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LOCAL LIFE
MY FAVOURITE PLACE: Paul“ Spyda” Whyte
If it has anything to do with music, you can get anything you want at Paul Whyte’ s musical treasure trove, Richmond Records. by Greg Martin
During his time on this earth, Paul“ Spyda” Whyte has worn more hats than well Donald Trump. Not the kind that sit on your head, but the kind that tell the story of a varied and colourful life.
Spyda’ s hat-wearing journey began 63 years ago in Dubbo, born to Peggy and Albert Whyte. And in the decades since, he’ s worn more hats than … altogether now … Donald Trump.
These days, his current“ hat” is as the proprietor of iconic Hawkesbury business, Richmond Records a place that has been celebrating the magic of music for decades.
So, what hats has he worn along the way?
After leaving Granville Boys High in 1979 with his School Certificate, Spyda took on his first role as an apprentice painter, sprucing up railway carriages for Commonwealth Engineering( Comeng) at Granville. By the time the 68-year-old business closed in 1989, he’ d worked his way up to leading hand— no doubt with a steady hand that would’ ve impressed even Picasso.
Over the years, Spyda has also worn the hat of a dedicated and highly respected police officer, along with many roles in the music world— roadie, stage manager, lead singer, guitarist, promoter and songwriter.
All those experiences proved
invaluable when he purchased the fourdecade-old Richmond Records in January 2024.
While he’ s made a few changes, the heart of the business remains the same— music. And plenty of it. At the core is Spyda’ s impressive collection of 78 and 45 RPM vinyl records, some dating back to when, well, Albert and Peggy were just kids.
Like Alice’ s Restaurant, you can get just about anything you want at Richmond Records— vinyl, CDs, clothing, band merchandise, guitars, accessories, and all sorts of quirky gifts and curios. From cop to shop?“ Obviously, when Comeng closed, I needed another job,” Spyda said.“ A few of my mates had joined the police force, and I’ d always thought about it— but as you can see, I wasn’ t exactly at the front of the queue when height was being handed out.
“ But in 1986, NSW became the first police jurisdiction in Australia to scrap the minimum height requirement, so I thought— why not?”
After three months of training at the Goulburn Police Academy, Spyda began what would become a three-decade career in policing.
Much of his time was spent with NSW Transit Police, keeping commuters safe on trains between Richmond and Lithgow, as well as across Sydney’ s bus network. He eventually retired in 2020 as a Senior
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8 ISSUE 191 // APRIL 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT