General News
2 October, 2023
Prime and Bishop call it a day after 45 years
After 45 years and countless homes built in Maryborough and throughout Victoria, local builders Rob Bishop and Kevin Prime have called time on their construction days. Prime and Bishop Builders, commonly known as just Prime and Bishop, have been...
After 45 years and countless homes built in Maryborough and throughout Victoria, local builders Rob Bishop and Kevin Prime have called time on their construction days.
Prime and Bishop Builders, commonly known as just Prime and Bishop, have been working alongside each other since 1979 after completing their apprenticeships at Phelan’s Homes and haven’t looked back since.
“When Phelans closed we ended up sub-contracting together and started our partnership which went right through to 1996 which is when we started the company,” Rob said.
Both born and raised locals, the pair said it made sense for them to stick with what they knew — continuing to service the Maryborough and surrounding community.
The pair have been involved in significant local projects over the years, including the Maryborough Knitting Mill, Woolworths, alterations to the former council offices, alterations and additions to
Highview College along with building homes and renovating properties locally and further afield.
“We’ve built 50 odd houses, done around 40 renovations and plenty of other jobs. We’ve forgotten a few we’ve done, but in the archives there are boxes and boxes with information on jobs we’ve done,” Rob said.
“There are a lot of smaller jobs we’ve forgotten about and we’ve done heaps of those over the years.
“We never ran out of work, it was a bit light on when we first started and were trying to get a foot in the door because there was a lot of competition then, but we found our stride and it never slowed.”
Always based in Maryborough, Prime and Bishop have taken jobs all across the state including in Bendigo, Ballarat, Melbourne, Point Lonsdale and more.
While the jobs they did may have varied over the years, Rob said the one constant was their working relationship and friendship.
“We’ve always had the same interests really, a few things changed when our families came along but it didn’t change things too much,” he said.
“The business is a big part of your life but we’ve always had time to get away camping, fishing and going on holidays.
“We’ve been together 45 years and we’ve never had a blue which is pretty good going.
“We’ve also employed a lot of contractors over the years which worked really well.”
There have been some sizeable changes in the building industry in the last four and a half decades, but Prime and Bishop stuck with doing things the way they were taught to — properly and thoroughly.
“In a brick veneer home there isn’t really much that’s changed,” Rob said.
“The way you go about building or renovating has changed quite a bit, everything used to be electric and now it’s all gone battery operated.
“Instead of having a ute loaded with electrical gear, power leads and generators, now you’ve just got batteries which has been a good thing.”
Having officially stepped down from the business and construction industry, Kevin and Rob both have their sights set on travelling in their caravans and enjoying the more relaxed pace of retirement.
“Once I sold the work ute that was it for me, I’ve still got a ute but it’s not the same, it’s not a work ute,” Kevin said.
“Now we’ve retired we’re going to travel around Australia in the caravan, we were going to do it a few years back but COVID canned that.
“I’m looking at heading over to the west in the next 12 months or so which is something to look forward to.”
