Douglas Murrie was born in Georgetown where his father managed a general store for his father. In 1911 Douglas's paternal grandfather's business interests failed and the Douglas family found themselves without a home or livelihood. They moved to Adelaide, first to rented rooms and a shared kitchen in the Rosetta Mansions in Franklin Street. His father soon found work as a wheat buyer for Farmers' Union and Douglas and his brother and sister finished their schooling and began working to help support the household. After a year helping at his maternal grandfather's store in Yacka, Douglas began, in 1915, thirty one years at G & R Wills' Gawler Place warehouse, rising from postboy to second-in-charge of the perfumery department by 1930. He married in 1926 and his first child was born in 1927, and then twins in 1931. In 1946, and by then manager of the stationery department, Mr Murrie left G & R Wills to begin his own wholesale handbag business and did not retire until 1982

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