General News
12 July, 2023
From the back of a van, to an icon
LES REICHA’S Drapery will celebrate 70 years of serving the community this month.
LES REICHA’S Drapery will celebrate 70 years of serving the community this month.
The business was first established in July 1953 after Les Reicha emigrated to Australia from Lebanon, according to Reicha’s Drapery current owner, and Les’ son, Michael.
“My father was sponsored to live in Geelong with his brother after they emigrated from Lebanon, so the business started with him driving around in a van,” he said.
“From there they worked at Ford, and my father decided to buy an old green panel van, load it up with clothes and became one of the early hawkers around this area.
“He made the Noorat Hotel his base, got to know a fair few people and eventually saved up enough money to base the business here because he loved the area so much.”
Les Reicha originally set up shop at 87 High Street, where Crimmin Flooring is now based, and was there for around 10 years before outgrowing the space and moving to 74 High Street, where the store remains to this day.
Les, along with the support of wife Elaine, raised four children and watched as the business grew into a“very successful business and made a great livelihood,” Michael said.
Life was perfect; until it wasn’t.
“Sadly, dad passed away when I was about 14 in 1973; he was in a boating accident in Peterborough,” Michael said.
“That was a hard time.
“Mum had us four kids, who were all under 15, so she stepped up to the plate; her mother came down to help rear us while mum took over the business.
“She had no input in to the business prior, so she did an amazing job to keep it ticking over.”
As Les’ children grew to become adults, Michael and brother Wayne took over the responsibility of keeping the store open, and have done so for around 30 years now.
Michael said he was “really grateful and really proud” to be involved in the family business which has stood the test of time.
“Small businesses like ours are dinosaurs now; we’re a dying breed,” Michael said.
“It’s a bit sad but that’s life; the bigger centres seem to absorb all the smaller ones but we’ve been really fortunate because the community have been supportive over the years.
“Dad was very supportive of the community; coming from Lebanon, he was very grateful, it was a tough existence there so he was rapt to be part of such a community and the lifestyle here.
“I thank him every day for emigrating to Australia.”
Michael said the rise of online shopping and competition from larger communities had created some pressures, but he felt “pretty lucky” to be in a town such as Terang where supporting local business was valued.
“I don’t know how many more years are left in us, but that’s how life is in little towns,” he said.
“We serve a purpose and I know a lot of people are grateful we still are here but we don’t see too many people aged between 15-40; online shopping has taken over.
“We’re lucky we have people like Mt Noorat Freighters, who support our business, and a lot of companies are aware how important it is to have places like ours.
“All the businesses in our little town need each other to survive, so it’s great seeing places like the Terang Co-Op and Greavesys Fruit N Veg doing so well.”
Mr Reicha thanked those who had worked for the business over the years.
“It’s been like a big family, and we still see many of them who have stayed in the area come in,” he said.
“We’ve had great staff and we’re lucky to have had them.”
