Garema Place institution, Redpath Shoes celebrates 100 years in Canberra, and here's how the business started

That's part of what co-owner Poppy Vassiliotis loves about it. Now located in the heart of Garema Place, she - from the shoe shop - gets to watch daily life play out right in front of her.

"We're in a very open area where a lot of things are happening, from protests to live local bands to this magnificent sculpture of the magpie [Big Swoop] that we've got a great view of. So it's really lovely to be in this position and not anywhere else, to be honest," she said.

But while the shoe store has seen history play out right in front of it, finding the history of the store is not as straightforward.

All that current owners, Poppy and her husband Michael Vassiliotis - whose history with the store began in 1985 - knew was that the business began in 1922. And they're correct. But trying to hunt down the exact date a 100-year-old business began is harder than one would think.

Searching for original advertisements in Canberra newspapers is nearly impossible. The earliest that appears in the National Library system, Trove, is in the November 19, 1931 classifieds section of The Canberra Times. And it gives very little detail.

"For First-class Boot Repairs try A. Redpath, Manuka. Repairs can be left at J. B. Young's and Frawley Bros., Kingston," it reads.

There are no other advertisements - from any publication - before that date.

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What is known - and is probably common knowledge to many Canberrans - is that the business started as a shoe repair store, first in Manuka and then opening a second store in Garema Place in 1954. The original sign from its opening still hangs inside Redpath, its words "A. Redpath Shoe Repairs. Heels while U wait," divide the repair and sales parts of the business.

While the Manuka store closed in 1982, at Garema Place it expanded into the shoe sales market and took over two adjoining shop fronts in the process. There's quite possibly an entire generation that - at some point or another - went to the store for Dr Martens alone.

"We sold tonnes of those in the 80s. Sometimes it feels like we brought them to Canberra," Michael Vassiliotis said.

There's no doubt that Redpath Shoes is a Canberra institution. But how did it start? And who was A. Redpath? Or should I say, who was the first A. Redpath?

A 1973 obituary in The Canberra Times for John A. Redpath - who went by Alfred - credited the Canberran as one of the main men behind the shoe repair. And he was. However, he didn't arrive in Canberra until 1923 - immigrating from the Isle of Man - and didn't start working with the repair business until 1927.

The first A. Redpath, however, was Alfred's older brother, William A. Redpath - who went by the name Alexander, or Alec. The oldest of the three Redpath brothers to become involved with the shoe business.

Unlike his younger brothers, Alexander immigrated to Australia before World War I, and went on to serve in the Australian Imperial Forces. It was after the war that Alexander moved to Canberra, living at Duntroon where he began a small business as a boot repairer for the Royal Military College cadets. That was, until 1922 when Redpath Shoes began as a business.

There are very few, if any, public records for 100-year-old businesses in Canberra. Luckily, the Redpath family has held onto the original business deed. This deed and other records were then shared with the authors of Manuka History and people: 1924 to 2014, Nick Swain and Meryl Hunter. The deed not only confirms the business's commencement date but something else.

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On November 22, 1922, Alexander Redpath signed a deed of partnership with Hugh Frederick McCarthy, under the business name Variety Shoes. The deed also stated that it will conduct its business in Manuka, with it setting up shop at The Lawns.

According to the Manuka History and People, the business spent a short time working out of Duntroon, before moving to Manuka. It is unclear when the business started advertising as A. Redpath since there are no Variety Shoes advertisements or other mentions on public record, but it must have been some time before the advertisements started appearing in the early 1930s.

In the lead up to Christmas 1933, both Alexander Redpath and McCarthy were quoted in an advertorial for Manuka traders in The Canberra Times.

"To the heart through the feet' is the slogan displayed by Messrs, Redpath path and McCarthy, shoe specialists of Manuka." the piece read.

"Tennis shoes in the latest styles and designs are always acceptable gifts, and undoubtedly a warm comfortable pair of slippers must have beneficial effect on the disposition of the wearer.

"Slippers in a variety of styles, equally attractive for their appearance as for their utility may be purchased at reasonable prices."

In 1935, Alfred Redpath bought McCarthy out of the business, meanwhile, Alexander Redpath left Australia, which at first for "a while" - as stated in a letter of instructions left for the family. However, he never returned, instead settling in the Isle of Man.

It was from that moment that the youngest brother George, came on board to take care of the day-to-day runnings, while Alfred Redpath managed the business while working at CS and IR (which became the CSIRO).

The rest is, as they say, history. And while the Redpaths may still be the namesake, the Vassiliotises are now there for all of Canberra's shoe needs.

"It's really an honour to be here and have the business running for 100 years. It's taken a lot of hard work, it didn't happen overnight," Poppy Vassiliotis said.

"It's a family local business, so our boys that have grown up now into the young men, and they have a big input in the business as well.

"One runs our online store from home, which we launched just before the COVID lockdown. We were never a fan of doing an online store, we wanted people to come in and get fitted correctly. But it was a way that we had to move forward with the times. And our other son works on the floor. So he does retail and stocktake and helps us with orders at the European shoe fairs."

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