Final toy run for Frank

by Nick Rowe
Long time prominent businessman Frank Couacaud is closing Drouin Wooden Toys after half a century at his Princes Way shop, bringing to an end a remarkable 73-year career that he began as a 14-year-old.

At 87, Frank has decided it's time to step back. "What do I do? I could keep working for another three years, but then I'd be 90," he says simply. "If you miss the point, it's too late."

The historic property has been sold, with new owners moving into both the shop and residence. Frank will retain access to the workshop for up to 12 months to finish existing orders and clear remaining stock.

Frank's journey began at the Proposch sawmill and toy factory in Longwarry, where he began work at 14 after leaving school. "The teacher said to me, you're going to high school, and I said, no, I said, I'm going to work. I want to earn some money," he recalls.

Working for Harry Proposch, who would later become his brother-in-law, Frank learned the toy-making trade from the ground up. When Harry moved into retail with Joan's Supermarket in Longwarry, Frank decided to strike out on his own.
He set up initially in Wally Jackson's building near the roundabout in Drouin, occupying the two-story space above Tommy Hookle's shoe shop. But it was the purchase of the Cohunes property on the then Princes Highway 50 years ago that would define his working life with establishment of Drouin Wooden Toys.

The property has been a feature of Drouin life for close to 150 years. The original section dates from 1876 and once housed Drouin's bakery, with bread baked where Frank's workshop now stands. Frank has the photos of a horse and cart on dirt tracks from those early days.

"Mrs Cohune said to me, 'You should buy our property,'" Frank remembers. "I didn't have any money. I said, 'I'll give you $10,000 at Christmas time.'" She agreed to vendor finance, and the handshake deal was done.
At its peak 30 years ago, the business employed seven people and operated 'flat out.'

"I've never worked an 8-hour day in all my life," Frank says. "We worked 24 hours a day sometimes, right through the night."
The operation expanded far beyond Drouin. Frank supplied 70 to 80 shops across three states, delivering by van throughout Victoria, South Australia and into Sydney and Canberra.

"If we were going to Adelaide, we'd do Bacchus Marsh and Horsham and all those shops as we're going through. Same if we're going to Geelong and over to Colac and Camperdown and Portland, we'd do a load that way."

Drouin Wooden Toys became the only Australian manufacturer producing a comprehensive range of wooden toys. Custom furniture grew alongside the toy production, driven by customer requests.

"People just come in and said, would you make a bookcase? Would you make a chest of drawers?"

The business expanded to five shops along the Drouin strip at one stage, even opening a retail outlet in Portland for several years.

Frank's approach to manufacturing set him apart from cheap imports. "Nobody makes bookcases and chests of drawers like we do. We put double thickness inch timber and double extension runners."
The furniture was built to last generations. He recalls seeing tables made 30 or 40 years ago still in pristine condition. "The toys are multi-generational, they just keep going."

Even as cheap imported furniture flooded the market, Frank never struggled for work.

"We were six to 12 months behind. I could work 24 hours a day if I wanted to. People will still pay a bit more for good quality."

The death of his first wife Kath from cancer in 2008 marked a turning point. Frank was 65. "I just said, well, I'm 65, I'll retire." His son Baron took over the business for a time but eventually moved into the education industry due to injury.

Frank continued working. In 2010, he reconnected with Barbara - a friend from his years at Longwarry. "We hadn't seen each other for 35 years." The pair developed a friendship which grew and they married two years later. Barbara has worked alongside Frank in the business ever since, helping out especially with the finishing and painting of the company's product. "She has been such a big part of why we have kept going."

A health scare last year finally prompted the decision to close. After treatment and recovery, he made the call. "I came in one day and said to Barb, that's it. We'll sell."
The timber Frank works with has changed dramatically over the years. Where he once used Australian hardwoods like blackwood and ironbark exclusively, changes to forestry rules have made these increasingly difficult to source. He still has some pieces of Australian hardwood stored in the workshop, remnants of an earlier era of furniture making.

Frank and Barbara plan to spend the next year or so gradually winding down. Frank will still make the occasional piece for family or long-time customers.
But after 12 months, even that will stop. "We've told everybody we're closing," he says. The couple plan to travel, particularly to Western Australia. "We've done three states. We just want to get in the Volvo and drive."

Looking back on the decision, Frank is philosophical. "We're quite capable of going another three years. In three years, anything's possible. You've got to move. If you miss the point, it's too late."

After 73 years of making toys and furniture that will outlast him by generations, Frank Couacaud has earned his rest.