Community & Business
16 September, 2025
Negotiating a Deal in the '70s (an amusing story from John Ellwood)
In the mid 1970s, the Allora Shire Council purchased the old Allora Picture Theatre from the Hungerford family and re-named it the Allora Community Hall.
The council built a “supper room” on the Northern side of the building so that the Community Hall could be used for social functions.
The Shire Clerk, Lex Ellwood and Shire Chairman, Stuart Henry drove down to Brisbane to purchase a temprite and associated equipment so they could sell draught beer at functions.
The temprite was advertised at $200.
Lex and Stuart were quite chuffed when they returned with the equipment as they had negotiated the price down to $20.
Lex then arranged for a number of trestle tables to be set up in the hall, although they had no chairs. Lex spotted an ad for a liquidation auction for a failed function centre business in Brisbane and headed down to investigate.
The auctioneer had a tough day selling the catering equipment and he was basically at the end of his tether when the final lot of the day, a number of restaurant chairs, was to be sold.
Lex approached the auctioneer and said “My good man, how do you intend to sell these chairs?”
The auctioneer looked up at this “country bumpkin” and responded with a resigned tone “How do you think I should sell them Sir?”
Lex said “maybe you take bids on a per chair basis then the successful bidder can nominate how may chairs they would like to buy”.
The auctioneer rolled his eyes but in the interest of getting the auction completed said “OK. Lets do it like that”
The bidding started and Lex bid 25 cents.
There were no further bids as the rest of the buyers present just wanted this clown from the bush to get his few chairs and get out of the place.
The auctioneer said “Your 25 cent per chair bid is accepted - how many chairs would you like Sir?”
Lex replied “274 please my good man” which of course was the entire lot.
Lex wrote out a cheque for $68.50 and sent the council trucks down the next day to pick up the chairs.
- John Ellwood
