Breaking news at the agency

L to R Anne and Mick McHarg have sold Deloraine Newsagent to Deb Willis

JULY 2017 | Sharon Webb

THE OWNER of Deloraine Jewellers, Debbie Willis, has bought the Deloraine Newsagency, stepping into the role of newsagent on 1st July.

Ms Willis, who grew up in Scottsdale and now lives in Deloraine, will run both businesses and said she decided to take on the newsagent to “stay busy”.

“I moved to Deloraine in 2007 and bought Deloraine Jewellers in 2011. I also had my own rehabilitation consultancy business where I attended doctor’s appointments with people on workers compensation, so I was working mega hours.

“After my husband John Macrae died in 2015 I knew I loved Deloraine and its people and decided this was where I wanted to call home. So I decided to purchase the Deloraine Newsagency.”

To structure her days around the demands of both businesses, Ms Willis plans on working the early shifts at the newsagency from 5.30am until around 9.30am, moving across the road to the jewellers until around 2.30pm, then back to the newsagency.

“I have wonderful staff at the jewellers and all the current staff are staying at the newsagency,” she said.

Mick and Ann McHarg have owned the newsagent for more than 23 years and now that the business has sold, have the exact opposite life goals of Ms Willis.

Mick said they intend to “kick back and have a spell for a while, enjoy life and later do a bit of travelling.”

But it’s not the end of Mick’s face behind the counter at the newsagent. Debbie goes on holiday to Germany later in July, and Mick will step straight back into the shoes he vacated!

“It will be my last holiday for 20 years I reckon,” Debbie said. “When I step out of the newsagent it will be into the nursing home.”

Mick McHarg said he and his wife Ann were sad to leave the newsagency where they’d met so many people.

“It’s been like a big family; people confide in you, tell you what’s going on in their lives. It takes a long time before you’re accepted like that in a community,” he said.

But the McHargs aren’t leaving Deloraine: “Here we can walk down the street and say hello to people – we don’t want to live somewhere else,” Mick said.

“Ann and I want to thank the people of Deloraine; our time at the newsagency has been important for us.”

Debbie is full steam ahead with plans for her new business and excited at the opportunity.

“One of the plans I can tell you comes from having worked some of the early morning shifts at 5.30am and OMG, within the first hour I can’t feel my feet - they are frozen,” she said.

“So, we will be selling Muckboots.  They come in a gum boot or a dress boot and I sourced them because they keep your feet warm.

“I am proud and grateful to live in such a wonderful community like Deloraine.

I think many people are more aware of just how important it is to shop locally, and I’m looking forward to working with everyone to help make shopping in Deloraine enjoyable and as easy as possible.”

As Mick and Ann McHarg exit Deloraine Newsagency, Mick has a final comment: “Debbie will be excellent in this job; she’s a people person and I can’t see her going wrong.”

Photo | Mike Moores