General News
1 May, 2026
Shane shares his story
The April 2026 regular meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Hopetoun was held on Monday, April 13, at Hopetoun.
Brenda Naylor introduced this month’s speaker, Shane Murray, Hopetoun Newsagency owner since 2017, with a comprehensive talk about his life and business ventures.
Early life Shane grew up in a very poor and rough housing commission area.
At the age of 15 in 1974 he joined the Navy for nine years until 1983.
In 1977, he joined a football team whilst the ship was in refit, where he lived in a migrant hostel in Maribyrnong.
In 1983, after leaving the Navy, he joined the TAB as head plant Engineer, developing 1600 phone lines for betting purposes.
Shane also joined the Dandenong Cricket Club and played with his mates for the next 10 years and started 4WD racing.
Shane joined a Pajero 4WD drive club and became a 4WD Driver Training officer, as well as serving as the club president and vice president.
During this time Shane never owned a Pajero until he left the club. Competed in 7 x 24 hour 4WD races and even organised two himself.
Shane has served as the Chairman on the Victorian 4WD Training Board. From 1983-1986, Shane worked with Systems Reliability as a technical officer.
During this time, he completed electronic repairs to merchant ships and oil rigs, and even worked on the first MCG electronic coloured scoreboard.
1983 was clearly a year of firsts, and a lot of fun activities started that then turned into lifelong passions.
In 1986 Shane started his new Business venture Power Supplies Australasia, during this time he designed and built electronic control equipment, power conversion equipment and remote area solar systems.
This was for 17 years and during this time he purchased the smallest Post Office and museum in Australia at Walhalla.
Shane ran the Post office from 1995-2004, during the nine years at Walhalla, he was the only CFA member, rewrote the 4WD training manual, started Ghost tours, wrote for local and US newspapers, was part of 4WD television show and started a 4WD Recovery Business.
In 2001 Shane was appointed Chairman of the Walhalla Board of management which looked after all government owned assets in town.
In 2004 Shane was invited by the Malaysian Government to run 4WD drive training courses and set up a training course a government Dam.
Shane competed in two 4WD events whilst he was in Malaysia.
From 2004 – 2009, Shane started a 4WD workshop and, for 3 years in a row, won best automotive business in the Eastern suburbs. In 2009 whilst living in the Bunyip State Forest during black Saturday fires, Shane was unable to leave his property for six weeks.
2009-2012 Shane worked at Melton Toyota as a 4WD expert. During this time, he travelled through outback SA, crossed the Simpson desert and parts of NT and went to the Birdsville pub for a seven course meal (a pie and six beers) for $45.
2012-2013 worked for VDC as a service manager, this business imported Ford Trucks and Mustangs converting them to right hand drive.
2013-2017 worked as a 4WD suspension designer for Opposite Lock, in 2017 they decided to import the suspension, which led to Shane being sent to South Africa to run a 6-week training course on the suspension system.
True to form and not missing out on his love of 4WD racing, competed in a race whilst in South Africa.
In 2015 Shane brought a house in Woomelang.
This, in turn, has led him to purchase the Hopetoun Newsagency in 2017 and is currently still running this.
With Shane’s love of community and his status as an ex-serviceman, he has served as Hopetoun RSL president for eight months.
Brenda Naylor expressed her gratitude to Shane for his presentation and gave him a Probus pen as a token of appreciation.
The next meeting of the Combined Probus Club of Hopetoun will be held at the Uniting Church Hall in Beulah on May 4, 2026 at 9.30am.
– LISA WILSON