Before establishing a dedicated art business, Beale owned Townsville Dry Cleaners & Laundries. In the early 1970s, Townsville had a very limited art retail scene, and Beale began selling art supplies directly from his dry-cleaning shop to support local hobbyists and professionals.

After identifying the growing demand for dedicated art services, Beale sold his dry-cleaning business to focus entirely on the arts opening Townsville Art & Framing in Flinders Street.

Cyril sold the business to husband and wife team Steve and Xenia. They were responsible for the business's major evolution, including its move from the original Flinders Street CBD location to its current high-exposure corner spot at Domain Central. Steve and Xenia built a reputation for high-level custom and conservation framing. They became the local experts in preserving complex items, ranging from 130-year-old embroideries and first-fleet keepsakes to wedding photos and sports memorabilia.

Taking over an established business is one thing. Deciding what it should become is another. Stephanie and Dylan chose to honour what Steve and Xenia had built while shaping TAF for its next chapter. That meant narrowing the focus back to what the business had always done best — framing. Art supplies made way for a curated range of original art and prints that sit naturally alongside the craft. A move to a new space within Domain Central gave them the chance to build a shop designed around framing from the ground up. Smaller, purpose-fit, and a little easier to find. The rebrand followed the same logic. Fifty years of goodwill doesn't need replacing — it needs a fresh coat. The name stayed, the craft stayed, the same dedication to quality stayed. What changed was how TAF presents itself to a new generation of customers. The goal was never to reinvent Townsville's longest-running frame shop. It was to make sure it's still running in another fifty years.