Circa 1890s
John Smith’s store was located on the Yapeen-Vaughan road on a sharp corner about 300 metres from the Guildford-Castlemaine Road. According to the local paper, he inaugurated his new premises in October 1864 with a banquet and invited 40 friends. The General Store indeed provided a comprehensive range of goods and services. Signage on the buildings indicates that it was a post office, it sold boots and shoes, and the ‘bar’ sign on the window under the verandah confirms it was also a hotel. He was also a local agent for the Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance Company. On the right, John Smith’s timberyard offered virtually everything that a modern day hardware store would sell including timber, steel, paint, galvanised iron, fencing wire, doors, glass and wallpaper. The hay and corn section of the business suffered a destructive fire in 1884 but fortunately did not spread to the general store and residence. John Smith died in 1898 and the business passed to his son, C.J. Smith.
2022
This is the exact same scene in the modern day and all the buildings shown in the earlier image can easily be identified with the former timber store on the right, the old general store in the centre and a timber structure on the left with a tall chimney behind the electricity pole. John Smith’s name is emblazoned on the front of the former general store in a similar location to the larger sign shown in the earlier photograph. Information and images courtesy of Ken McKimmie.