Undoubtedly there are many still in Dungog who can remember Frank Robinson who ran Robinson’s stationary shop next to where the IGA now operates. Frank Robinson was, among other things, a veteran of the First World War who had lost an arm.

In the post war world Federal money was made available to assist men such as Frank Robinson adjust to civilian life and local committees were set up to make the applications. The then Wallarobba Shire based committee had presented the details of Mr Robinson, who had set up as businessmen on his return from the war, only to learn he was refused any possible loan to assist him. Mr Robinson, according to the Federal bureaucrats, was refused because he had not been in business before the war. (That a man who had lost an arm might find it necessary to change his work practices seems to have passed the decision-makers by.) The local committee, un-used to dealing with bureaucracy, wrote that Robinson was coping well in his business with the ‘help of friends’. The reply dropped any reference to friends and smugly declared that as Robinson was doing so well he didn’t need the loan anyway.

Presumably with the continuing help of his friends Frank Robinson not only became a successful Dungog businessman but was for many years also the Mayor of Dungog.