BEFORE DAN MURPHY'S, THERE WAS
DANIEL FRANCIS MURPHY
Founder of Australia's largest liquor retailer and one of the earliest wine clubs. His story is one of a life dedicated to wine.
1918
Daniel Francis Murphy was born in 1918 to a family that had been in the Australian liquor industry since 1878. Over the course of a life dedicated to wine, he became an oenophile, a visionary, and an astute entrepreneur.
Although Dan ultimately followed in his father’s footsteps, he always did things his way. First, he studied accounting at Melbourne University, then trained to be a priest. He also worked in the Penfolds wine office, before serving in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during WWII.
When he returned from service Dan joined the family business, but he could never see eye to eye with his father on one important thing: the cost of a good drop. Dan realised that consistently sharp prices would build repeat business, so he decided to go it alone with an ambitious plan to dominate the fine wine market.
1952
Dan Murphy opened his first store at 282 Chapel Street, Prahran, Melbourne in 1952, and changed the future of liquor retailing in Australia forever (it’s now the home of our flagship Dan Murphy’s Cellar). He sourced many of his wines directly from overseas while visiting wineries all over Europe. He bought in bulk and shipped them back to Australia, which was no easy feat considering the red tape of the time.
1956
Young Dan Murphy was just 37, getting started, and already he was in a hurry. Sure, The Vintage Club was a canny business move, but it was nonetheless a labour of love for Dan. He successfully built loyalty through its Vintage Club News with offerings of Australian wines and, from 1956 onwards, a small but steadily growing selection of European wines.
1972
Dan’s passion for wine was infectious and was a key reason why he forged life-long friendships with Australia’s best winemakers. Each night he’d open a new bottle at the dinner table and record his thoughts in his famous ‘wine journal’. He was a prolific writer and penned reviews for newspapers and wine journals. He even wrote his own commercials.
"Unless time is a consideration, browse around as though you were in a library."
Dan Murphy speaking about his stores, 1974
1984
Fundamentally, Dan Murphy was an innovator. As wine consumption skyrocketed in the 1970s, many people tried to ignite interest in “wine-in-a-box”. Sensing an opportunity, Dan set up a small wine cask production line in his Chapel Street store and spent hours perfecting his design. By 1984 the wine cask would represent 64.7 per cent of Australian wine sales.
"Life is so interesting! So exciting! There’s always something ahead for us."
Dan Murphy, January 1980
Dan Murphy's
A LASTING LEGACY
Dan's revered standing in the Australian wine community never stopped growing. He was friends with a "who's who" of Australian wine, including Maurice O’Shea, Max Schubert, Jim Barry and more. Dan Murphy’s trailblazing spirit drives everything we do – from the layout of our stores to the expert advice of our merchants – while his clarity of vision survives to this day: offer the most extensive range at the lowest process possible; add a passionate enthusiasm for what you sell, and you’ve got an unbeatable offer.
