Passion, Perseverance, and Vision

The Riverina Marine Centre Story

Wagga Wagga may seem like an unlikely setting for a thriving boating dealership, but Riverina Marine Centre has never followed the traditional playbook. Instead, it has blazed its own trail, fuelled by passion, perseverance, and a family with a love of life on the water.

It all started when Peter, already determined and ambitious, arrived in Australia from Cyprus as a refugee in the 1970s. With little English but plenty of grit, Peter set out to build a new life for himself. He was a qualified motor mechanic, but finding work was initially a challenge. That all changed one day when he stumbled upon a stalled car at a local dealership. Watching the mechanics struggle, he stepped in and confidently declared, “If I can get it started, will you give me a job?” The answer was yes, and when he had the car purring like a kitten, it set the wheels in motion for a success story that continues today.

Peter quickly became a top Toyota mechanic, building a reputation for his skill and work ethic. He met and married a local girl, Jill, and together they built a family—and, soon enough, a business that would become their legacy. 

Boating was far from a business strategy for Peter, but it was his passion. Back in Cyprus, he loved being out on the water, fishing and relaxing. After a few years of hard work in Australia he had saved enough of his hard-earned pay to purchase his first small fiberglass boat. Unfortunately, he found the service provided by the local marine shop lacking. Frustrated, he stormed home and declared to Jill and their children, “We’re going into the marine business.”

Jill, ever rational, knew there was no talking him out of it. With zero experience running a boat shop, but armed with an abundance of determination, Peter and Jill opened their first boat shop in a tiny portable building on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga. “Basically, it was a tiny single room,” laughs their daughter, Petroulla McDonell, who now runs Riverina Marine Centre with her husband, Stephen. “But it took off straight away.”

One of the defining moments in the company’s history came almost at its inception – the partnership with Yamaha. Jill, never one to do things by halves, wrote a handwritten letter to Yamaha Motor Australia, promising to sell 20 more outboards than the existing local dealer. The gamble paid off, but instead of selling the targeted 20-plus units in their first year, they sold 80! The following year, they broke the 100-unit mark, cementing their place as one of Australia’s top Yamaha dealers, which they still hold today.

That tiny shop quickly outgrew itself, leading to a second, much larger location. Not long after, they moved again to an even bigger space, adding an outdoor yard for displaying their growing inventory of boats and Yamaha outboards. Finally, the family settled into their dream location: the Drive-in Leisure Centre on the Sturt Highway. “Dad always knew we were going to do something bigger,” Petroulla says. “And here it is.” 

As a child, Petroulla spent her after-school hours, weekends, and even school holidays working in the business alongside her parents. “Mum and Dad worked seven days a week during the busy season,” she recalls. “So, the kids helped out.” 

Once out of school and old enough to make her own life choices, the lure of travel was too much to resist. After spending time in Europe, the needs of the family business began to call. She returned to help her parents out during the busy holiday period and never left. “It quickly became clear that Mum and Dad needed me here full-time,” she says. “And, as luck would have it, I met my husband Stephen, who loves boating and fishing as much as I do.” It didn’t take long before Stephen was also working with Petroulla, Peter, and Jill.

Today, Petroulla and Stephen run Riverina Marine Centre with the same passion and drive that Peter and Jill instilled in them. “It’s a bit of a running joke that Stephen, who loves fishing, just happened to meet a girl whose family owned a boat shop,” she laughs. “But I think there are days when he doesn’t feel so lucky, with all the work he has to do.”

For Petroulla, the best part of running the business is the customers. “Boating is the best family activity you can do,” she says. “Seeing families take that step and get into boating—that’s what makes it all worth it. There is something special about selling boats to customers whose parents once bought their boat from my mum and dad,” she adds. “Now, we’re selling to their children, who will pass it on to the next generation. It’s amazing to be part of.”

The advantages of being a Yamaha dealer are many for the Riverina Marine Centre team, but the main one for Petroulla is happy customers. “We want to deliver the best product to our customers, and Yamaha allows us to do that,” she explains. “The reliability of the product is what gives us that. We know that every time a Yamaha outboard leaves here with a new customer, they will have a good experience and a lot of fun. The only time we usually see the customer after that is when they drop in to tell us about the great times they are having with their boat, or to book in for a service.”

Looking ahead, Petroulla and Stephen are focused on growing the business while maintaining the strong values on which it was founded. “Dad was always thinking of new ways to market and grow,” she says. “And we’re doing the same. We love what we do, and we love seeing our customers out on the water, making memories with their families.”

At Riverina Marine Centre, it’s never been just about selling boats. It’s about a passion for the water, a commitment to customer service, and the belief that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. 

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