AFTER 31 years in Cooleman Court, the Cooleman Cobbler, Joseph Salib has closed his doors and retired.

The 69-year-old master cobbler from Crace says that over the years his clients became his friends and he enjoyed seeing them and their children every time they were shopping.  

“The most important people were the little ones, they would come past with their grandparents or parents and say hi to me or give me a hug as they went past, those are the best memories I have had from my time in Cooleman Court,” he says.

Working for himself was tough at the beginning, starting out seven days a week, but he reduced his days down to six in recent years.

“When I got into the business it was difficult at first. But it got under my skin, I worked hard and that was all that mattered to me. It was a rewarding business – you don’t become a cobbler to be a millionaire – but I did well,” says Joseph.

Joseph began his apprenticeship in Adelaide, after he became disenchanted with his university studies in geophysics.

“My dad encouraged me to have a trade as something to back me up,” he recalls.

But after gaining his certification, Joseph pursued a career in the public service spanning 20 years which saw him move to Melbourne and then on to Canberra at the Bureau of Mineral Resources in 1977.

Joseph became friends with the cobbler who worked upstairs at Cooleman Court and offered to take over the business in 1988 and resume his old trade. After that, Joseph says he never looked back.

“I’ve seen businesses come and go at Cooleman Court but I never had any dramas. It was a quiet place and a village community in the early days, compared to the busy centre it is now,” he says.

Joseph says that shoes have also changed a lot over the years.

“Nowadays shoes are very cheap and most people wear them dead and throw them out. But if you buy a good pair of shoes, it is better to get them fixed and keep them,” he says.

“Leather uppers are the best for your feet, solid shoes will support your feet, especially if you stand up for long periods of time like I did at work. If you have solid shoes, your feet won’t feel it as much,” he says.

Joseph says that the only time he wears soft sneakers is when he goes to the gym, and is looking forward to exercising more often now he is retired.

“I am looking forward to planning my new chapter, and to do things that I enjoy, whatever I want to do!”