Nick Swanson has called time in retail after 32 years with Harvey Norman's IT department

He never thought it would work, he just couldn't see how people would want to access so much information.

Now people tell him they cannot live without it.

Mr Swanson has been at the frontline of the changing technology landscape with Harvey Norman for 32 years.

He's spent a fair chunk of that time at the Maitland store, as the proprietor of the IT department, and in the past month he has called time on that chapter.

He now yearns for being outdoors and swapping mental work for physical work, where he can look at his progress at the end of each day, rather than focusing on a spreadsheet with figures.

He's always had a rural heart and after a fencing stint on the property he shares with wife Meryl, the Federal Member for Paterson, he decided his future had to be on the land.

He started a rural fencing business and he's absolutely loving it.

"I was under fluorescent lights for 32 years at Harvey's, not outside, not doing any sort of real physical work, mainly mental work running a business and having lots of customers around and lots of staff.

"I definitely love the retail game. I just wanted to do something totally different and see my rewards at the end of the day.

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"Maitland is a massively growing area, there is definitely a need for fencing and I knew a couple of fencing contractors who are coming to the end of their careers and they have been very helpful in getting me into this business."

Over the years Mr Swanson has had a Harvey Norman IT business in a range of locations including Brisbane, Melbourne, the Central Coast, Port Stephens, Port Macquarie and Bennetts Green.

"There were huge changes when we first started the business in Newcastle, we were selling computers next to our toasters and kettles. A toaster and kettle was $30 and a computer was $5000," he said.

"At that time people weren't going to Harvey Norman to buy a computer, they were going to their local specialist store - they'd tell us 'they know what they are talking about, you guys don't know what you're talking about'."

Mr Swanson has seen companies come and go, the size of computers change and mobile phones transform into pocket computers. He's also seen new technologies, like drones, become popular and social media channels develop.

"These phones that people carry around in their pockets are $2000, they are dearer than most computers and people just can't live without them and can't imagine ever being without them," he said.