By AIDAN KNIGHT
THE original Aussie Disposals store in Moe, the first in what became one of Australia’s most recognisable outdoor and camping chains, permanently closed last September, ending more than six decades of local retail history.
Founded in Moe in 1962 by Bill Purvis, a renowned Latrobe Valley entrepreneur, alongside his brother George, the small surplus-goods shop grew into a national brand, eventually expanding across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. The Moe store remained the symbolic heart of the business long after the company’s headquarters moved elsewhere.
The company remains 100 per cent Australian-owned, with 23 stores still operating nationally, including 13 franchises, most of which are family-run as a local business.
The Moe store, located on Moore Street, is now listed as “permanently closed” on the company’s official website. Community pages on Facebook were among the first to share news of the shutdown, noting the historical significance of the Moe outlet as the birthplace of the brand, and many shared posts noting the significance of the original store’s history.
Aussie Disposals has faced challenging trading conditions in recent years.
In 2020, the company entered voluntary administration, with its directors citing the combined impacts of drought, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the business later restructured and continued trading, analysts at the time described the broader retail climate for outdoor and camping goods as increasingly difficult.
As such, the closure of the Moe store appears to mark a separate footprint change for the brand – one that will affect the local community who have shopped at the site for generations. Many locals will recall the green-camouflage storefront and the wide range of camping and army-surplus goods, which over the years became a familiar fixture.
The broader retail and outdoor-gear sectors have also been under pressure. The 2020 administration recognised that store closures and job cuts were likely, with at least 11 of the company-owned stores slated to close under restructure, although franchise outlets were expected to continue, unaffected by the administration processes.
It is not yet clear whether the closure of the Moe store is connected to the earlier restructuring or represents a separate commercial decision, or whether the call was made by the company itself or the local franchisee. For long-time customers, the closure marks the end of a rare link to the chain’s origins in the Latrobe Valley, where the first Aussie Disposals shop built the foundations of what would become a national brand.
Aussie Disposals was approached by the Express for comment, but declined an interview.
The company has also not issued a formal public statement on the closure.
