About Us
The Earles Legacy
Established in 1936, Earles remains a family affair to this day. With four generations providing a wealth of knowledge unsurpassed by big franchises, Earles are the team that genuinely knows their craft. This is their story and family legacy.
Earles Paint Place story began in 1936 when its founders, George and Ruby Earle, moved to Maryborough and opened Maryborough Signs. However, WW2 halted the business. George, on his return, still with a fire in his belly, reopened the company in 1942.
1949 saw the business expand to a retail outlet when stock was introduced. This was when George, and his wife Ruby, took over the paint and wholesale portion of the local company Corsers, thus securing work for Corser’s staff. Due to the team’s forward thinking, in collaboration with George and his family, they were able to reignite the foundations for the business as it is today.
George and Ruby saw the paint industry differently than most other paint retailers. As a result, they became innovators and change-makers, including how they presented colour to the customer.
Moving with the times, Maryborough Signs naturally evolved into Earles Paints & Wallpaper in the 1950s. Employing many local painters, the team painted signs and houses across Queensland. Additionally, they offered a service that was years ahead of the times; they visited the customer’s home, providing reputable colour scheme recommendations that would then take advantage of the house’s features and enhance the home’s and its owner’s individual personality. And they are proud to still provide that same service, FREE In-house Custom Colour Design Consultation, today.
The success of Earles soon rolled out to other cities. In 1959 George’s son Ray opened his first store in Bundaberg with his brother Les, who then opened a store in Rockhampton. Ray then sold the Bundaberg shop in 1965.
Since then, Ray, Les and their families have opened stores in Hervey Bay, Kingaroy, Dalby, Gladstone, Underwood, Yeppoon, North Rockhampton, Kingaroy, Emerald and another in North Rockhampton. While Ray and Les parted ways in business, the Earles Paint Place franchise still had five (5) shops across Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Kingaroy, Gladstone and Underwood. Subsequently, those stores have since closed or were sold to make it more manageable for Belinda and Melissa to put all their energy into the successful and well-known Maryborough business.
Ray and Val, Ken, Wayne, Sandra and Melissa, have all put their stamp on the business by bringing fresh ideas and new technology with the aid of computers and industry resources. Ken has since retired and has hung up his Signwriter equipment. And Wayne passed away in May 2011. Following on with the family legacy, Sandra worked in the store for a few years before beginning her family. And Melissa is still here and very active in the store most days.
Belinda, the current Store Manager and Chief of Operations is a 4th generation Earle and is making her name known in the industry. She ran the Gladstone store before coming to manage the Maryborough store.
Although the faces have changed and the business has evolved, the fundamentals for caring, friendly service, quality, up-to-date advice and a vast range of stock for DIY or professionals remain intact. The team at Earles are the cornerstones that have been and will continue to be at the forefront of paint retailers in Queensland.
Why Choose Earles Paint Place?
While Earles is founded on history and has had a prominent reputation since 1936, it doesn’t suggest that they are stuck in the olden days. In fact, Earles like to remain at the forefront of paint technology and modernisation. By staying on top of the latest supplies, applications, trends and processes, Earles can continue to deliver advice that is current and backed by years of experience.
Their mission is to deliver conscientious advice regarding paint. And as such, Earles has a saying that has stood the test of time, “Right Royal Service.” From choosing paint types, surface preparation, colours to suit your decor, and mixing the right colours, with application advice plus brushes and accessories, the knowledgeable team will help you in any way possible to complete your project.
Additionally, Earles will provide you with step-by-step guides, including a list of approved painters if you need professional painting.
Colour Scheming
When choosing a paint colour, people often need guidance in the various tones, colours, textures and applications. And most times, the paint colour scheme process involves more than one (1) colour. Then what follows is the challenging task of choosing a colour/s to complement rather than clash with each other. So instead of standing around the store scratching your head in confusion, Earles has a convenient solution.
All it takes is a request to Earles Paint Place, and a colour design specialist will come to your premises and provide you with a FREE In-house Custom Colour Design Consultation to assist in creating the ideal match and blend of colour, not only for paint projects but also suggesting matching decor for around your home.
By offering homeowners an in-house service, Melissa grasps the whole concept of your vision and supplies a service that is accurate, informative and highly useful so that you can complete your paint project with proficiency and confidence.
The free consultation is also available for retail or commercial premises. To qualify, simply purchase your supplies directly from Earles.
Our Team
Whatever your paint project is, we have trade-qualified professionals to give you first-hand advice to do the job right the first time. Meet the team.
Melissa White, nee Earle, has been with Earles for over 30 years. With exceptional all-rounder paint knowledge, she loves helping people. Her specialities include Colour Design with a passion for timber finishes. Melissa has stepped away from the management role so Belinda can take over.
Belinda (Bel) Earle has worked at Earles Paint Place since 2004, navigating into management. Her cheerful disposition and wealth of knowledge across the paint industry proves she is a multifaceted asset. Belinda’s main interests are automotive paint, marine paint, working with resin pours and craft projects.
Earles casual staff are just as informative, customer service based and professional.
Meet James Whitfield, who loves automotive paint. He also has experience in tinting house paint and is great with customers. James also enjoys working with resin and tries his best to learn everything about paint.
Next, welcome Clarrissa Maxwell, working during the school holidays and Saturday mornings; her paint knowledge is growing. She loves soaking up new information, all while smiling and learning.
Finally, say hi to Jacob Weiss, who has excellent customer service skills and is improving his paint knowledge daily. Jacob’s enthusiasm for the paint industry is impressive.
Mission Statement
Earles Paint Place, Maryborough, is a retailer and wholesaler of paints and associated products with additional facilities to mix automotive paints. The Directors and Management are committed to providing absolute 100% customer satisfaction.
We see ourselves as specialists in the paint business, aiming to ensure our customers can make informed purchasing decisions to obtain the required result. As such, we pride ourselves on our innovation in this area and provide a FREE In-house Custom Colour Design Consultation. This service includes staff being able to follow up and guarantee our service obligation is fulfilled.
In addition, we are aggressive price marketers. To support this objective, we provide continuous staff training and education as a critical factor enabling our team to recommend the correct product, service and information to our customers. Here we can ensure the customer’s needs and any special requirements are met to the highest standards and knowledge.
