History – Shopping on Memory Lane

While working on our latest exhibition, the 1960’s decade, I was swept back to that time when I began school as a five-year-old and progressed through the decade into my early teens. As a child, growing up in the Port Albert and Wellsford community, weekly shopping trips to town with my mother were always exciting and many of the businesses we visited appear in the museum’s 2027 Albertland calendar.

There was a choice of two butcher shops, Alf Zenovich (Wellsford Butchery) and Fred Preece’s. I remember the friendly banter and a free cheerio.

For fabric, wool, dressmaking patterns and haberdashery, we would head to Culpans, established by Harry Culpan in 1930. Many an hour was spent perched on stools while flicking through the giant pattern books gaining

inspiration to create some outfit or another. My first ball dress was made from material we purchased at Culpans.
Haircuts and new styles were done by Myra Burke at the Coronet Beauty Salon. Most men and boys would head to Partington’s, the local barber and tobacconist. In my time, the shop was run by Bill Partington but was originally opened by Bill’s father, Bert in 1934.

For shoes, we would shop at Cowans Footwear or Vi Dickson’s Distinctive Gowns. Reg Carmont provided clothes for men and boys. Smarts store, originally opened by William Smart in 1936 and later taken over by his son Eric and then Eric’s son John, also dealt in men’s and women’s attire.

For any hardware supplies Shepherd Brothers, established in 1938, and run by brothers Bob and Harold, was the one-stop shop for anything from a small nail to an ironing board. Two chemist shops are in my memory – Arthur Gorbey opened his shop in 1931, later taken over by his son Maurice, and Don Burtenshaw took over his shop in 1962. For that special gift it was a visit to Peter Cotton Jewellers opened in 1962.

For lunch, who could go past the Highway Tearooms, on the corner of Rodney Street and Worker Road, taken over by Tommy Jones in 1946. The shop was eventually run by Tommy’s son-in-law Jim Malcolm while the delicious pies and delicacies such as cream horns, doughnuts and chocolate eclairs were baked by Tommy and his son Peter.

The Farmers Trading Company, on the corner of Rodney Street and Port Albert Road, was formed in 1926 previously known as the Farmers Union Trading Co. Here you could get almost anything a home required, as well as clothing.

As a real treat on a Friday night (late night shopping in Wellsford) my family would occasionally dine at Miro Unkovich’s Wellsford Restaurant, which also sold fresh fish.

So many shops come to mind, Greenfields Stationery owned by Forbes Greenfield, Rex Jackson’s grocery store, McPhail’s Stationery and Fancy Goods, Greenwoods Radio & Furnishings, Yearburys Milk Bar, Mac’s Snack Bar, Power Drycleaners and the list and memories go on.

The Albertland Museum calendar is on sale at the museum for $25 and features many of the shops mentioned in this column.