Wholesale division moves to a large warehouse behind the store in Kendall St.

Enabling the Retail store to cover a lot more space.

Celebrations on turning 120 years are combined to launch the “new look” store.

Maddy Arnold Entered the Business

Ben’s sister, Maddy Arnold, also worked in the business early. “When I was 10, Mum would bring be over after school for about an hour and a half until Dad took me home at 6pm,” she

said. “I took things off shelves and little things like that no one else could do, and later did some filing in the office. I did that for quite a few years.

“By 2013 I was a casual while still at school and studying for my HSC. I wanted to save enough to go on the Schoolies holiday on the Gold Coast. I worked at Target in Albury as well.

“I really wanted to be a beautician. I did a course in that at the start of 2014 but that’s a very hard thing to do in this (Albury-Wodonga) area, so I kept on working here to save to go

on holiday again.

“Someone here left and I became full-time in May 2014, completing three months in the shop. I packed shelves, packed on-line orders and worked on the check-out. I worked for my

brother Ben for maybe a month or two.”

While still 18, Maddy was given the responsibility of supervising, and then managing wholesale products on the floor. And she peeled carrots and onions, too! “I was sort of thrown

into the job. That’s happened with all my jobs here,” she said. Maddy also learned a lot more about Arnold’s operations when working afternoons as a back-up in the office, answering

phone calls and taking orders, when other staff were on holiday.

The Butcher at Arnold's Opens

Kennedy’s Meats, neighbours of Arnold’s approach the family with the idea of opening a Retail store inside Arnold’s.

Fresh meat, seafood and frozen goods are now sold under the Arnold’s roof.

Roger Arnold celebrates 40 years of service.

125th Anniversary

Arnold’s celebrates 125 years of in Albury Wodonga.

Arnold's Online Celebrates 15 Years

From The Border Mail:

1/6/18

Hall Of Fame

Arnold’s is inducted in the exclusive Hall Of Fame at the Albury Wodonga Business Awards.

From The Border Mail:

New 23 ton capacity truck is purchased.

40 Years in Osburn St, Wodonga

Arnold’s celebrates 40 years in Osburn St, Wodonga.

Paul Arnold trusted his instincts when he made the decision to move Arnold’s to Wodonga. It wasn’t necessarily his first choice, but this site had come up after the previous business had gone broke and it was going for a song.

He knew the size of the land and building would prove to be his best asset.

Multiple additions and renovations later, Arnold’s Retail, Wholesale and Online business is going from strength to strength.

A Momentous Year For The Business

Arnold’s Fruit Market fourth-generation operator Louise Arnold said the business had evolved to adapt to the market challenges and climate conditions.

“But we look at the positives with mangoes and cherries now coming into season.

Ms Arnold said the business had strong relationships with Border producers.

In 1897 JG Arnold opened a shopfront on the site of the present-day Myer-Centrepoint arcade in Albury, where the business stayed until it moved across the river to Wodonga in 1980.

Ms Arnold said Arnold’s had flourished by having a refresh every five years; in line with her late father Paul’s vision.

“What I learnt from him was the importance of staying ahead of the game and listening to our customers.”

Maddy Sims (nee Arnold) gives birth to Lucy Grace the first of the 6th generation.