Jim Gamble & Son

My father Jim Gamble, worked for Crandons Hardware in Woodlark Street for many years, and amongst his duties there he became a dab hand at key cutting and also repairing locks etc. In 1953 he decided to start out in his own business as a Locksmith & Gunsmith, (Dad was an armourer during the war years in the 2/17th Battalion). The shop was situated at the rear of Lismore Timbers & Hardware at 86 Woodlark Street, (Now the Commonwealth Bank) where we rented a small section.

Shortly after starting out on his own he suffered a heart attack, so in order to keep the shop going I left school aged 14, and started working with mum, (Dulcie Gamble), and with my limited knowledge of the trade we managed to hold the fort until Dad was well enough to return to work full time, I then continued working for Dad as his apprentice, later to become a fully qualified Locksmith.