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Step Back In TimeNARRANDERA FAMILIES: TRIMThe Trim family is a name

synonymous with Narr-

andera’s retail past.

The matriarch of the familywas the late Mrs LucyMargaret Trim, one of the mostprominent businesswomenNarrandera has ever known.

Mrs Trim (nee Kronig)arrived in Narrandera fromRockhampton in 1909 andhad been associated with themillinery and mercerybusiness, starting out at anemployed milliner with the lateMrs Wornes.

It was during that time thatshe met her late husband andthe patriarch of the familyLeslie Donahey Trim, who wasa partner in the firm Lord andTrim which conducted amercery business in the shopnext door.

They married in Sydney in1915. Soon after this themillinery and mercery shopswere combined under thename of L Trim.

The late Mrs Lucy Trim hadgreat singing ability and shehad many invitations to studyoverseas. On one notableoccasion she sang before thelate great Dame Nellie Melbawhen that great sopranovisited Narrandera.

As a vocalist Lucy Trim wasvery popular within the townand her melodious voice wasfrequently heard in the churchchoir.

While staying at theMurrumbidgee Hotel soonafter her arrival in NarranderaMrs Trim often entertainedguests in the evenings.

Her husband the late L DTrim died in 1962 and thecouple were survived by theirson Leslie Montgomery Trimand daughter Mrs LexiePorter.

Leslie Donahey Trim hadarrived in Narrandera in 1911,after being born in Armidalein 1889.

His father owned a retailshop and sawmill at Armidaleand was a former Mayor ofthat centre.

As a young man he went toSydney to train as a windowdresser for Lowes and thentook up a similar position withC W Wornes and Co at 149-151East Street Narrandera.

There he met his wife Lucyand they had three childrenLesley Montogomery, AlexiaMargaret (Lexie) and Law-rence.

Lord and Lett boughtWornes’ business and thenLeslie D bought Lett’s half ofthe business for £280.

The business was thenknown as Lord and Trim forsome time until Leslie boughtout Lord’s share and thebusiness became L TrimMercier. Lucy ran the millineryside of the business.

Leslie D travelled aroundthe neighbouring country-side selling menswear fromhis horse and sulky, calling atstations and shearing sheds.

Chits (dockets) were

signed by the workers andpresented to the manager ofthe station who would deductthe money owed from themen’s wages.

In about 1913 Leslie Dbought a scat car and used itas a private hire car.

He expanded this businessby buying a 1914 Buick and a1916 Mitchell to use as hirecars.

When hired by shearers itwas hard to get the shearerspast the Gillenbah Hotel.Whisky was 2/6 a bottle then!

There were eight hire carsin Narrandera. Drivers forLeslie D were Bill Cochranand Jim Bell.

Bill later worked for Trimsin their clothing store until hisdeath.

In about 1928 Trims storemoved to the corner of Eastand Bolton Streets where theCommonwealth Bank andLandmark now stand.

In 1932 that store was burntto the ground.

The land was sold to Gilpinsand land was purchased fromArthur Eve at 89 East Street,where a new store was builtand traded there as a men’s,ladies and children’s wearstore as well as manchester.This store is now Robinson’sDepartment Store.

Leslie D also bought theCommercial Hotel (now theCharles Sturt) which he latersold to Tooths.

Over a period of yearsother Trims stores wereopened in Leeton, Junee,Cootamundra, Wagga Wagga,Albury and Goulburn.

During the war years theTrims bought a house atBellevue Hill in Sydney wherethey lived and ran theirbusinesses from for the next12 years.

Their son Leslie Montgom-ery Trim married a Narrand-era woman Audrey Irene(Judy) Sullivan in 1947 and heopened and operated a men’swear shop in Pitt St Sydneytrading as L Trim and Co. Theytraded there for 10 years.

In 1949 a daughter JudithAnn was born to Judy andLes. Judith Ann went on tobecome a world championpistol shooter, a first forAustralia, in Phoenix Arizonain October 1970.

Judith was inducted as amember of the AustralianSporting Hall of Fame.

The lease ran out on theTrim’s Pitt St store and LeslieM and Judy decided to returnto Narrandera.

They built and opened thetown’s first licensed super-market on a vacant block ofland next door to the shopowned by Trims.

After selling their home inSydney Leslie Donahey andLucy Margaret Trim alsoreturned to live in Narranderaand lived in a flat at the backof the shop.

Lucy was often seenworking behind the counter

and Leslie D, despite having astroke, was always good forsharing a good yarn or jokewith customers.

Leslie died in 1962 andLucy Margaret in 1967.

Les and Judy Trim ran thesupermarket for 14 years.

They then leased it out toconcentrate on their clothingstores that were still re-maining.

When the lease on thesupermarket expired theleasees moved to anothershop and Judy and Les were

able to expand the clothingstore into where the super-market had been.

This they ran for manyyears before their retirementand then leased the premisesto new owners.

Over the years the familyhad varying interests, owningthe Murrumbidgee Hotel fora couple of years.

Following in his father’sfootsteps as a car enthusiastLeslie M became a championmidget car driver.

His car was known as The

Black Shadow No 13.He also took up flying,

obtaining his pilot’s licenceand part owning a couple ofplanes.

After owning a home at 42Victoria Avenue Narranderafor many years Judy and Lesbuilt a new home on theirdaughter’s property ‘Dale-ford’ on the Narrandera-Leeton Road.

Here they enjoyed theirwell earned retirement.

Leslie M died on April 42002 and Judy on March 10

2003.They will always be

remembered for theirwonderful generosity andhospitality and their assoc-iation with the retail industryof Narrandera.

Judith Ann is now livingnear Woodford Queensland.Her main interest over manyyears has been horse breed-ing, show work, dressage andjudging at shows and she isnow enjoying the Queenslandclimate to pursue theseinterests.

An historical photograph of the old store (above), window display (below left) and Les Trim in his beloved car.

Leslie D Trim, his daughter Lexie, wife Lucy and son Leslie M Trim in their younger days.